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Show Page 4 ullons au cinema' LA BELLE FRANCE .bert muth Few people would debate that France Is and has been the cultural epitome of Western civilization.' The French Revolution changed the political history of mankind, French painters completely changed the direction of art with the development of Impressionism in the 19th century, French composers laid the groundwork of modern music, the philosophy of Sartre and Genet has been a vital force in this century, and now in the sixties France has become the producer of the world's best cinema. In tracing the development of the cinema, it Is apparent many different countries have led at different times and contributed different aspects to the realization of film as an art form. In the first two decades of this century, the United States was the leader. The silent era of American cinema remains its high point of artistic achievement. The work of Griffith, Chaplin, Sennett, and many others established and defined film technique. Through the revolutionary spirit and an intense study of Griffith, the Soviet Union took over the leadership in the twenties. Artists such as Eisenstein, Pudov-kin, and Dovshenko produced masterpieces equal to those of America a decade earlier. The entire cinema industry suffered enormously, not financially but artistically, with the development of souch in 1927. This, plus the depression of the thirties, restored to America the number one position, but number one during a generally mediocre era. The highlights of the thirties were the lavish musicals of Busby Berkeley, the comedies of W. C. Fields, Mae West, and the Marx Brothers, and the ganster film featuring Edward G. Robinson or Humphrey Bogart. Today this is considered the period of high camp. World War II brought a general lull in the movie industry. After the war Italy became the leader with the development of neo-realism through such works as Rosselini's "Open City" and De-Sica's "Shoeshine" and "The Bicycle Thief." This position was reinforced in the fifties by Fellini, Antonioni, Vlsconti, and Germi. Although Italy is not far behind, today France produces the most intelligent, dynamic, vigorous works. The ascendancy of French cinema began around 1958 with the birth of the 'nouvelle vague' or new wave. The authentic new wavers, Godard, Truffaut, and Cha-brel, originated from the review "Cahiers du Cinema." Theirfirst films were characterized by a love of American cinema, a rebellion against conventionality, and an emphasis on style. Since its inception eight years ago, the new wave has become more refined and smoother, with the possible exception of Godard who remains faithful to its early tenets, and the term itself has passed from the scene. Newer directors and revitalized old ones are contributing to and enhancing French cinema: Serge Bourguignon (Sundays and Cybele), Robert Bresson (Le proces de Jeanne d'Arc), Max Ophuls (Banana Peel), Rene Clement (Purle Noon, Joy House), Jacques Demy (Bay of Angels), Phillipe de Broca (Cartouche, That Man From Rio), and many more. Certain stars have also contributed to the rise of French films. Most outstanding in this respect have been the magnificent Jeanne Moreau and the stimulating Jean-Paul Belmondo. These are the two most exciting and electrifying personalities in film today. The Moreau vehicle was Luis Bunuel's "Journal d'uneFemmede Chambre" (Diary of a Chambermaid en anglais). Although Bunuel is not French and has worked mostly in Spain and Mexico, his early historic- collaborations with Salvador Dali, "L'Age d'Or" and "Le Chein Andalou," were produced inFranceaswellas"Femme de Chambre." Bunuel can be described as a compositional impressionist. That is, the power of his films derives from the subtlety of mood and symbolism created by the almost irritatingly flawless composition of camera angle and placement and variances of shadow and light. And of course a single closeup of the Moreau visage produces more emotional impact than an entire series of Eisenstein montage sequences. "Journal d'une Femme de Chambre" is one of the best mood pieces in many years. When I first saw the advertisements for "Backfire", which reunites Belmondo and Jean Seberg, I was completely excited with the hope of re-experiencing the aesthetic stimulation of Godard's "Breathless," which also featured Belmondo and Seberg in an ostensibly similar plot. A new Belmondo film also occasions the inevitable examination of the Bogart-Belmondo mystique. ATTENTION WSC Haircuts STILL' Air Conditioned Clyde's Barber Shop 1 Block below Wash. 332 - 36th Street SIGNPOST "Backfire," directed by Jean Becker, was designed purely as a showcase for Belmondo, and the casting of Seberg opposite him is a lure for the "Breathless" idolators. The standard Belmondo acrobatics are included; car chases along mountain roads, fist fights tumbling down stairs, foot races through tenement alleys, and anything which demands an overhead tracking shot of our anti-hero. In a sense Belmondo comes closer to Bogart in "Backfire", than he did in "Breathless." Godard adapted Bogart to French Nihilism. The hero of "Breathless" did not grow from his experiences. Nothing affected him, he would always be the same, completely careless. Homage was paid to Bogart in the theatre poster sequence and difT ferent affectations which Belmondo used, such as rolling the cigarette around his lips and fingering his upper lip, but this was not the true Bogart. For Bogart learned from his experiences and was changed by them, if not during the film, it had happened before the film, and we were presented the changed man. In "Breathless" experiences do not and cannot change Belmondo. He says if he had to choose between grief and nothing, he would choose nothing. In "Backfire" Belmondo is essentially nihilistic at the beginning, but he does change. He learns to care about things and people, he reaches, by the end of the film, the stage at which Bogart usually begins. Belmondo has evaluated his experiences now, and like Bogart he can abandon this aimless pursuit of nothingness, and get out of the hectic main current. But now, also, he will be affected UTAH "The Ultimate in Fine Food" Featuring our new, beautiful dining room For Information or Reservations, Phone 394-6002 Restaurant Hours 5 p.m. to I a.m. Closed Tuesdays 2430 Grant Avenue flho is your ideal date? 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So hurry and send your S3. 00 for your questionnaire. CENTRAL CONTROL, Inc. 22 Park Avenue Oklahoma City, Oklahoma ) A t I is V ft j 5 everywhere he goes, no matter how insignificant or out-of-the-way the place, because he has evolved into a living being. It took a long time for Belmondo to reach this point, and it should be extremely interesting to see how he reacts, now that he is capable of reacting. Reflections on my first year in God's country. I am not a native Utahn, and I did not come here by choice, but as the bartender in "Irma La Douce" said, "That's another story." Before I came to Utah, I had not been outside the eastern seaboard. I can honestly say that Utah is the most unique and different state of any I have seen. The socio-cultural environment of Utah would indeed be incomprehensible to most of my friends back east. Of course we know that this condition stems from the semi-isolationist, self-righteous policy of the local religion. I wasn't prepared for Utah. About the only thing I knew of the Mormon religion was that they had the best choir in the world, and that they had practised polygamy. I thought that people would be interested in seeing good films. That was my first mistake. I did not understand June 3. 1966 the apathetic complacency which soon confronted me. At first I thought it was because these people simply had not been exposed to the type of film I enjoyed. So, thought It rather naively, if they are exposed to it, they will like it. However, I soon found out that the culturally sterile masses did not want to be exposed to anything new. They were so sure they had the 'truth', that they didn't even want to listen to anything that was different or challenged their safe little conceptions. Well, I joined the UB Film Committee in the Winter Term. I soon learned to compromise my ideals. You've got to make money to function at WSC, and we did. Dean Coulter, Linda Farmer, Mary Vigeon and myself worked and struggled and cleared a profit. We brought in good movies, not the foreign ones we had hoped for, but all very good films. i CALGARY STAMPEDE i :j 13 Days -$99.00 T.I.TOURS i392-4588 392-9301! f - - fin iiii.li munuii wwim mini u m ! " - ' l v s rJl'T Ken Burton Ken Burton, a sophomore majoring in business administration, is business manager for Weber State Publications. He took over the job at midyear and has devoted much time to provide quality advertising for the Acorn and Signpost, and establish good relations between the college and Ogden area merchants. Ken is an L.D.S. Central Atlantic States returned missionary, member of the 1 966-67 special events committee, recipient of a 1966 Publications Award, and will represent the college at the National Associated Collegiate Press Convention in October. He will also play a major role in the first annual junior high school publications workshop to be sponsored by the college this fa 1 1 . Ken is seen wearing an Arrow Button Down Shirt from Block's at $5.00. He is also wearing Levi Sta-prest pants, from $6.95, and Windbraker, $7.95. These may be acquired also at Block's. WiWcHsl mtmtmtwmrmtwn Open Friday Nights Till 9 2444 Washington Blvd. Parking at Rear Entrance |