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Jacques Rivette's elusive, disquieting drama that many considered to herald his second wind as one of the great French filmmakers. The plot concerns a number of drama students who encounter the same mysterious man, who tells them each a different story about a friend in danger. The inherent theatricality of the drama students plays into the film's aura of unresolved menace, where conspiracy is so pervasive that it is essentially invisible. The film intentionally creates an air of mystery and paranoia designed to leave the viewer unsettled and grasping for explanations.
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United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive Menu, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: No film critic of 1989 could write an assessment of the French-made Gang of Four (originally La Bande des Quatre) without using the phrase "Pirandellian" at one point or another. The story revolves around the hand-picked acting class of a famed director (Bulle Ogier) who works only with women. The four members of the class (Fejria Deliba, Nathalie Richard, Bernadette Giraud and Ines de Medeiros D'Almeida) are assigned to study the text of the Marivaux play Double Infidelities. Now, it just so happens that the four actresses share an apartment...and as they begin allowing the Marivaux play to influence their offstage lives, they share a lot more than room and board. A winner of the Berlin Film Festival International Critics prize, Gang of Four maintains an acceptable level of suspense and sexual intrigue throughout, though the spell is broken by a confusing climax. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: Berlin International Film Festival, ...Gang of Four ( La Bande des quatre )
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By HJ
Format:DVD
A class of women drama students rehearse scenes from Marivaux's "Double Infidelities" while infidelities & duplicities proliferate off-stage as the girls become embroiled in a conspiracy apparently involving Basque terrorists & secret police.
"Gang of 4" (1989) employs Rivette's favourite motif of rehearsing a play to set up oblique relationships between theatre, acting, role play & real life and is similar in style to "Love on the Ground" (the other Rivette obscurity from the 1980s issued on Bluebell DVD). Plot-wise it's a rerun of Rivette's 1961 debut film "Paris Nous Appartient" (BFI DVD).
Rivette makes very odd films & is definitely an acquired taste, but after watching his better films you really feel like you have been through some kind of mysterious experience and "Gang of 4" is one of the better Rivettes I've seen. The young actresses are excellent as is Bulle Ogier as the drama tutor. Given the long & loose quasi-improvised nature of such films there are some scenes, characterisations and plot twists that might not work but overall, if you like Rivette, "Gang of 4" is well worth getting.
"Gang of 4" (1989) employs Rivette's favourite motif of rehearsing a play to set up oblique relationships between theatre, acting, role play & real life and is similar in style to "Love on the Ground" (the other Rivette obscurity from the 1980s issued on Bluebell DVD). Plot-wise it's a rerun of Rivette's 1961 debut film "Paris Nous Appartient" (BFI DVD).
Rivette makes very odd films & is definitely an acquired taste, but after watching his better films you really feel like you have been through some kind of mysterious experience and "Gang of 4" is one of the better Rivettes I've seen. The young actresses are excellent as is Bulle Ogier as the drama tutor. Given the long & loose quasi-improvised nature of such films there are some scenes, characterisations and plot twists that might not work but overall, if you like Rivette, "Gang of 4" is well worth getting.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Tonkfan
Format:DVD
One of Rivette's more accessible films, nevertheless, like many of of his others, it takes a little patience and dedication to appreciate it. A great young cast make this movie, which is both larger than life while also depiciting the every-day. An interest in theatre is not mandatory, but might be helpful when viewing this, but the mini-mystery was the most satisfying part of the story for me, as life begins to imitate art.
I would recommend to anyone with a few hours to spare - like all his other films, sit back, relax, suspend your disbelief and don't be disappointed by the unformulaic structure.
I would recommend to anyone with a few hours to spare - like all his other films, sit back, relax, suspend your disbelief and don't be disappointed by the unformulaic structure.
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