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25 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Bresson's "Les Dames..." is not an easy film to enjoy at first viewing. It takes, much like Renoir's "Rules of the Game", repeated viewings in order to appreciate the richness and depth in the film texture. Based on a novelette (the telling of gives you the feeling that its none was of none other)it tells the story of an upper class "lady" Helene (Maria Casares) having what on the surface is a mutual break up with her long time lover, Jean. But having only dared him to reveal his feelings by telling him that she is no longer in love with him (when watching the film again one sees the honesty in Casares' Helene which tells us differently, pleased he states that there is no love loss then and that they are now both free to move on to other people (he even dares to recommend someone for her). In a cold whisper later on she declares "I'll have my revenge". Her 'revenge' is deliberately setting her now ex-lover with an ex-cabaret dancer, Agnes, whose Mother Helene was once on good terms with. Helene acts as an angel of mercy by buying them out of the squalor that they find themselves in and cunningly tries to strain the attraction between Jean and Agnes. In an act of 'sincere' honesty she warns Jean of the possible danger of marrying the girl. He does, and Casares reveals her true form to him in anexcellent scene where he is having trouble backing his car out of a packed car park, always reversing to allow Helene deliver another devestating revelation, tha his wife is a prostitute, his reputation is ruined, that he knows not of a woman scorned.
What the main attraction to this small film is its dialogue by Cocteau (so poetic that getting to read its subtitles during the film as well as it being spoken increases ones appreciation for it); the subtle play of shadows and camera by Bresson (in only his second film outing, the next would be "Diary of a Country Priest"); and the central performance of Maria Casares (perhaps best known for her roles in "Les Enfants du Paradis" and as Death in Cocteau's "Orphee",Cocteau later described her as his favourite actress) in only her second film role. All the performanes in the small cast (made up of only the main characters, there are very few extras imployed in the film) are excellent.
Unlike what he would later employ, Bresson filmed this entirely in a studio at at the of World War II. It was not a success initially but time was good to this exceptional film and Cocteau later exclaimed that it had won its battle in the "courts of appeal". "Les Dames du Bois de Boulange" is not for everybodys taste, there is little action and the plot is focused on primarily one topic, but is told through such a rich texture of artistry that it becomes irresistible.
What the main attraction to this small film is its dialogue by Cocteau (so poetic that getting to read its subtitles during the film as well as it being spoken increases ones appreciation for it); the subtle play of shadows and camera by Bresson (in only his second film outing, the next would be "Diary of a Country Priest"); and the central performance of Maria Casares (perhaps best known for her roles in "Les Enfants du Paradis" and as Death in Cocteau's "Orphee",Cocteau later described her as his favourite actress) in only her second film role. All the performanes in the small cast (made up of only the main characters, there are very few extras imployed in the film) are excellent.
Unlike what he would later employ, Bresson filmed this entirely in a studio at at the of World War II. It was not a success initially but time was good to this exceptional film and Cocteau later exclaimed that it had won its battle in the "courts of appeal". "Les Dames du Bois de Boulange" is not for everybodys taste, there is little action and the plot is focused on primarily one topic, but is told through such a rich texture of artistry that it becomes irresistible.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
There's a certain languor to this flick that puts one in mind of the odour of lillies. A woman scorned plots to destroy her former lover by inducing him to fall in love with a dancing girl, whom he is made to believe is chaste and pure. The cunning plan works itself out in a way that is inevitable and saddening, but there is truth and subtlety to the feelings of the characters and the performances of the actors. All the same, the vampish protagonist and the ill-fated girl she makes into her tool are by the far the most vivid protagonists; I found the lovesick man quite uninteresting. I suspect the director is more interested in themes than personalities.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Robert Bresson's 1945 film Les Dames Du Bois De Boulogne is based on Diderot's story Jacques Le Fataliste, and was scripted by Jean Cocteau. The collaboration of Bresson (arch minimalist) and Cocteau (avant-garde artist, amongst many other things) would initially appear rather strange, but this film, Bresson's second feature pre-dating his later more distinctive style, works superbly well.
The story is one of love, betrayal, deception and revenge as Helene (brilliantly played by Maria Casares) discovers, to her dismay, that her lover (and intended) Jean (Paul Bernard) has gone cold on the relationship. Determined to take her revenge on Jean, despite her continuing love for him, she sets up a meeting between him and Agnes (Elina Labourdette), a woman who has fallen on hard times from her ambition of becoming a ballerina and is living a life as a cabaret dancer and prostitute. Spurred on by Helene's assurance that Agnes is from a respectable background, Jean is deceived into proposing marriage to Agnes, with tragic consequences as Helene reveals to Jean, on their wedding day, Agnes' true colours.
Whilst the film, aided by Cocteau's superb screenplay, is not typical Bresson, it has clear portents of Bresson's later style with its simple storyline and predominantly static approach to shooting. The black and white cinematography by Philippe Agostini (who achieved something similar in the earlier Le Jour Se Leve) depicts Paris brilliantly, and is reminiscent of other 'noir' classics such as Tourneur's Out Of The Past and even Bertolucci's The Conformist. On the acting front the film is carried by Maria Casares, for whom this was only her second feature, her first being her essentially supporting role as Nathalie in Marcel Carne's masterpiece Les Enfants Du Paradis - a truly remarkable two debut films! Casares plays with a brooding intensity and sexuality reminiscent at times of the great Kathleen Byron in Black Narcissus.
A film that improves with each successive viewing.
The story is one of love, betrayal, deception and revenge as Helene (brilliantly played by Maria Casares) discovers, to her dismay, that her lover (and intended) Jean (Paul Bernard) has gone cold on the relationship. Determined to take her revenge on Jean, despite her continuing love for him, she sets up a meeting between him and Agnes (Elina Labourdette), a woman who has fallen on hard times from her ambition of becoming a ballerina and is living a life as a cabaret dancer and prostitute. Spurred on by Helene's assurance that Agnes is from a respectable background, Jean is deceived into proposing marriage to Agnes, with tragic consequences as Helene reveals to Jean, on their wedding day, Agnes' true colours.
Whilst the film, aided by Cocteau's superb screenplay, is not typical Bresson, it has clear portents of Bresson's later style with its simple storyline and predominantly static approach to shooting. The black and white cinematography by Philippe Agostini (who achieved something similar in the earlier Le Jour Se Leve) depicts Paris brilliantly, and is reminiscent of other 'noir' classics such as Tourneur's Out Of The Past and even Bertolucci's The Conformist. On the acting front the film is carried by Maria Casares, for whom this was only her second feature, her first being her essentially supporting role as Nathalie in Marcel Carne's masterpiece Les Enfants Du Paradis - a truly remarkable two debut films! Casares plays with a brooding intensity and sexuality reminiscent at times of the great Kathleen Byron in Black Narcissus.
A film that improves with each successive viewing.
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