La Jetée

My eternal struggle for time to watch movies, which is further plagued by spending an hour deciding what to watch. This time it led me to probably the most famous short film in history or at least in that area along Duck Soup or The Red Balloon.

La Jetee is a short 28 minute film about time, love, and probably 100 other things. It is not technically a "move-y" as its all still images with a musical score and narration and no dialogue. But I couldn't take my eyes off it. Somehow it captured the feeling of memory and vague reminisces and dreams perfectly. I say somehow because I do not know what it was that made it able to do this so accurately.

The plot was ahead of its time. France and the world have been obliterated. The people who did it "now rule a kingdom of rats" (paraphrasing) as the above world is too toxic to live in. Everyone lives in tunnels. The Germans did it, is the implication, and they're running tests on French victims to figure out how to fix it so they can live above ground again. They've learned how to use dreams to travel backwards and forwards in time. To make contact with the people that can save them. But most people can't handle this and die. Eventually their new subject comes. He can handle it. He's long been followed by a memory of a woman on a jetty. He goes back in time and it turns out they fall in love. He also goes forward in time. He accomplishes the mission. The Germans offer to set him free but he asks to go back in time instead to be with the woman instead. They oblige.

If any of this sounds familiar, it's because this movie was hugely influential to Terry Gilliam who basically warped it into his own thing with 12 Monkeys (which I just bought to see again for the first time in like 28 years now). It also influenced Christopher Nolan and his own reality and time sensibilities.

I watched this a few days ago. At first I was going to give it a 7 because of the logic "you can't really give a 30 minute film more than that can you?". But the more it becomes part of the past, the more it ingrains itself into my mind, much like the movie (stills-ie) itself. I went to 8. This morning I decided it was a 9. I love it. This time next week I might just call it a 10. The more I think about it the more I like it and understand it. This hit me like I expected Persona to. Maybe it was the lack of expectations that helped.

Chris Marker's other famous movie is Sans Soleil and that is now immediately into the queue.

The imagery is amazing, shot in black and white. I think I'm basically in love with Hélène Châtelain at this point. Because I dreamt about her so much. Those were my dreams... right?

So brilliant. That one moment when the still begins to move is breathtaking, and of course the time travel element is just gorgeously executed.

Interesting experiment. It must be interpreted within the generational context of its creation.

Interesting as an experiment of its time but probably not of much interest to a general viewer.

One of the most famous short film in history but I didn't know it was a photo slideshow!