A Tribute to Jean Moreau - Part II

La Notte (1961) - dir. Michelangelo Antonioni
Antonioni spends too much time in establishing the lead couple's issues and wasting precious time in re-proving the obvious for the first half of the film. The couple finally face each other and let out the truth over the course of one night spent at an extravagant party in the country, complete with unexpected heavy showers, a jazz band that plays all night long and some unavoidable flirting. Moreau's most somber, depressive and solemn character I have ever witnessed... All in all, a good film yet a bit slow. As Mr. Gherardini's daughter claims towards the end: "You've exhausted me... the pair of you..."

Ascenseur pour l'Échafaud/Lift to the Scaffold (1958) - dir. Louis Malle
The brilliant script and cinematography really shines through in Malle's feature, which he shot when he was only 24. The film predates the New Wave film movement in France but one can easily see fragments bubbling to the surface even in Malle's script. The well-thought-out script even has a place for youthful criminals who have the wildest dreams, while Moreau and Maurice Ronet's characters play out the film noir story with a twist. As for the cinematography, the use of natural light even during the night shots through Paris proves realistic and refreshing. It also literally makes the film a film noir (pun intended!). No wonder this film propelled Moreau from the stage to the big screen when it was released.

Lumière (1976) - dir. Jeanne Moreau
Written and directed by Moreau herself, Lumière depicts the lives of four actresses from different generations. It's a film about films, actresses, the back-stage and the rest. Moreau plays the main character, Sarah, whom she had initially wanted Audrey Hepburn to play, but Hepburn was already busy shooting another film. The acting all-around is top-notch, and the film feels airy eventhough it deals with potentially-heavy material with a light heart. Music composed by Astor Piazolla complete the package, which is a rare opportunity to see an actress pull together all she has learned from the wonderful directors she has worked with in her career. As Moreau herself declares "When someone who has eaten only the best food becomes a cook, there really is no excuse for her dishes to be poor." (Marianne Gray, La Moreau A Biography of Jeanne Moreau, Little, Brown and Company, 1994)

More to come...!