Melville

Started by SoNowThen, April 14, 2003, 01:45:46 PM

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SoNowThen

April 14, 2003, 01:45:46 PM
Bob le Flambeur and Le Samourai are great. Un Flic is available on dvd, but I haven't seen that yet. Just got Silence of the Sea from the library (I think it's his first), and it's great!

Anybody seen anything else of his?

Thoughts/comments, etc....
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

SoNowThen

#1
April 17, 2003, 12:32:04 PM
So what the hell? Nobody wants to talk about Melville?

Anybody seen The Red Circle?
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

Cecil

#2
April 17, 2003, 10:27:01 PM
ive only seen bob, and think it is a great film. truly amazing and inspiring.

SoNowThen

#3
May 02, 2003, 10:06:24 AM
I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but...

I wanna buy the dvd of Un Flic, but it's expensive & I'll have to special order. Has anyone seen even 5 minutes of this movie? Would you recommend it? I'm on a bit of a Melville kick, and it's the only other dvd of his to buy.


BTW -- Cecil, thanks for posting. I was getting very sad that no one would reply.  (insert cry-face here.... but I don't know how)
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

godardian

#4
June 05, 2003, 12:58:12 AM
I saw Le Samourai almost a decade ago, when it was re-issued. I remember it being quite beautiful.

I just watched Bob le Flambeur last weekend. I loved its fatalistic cheeriness; it was like the step I missed between Rififi and the more avant-gardey New Wave stuff to come. I loved the voice-over; that opening was very cool. And the voice-over at the end was very effective, too, I thought ("Bob was doing what came naturally," something like that, which wouldn't work as an excuse for his dead buddies but really does somehow explain what he's doing to the viewer). I had a really good time watching it.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

SoNowThen

#5
June 05, 2003, 08:57:52 AM
!! Yeah, that's Melville. You always have a good time watching his stuff. He's the wonderful surrogate father of Godard and Tarantino, and sometimes when I watch Hard Eight, I see the massive Bob influence, so PTA too.

And you're so right about the link between Rififi and the early new wave stuff. Owning the Rififi dvd is so much cooler than actually watching the movie, Bob is the flick Rififi wishes it was. But I had to see Rififi before Big Deal On Madonna Street, so it's all okay.

If you like Melville, please check out his first: Silence Of The Sea. Simply beautiful.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

Gold Trumpet

#6
June 05, 2003, 01:56:30 PM
I've only seen Bob Le Flambeur and felt more was achieved in the film Riffifi instead so I don't remember loving it, but I liked it. I've been planning to watch it again and may do so.

Also, The Red Circle is in strong rumor mold to get a dvd release by Criterion sometime around Christmas.

~rougerum

SoNowThen

#7
June 05, 2003, 02:01:39 PM
SWEET SWEET SWEET!!!

I wanna see that so bad.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

Gold Trumpet

#8
June 09, 2003, 04:49:10 PM
Also, sources have Le Samouri being released by New Yorker on dvd before the end of the year. Nothing more specific than that.

~rougerum

The Silver Bullet

#9
June 10, 2003, 08:36:27 AM
I enjoyed Le Samouri [B] and Un Flic [A] for what they were, but found them flawed [especially the former, which had such a sparkling yet sort of unjustified reputation]. But Le Cercle Rouge [A+++] is genius, in terms of suspense and in terms of style, and is the utter epitome of cool.

I really have to see Bob Le Flambeur before I can start passing further judgement on Melville, but his work is indeed inspiring, and even when it's flawed, should be seen.
RABBIT n. pl. rab·bits or rabbit[list=1]
  • Any of various long-eared, short-tailed, burrowing mammals of the family Leporidae.
  • A hare.
    [/list:o][/size]

godardian

#10
November 21, 2003, 05:29:27 PM
From my blog:

"The films Jean-Pierre Melville is known for deal exclusively in tough guys who don't talk and whose claustrophobic lives are predestined to end tragically; he's like a Samuel Fuller without all the cigar-chomping, entertaining blather (but with the way-too-intellectual epigraph, this one from Buddha). Not that Le Cercle Rouge isn't entertaining; in fact, beyond the fact that it most certainly is entertaining, I think you could get away with calling it a masterpiece. The plot is exceedingly simple: A just ex-con (Alain Delon), whose lover now belongs to a rival gangster, cares little enough for his own life or so-called freedom to get involved in a heist even before his actual release (he finds out about it from his prison guard). Meanwhile, a man on his way to the slammer rides a train through the French countryside while handcuffed to a worldly yet optimistic police officer, but makes a daring escape through the window. The two meet up and, along with a detoxing ex-cop who lives alone in a bare room with sickly green jail-bar wallpaper and the withdrawal spiders, snakes, lizards, and rats that come out of the closet (believe me, I was a human shudder by the time that particular little scene was over), carry off their heist. The heist has holes, though, and the police officer "wins" by finally busting up their little ring, but what he loses because of the way things go down- fair, law-abiding faith- is gone for good.

Melville's film has a smooth, steely beauty; the simple, familiar plot is not so much drawn out as stretched and dissected to reveal its existential implications. As nearly always, the visual style is what truly tells the lion's share of the story, and what we see here comprises a sort of symmetrical realism that is the visual equivalent of an iron fist in a velvet glove."
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

SoNowThen

#11
December 31, 2003, 08:55:13 AM
Finally watched The Red Circle. Cool cool cool. Showed it to my friend who's not a movie geek. He really dug it. I'm glad about that. Style as substance.... whoo hoo!!

This reminded me kinda of Rififi (only waaayyyyyy better) and The Conformist in some parts...
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

lamas

#12
December 31, 2003, 10:24:36 AM
Yeah, I saw Le Cercle Rouge a couple weeks ago and thought it was fucking fantastic.  That's all I have to say.

Alethia

#13
January 14, 2004, 11:12:52 PM
just blind bought and watched bob le flambeur and GOD it is fucking amazing.....

SoNowThen

#14
January 15, 2004, 08:51:37 AM
I just finished reading Melville On Melville. Lotsa good info for any fans of this most wonderful of directors...


We need more Melville movies on dvd! NOW!!! Criterion, I'm talking to you.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.
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