MovieChat Forums > La maman et la putain (1973) Discussion > A MASTERPIECE!!!

A MASTERPIECE!!!

posted 22 years ago by Hishoo
34 replies | jump to latest

Eustache gives an extremely delightful masterpiece

[–] vania13 22 years ago

This is the crappiest and longest movie i've ever seen. The main character talks a lot of gibberish which is supposed to be something profound. well it is not. art is supposed entertain you, not bore you to death. i'm glad france has progressed since 1973 or we would be left with stupid, long and BORING movies. If you want to be profound then read and write philosophy or start doing math. let movies be entertaining. the hell with this movie!
PS: the same message could have been conveyed in half an hour not 210 minutes.

[–] flaw4019 21 years ago

I think that the people who love this movie don't take Alexandre (the main character) too seriously. Of course some of the things he says in a serious way are laughable. I've known guys like him, who talk like that.

-Derek

[–] Blueghost 16 years ago

Isn't there a little Alexandre in all of us? ;-)

Seriously, I love rereading my reviews on occasion to see both what I wote, and to see the vote on who found them useful, but I like to engage people in a dialogue, not a sermon.

Alexandre, from what I recall, was pretty important to himself. I think a few of the scenes of him spouting off his "profundity" were needed, but did the film need to be this long?

I went and saw it either last year or the year before last at the SF MOMA, and was nearly bored to tears. This film needed one or two more characters to truncate Alexandre's spiel.

Just my two bits.

[–] traumatized1 20 years ago

art is suppose to entertain you? well tell that to the young contemporary artists.

[–] HaloumiMan 20 years ago

The movie is truly great. If you can't see that, I'm sorry.

I love haloumi cheese

[–] squarah1 20 years ago

what i find interesting is that we in the uk get 5 more minutes than the americans, im going to see this film for the first time tomorrow so we'll see if that 5 mins makes a difference...

[–] blackpantherswatchamacallit 20 years ago

There is no five minutes extra, the duration difference is just due to the American NTSC standard and the UK's PAL, different frame rates I believe it goes.

[–] horsdumonde 17 years ago

Really? If you can tell what those five minutes are, I'd like to hear about it. Let us know!

[–] jhaus 18 years ago

"The same message could be conveyed in half an hour"

I had the same problem with Journey to the End of Night and Catch-22, in that I thought both books went overlong.

The fact of the matter is: life is relentless and piling on. The effect of a work running its own theme into the ground is to do justice to that unrelenting quality of living.

T_

[–] GeniusoftheYear 17 years ago

yet another intelligent imdb comment.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] telemahos 16 years ago

"the same message could have been conveyed in half an hour"
Message.. what message? I'd love to know what you think was the 'message'..
And by the way, is that 13 in your name the years of your age?

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] deadbunny28 12 years ago

well i was thoroughly entertained...maybe you are just the type of person who is only entertained by car chases and big explosions?...nothing wrong with that, those could be fun too...i didn't find the movie long, just like 'the godfather' or 'scenes from a marriage', i found myself not wanting the movie to end...i think boring is a vague term, which doesn't really constitute much, can you explain the reasons why you were not entertained?

[–] mathieu-leborgne 11 years ago

Depends how you approach cinematography. It can be a vessel to carry strong and powerful philosophical ideas throughout its frames. Entertaining cinema results in Avengers and big block buster movies, such as. I am glad there is alternative to that.

If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door!

[–] lampman7 19 years ago

This is cinematic art at its most honest, untainted by the hyperreality of modern Hollywood and even American Independent Film. Instead of creating a mouthpiece for ideological views, Eustache (and his cast & crew) created human characters who carve out an existence in a world saturated by ideology. The objectivity exemplified by Eustache's style and script is the perfect lens through which to view the subjective experiences of these characters, creating a revelatory experience for the viewer. While definitions of art vary as widely as instances of it, I respect art that is a revelation rather than refraction or distraction.
If films like this could be created here in the US, we might actually have a culture that didn't reek of homogeneity and corporate ideology.

[–] Blueghost 17 years ago

by - lampman7 on Thu May 26 2005 13:59:35
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is cinematic art at its most honest, untainted by the hyperreality of modern Hollywood and even American Independent Film. Instead of creating a mouthpiece for ideological views, Eustache (and his cast & crew) created human characters who carve out an existence in a world saturated by ideology. The objectivity exemplified by Eustache's style and script is the perfect lens through which to view the subjective experiences of these characters, creating a revelatory experience for the viewer. While definitions of art vary as widely as instances of it, I respect art that is a revelation rather than refraction or distraction.
If films like this could be created here in the US, we might actually have a culture that didn't reek of homogeneity and corporate ideology.

I agree somewhat. The thing is I really liked the barebones production values mixed with the B&W stock. It gave the film a real gritty feel. And some of Jean's deliveries were really worthy of applause (the silent type) and notoriety. Veronika's little speech at the end, I think, should have come earlier--it would've made for a better movie.

Truth is I did find this film too long. I had to fight off sleep at certain points, but managed to stay awake for the entire thing. Still, I prefer it over a lot of corporate Hollywood. This film could have really knocked Hollywood's socks off, and done so by keeping all of its meatier parts. But it didn't.

[–] guidofellini 17 years ago

Well, I've read the original script and it was even longer. There was even two more scenes. The first one was dealing with Alexander and his male friend talking about a date he had with Veronika. He tells that they ate in a restaurant and then went to the movies. Interesting dialogue.

The second scene comes much later in the movie, before Veronika's monologue. In fact, it is another monologue by Veronika. She talks about a lover she had. The man didn't care about her when she was pregnant. Then she lost the baby. She also speaks of her father, who was a policeman and like every policemen, is despised by society (Alexander, earlier in the film, expresses his scorn for cops).

If you are interested, I can write the dialogue (in French) here.

In the preface to the script, Jean Eustache says, that for financial reasons, he could not include those scenes in the film, but he regretted it. Eustache woud have made the film even longer. He even talks about a first verson of the script which would have made a 6 hours film.

Sorry for my english, I'm not a native speaker.

"I don't have time for a drink with you. Have you got a phone number ?"
The Mother and the Whore

[–] kous 19 years ago

really masterpiece of 70s

[–] kobaincito 19 years ago

I just wanted to agree with Lampan. I'm halfway through the film (which i believe to be a lesser sin, although a necessary one when considering the timeliness of attempting full exposure to the films ideas). What i have to admit is that the past couple of posts have been brief and enlightning, i wish more people would make sense in imdb, but you guy's have got it. I dont want to praise the film yet, although the hour i have seen left me writing quotes and commentary, so its a definite thinker. Peace, intellectualites.

[–] kobaincito 19 years ago

(stopping the film in the middle is the sin to which i refer)--> i assumed it was obvious since i was writing online, and then, i remembered that there is no guarantee of comitment in these awful times and that a post writer might be very well watching the film as he writes. Yet, to me that is a higher sin, like chewing gum while drinking or watching the television while having sex. This is a time of aweful combinations, aint it?... anyway, i stand corrected of my much too large assumption, for whomever might care.

[–] Okada_Toru 19 years ago

I'm starved for more from Eustache; this is, as far as I can tell, the only thing available in the US (and only on tape).

[–] cinemanewyork 18 years ago

i usually stay away from extreme declarations but i do find myself wanting to shoot this into beautiful veins.

[–] guidofellini 18 years ago

great film ! great dialogue ! great acting ! great director !

The best french film in the seventies !

- Who is God ?
- When you close your eyes and make a wish, God is the one who doesn't care about.

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 16 years ago

Absolute perfection in the face of woofing!

Nothing is more beautiful than nothing.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] guidofellini 15 years ago

Have not seen that one. Where in the hell did you get a copy of it ?

"I don't have time for a drink with you. Have you got a phone number ?"
The Mother and the Whore

[–] Bish-Fiscuit_Lord_of_the_Bees 12 years ago

Yes, this is one of my absolute favorite movies.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Blueghost 11 years ago

by Hishoo » Mon Jan 27 2003 08:01:59
IMDb member since January 2003
Eustache gives an extremely delightful masterpiece

Are you out of your mind?

I saw the full version at the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts some years back, and I was riveted to see just how bad this piece of junk was. I had to fight off sleep and wanted to burn the print and negative afterwards.

What pretentious garbage.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] thefly50 10 years ago

Your posts from a few years ago show much more appreciation of the film. Perhaps time has coated your memories in *beep* I don't know.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] rushington (765) 2 months ago

Fucking love this film and enjoyed every minute of it. The trio's effortlessly brilliant performance along with the charming sometimes witty screenplay elevate this film to a masterpiece.