L'Atalante (1934)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

L'Atalante (1934) -- J. Vigo

Vigo was only 29 when he died in 1934 with only 2 fiction films and a documentary to his credit. Nevertheless, his reputation as a master filmmaker was established  by these films. His work has been likened to the work of Jean Cocteau because of its ability to create a poetic vision out of relatively mundane scenarios. He also flirts with surrealism here and there (thus, cementing the comparison with Cocteau). L'Atalante (which was rereleased last year) is at its heart a romance. A young couple has just married. He is the captain of a barge (travelling across those man-made rivers in France) and she has never left her small village. She moves onto the boat and the movie is a series of episodes from their life, leading to the inevitable conflict that causes their separation, and their heartwarming reconciliation. Perhaps the most interesting character is the first mate, a salty old dog who's not very bright but means well. He's traveled the world and has a very interesting (astonishing)  assortment of curios in his cabin. At first I was rather put off by his pure coarse and ugly manner but I grew to love him. I especially dug the strangely filmed  "wrestling" scene. This film also features beautiful cinematography with some great shots in stunning black and white. The images are often haunting and mesmerizing even when they are of typically "ugly" things like an industrial wasteland next to a canal. A stunning film that seems to have made the best use of the technology available (without overdoing it, as so often occurs today).  (Original Review, 1997-99)