Paris Belongs to Us (1961)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Paris Belongs to Us (1961) – J. Rivette

Rivette’s contribution to the New Wave took longer to put together (filming stretched over two years) and is more opaque than the more famous films of Truffaut, Godard, and Chabrol. It is also darker, more portentous and full of mystery, as well as being a first showing of the kinds of themes that Rivette would return to in his 12 hour epic Out 1.  A powerful conspiracy (fascist, nationalist, related to HUAC?) is threatening the characters who know about it, including two expatriate Americans. A Spanish guitarist commits suicide – or does he? A young girl gets involved in the intrigue through her older brother, becomes infatuated with a theatre director who feels overwhelmed by events, and seeks a missing tape of guitar music to assist his production of Pericles.  However, all (or some) of this may be a fiction. Paris looks bohemian and seedy and makes you wish you were there, despite the (real or imagined) danger.