3 Films by Claude Autant-Lara

Based on a film by the director and starring Odette Joyeux that we saw several weeks ago (Lettres d'Amour), I  chose the 3 remaining films by the director now showing on Criterion for my weekend film festival.  The films are neither light nor weighty, and often very witty.  Taken from French novels, these 3 films are all concerned with a girl of 16 years trying to come to terms with the end of her childhood and her sudden entrance into adulthood, with new feelings and ideas bombarding her senses.

The earliest of the three is from 1942, and the one that I enjoyed the most.  For a woman of 28 to nail down the flutterances of a young girl is not an easy acting assignment, but Joyeux is a delight to watch and hear at every turn.  She captures nuances that would convince a teenager that they are watching a young girl deal with strong feelings of love and isolation from the world she will soon be a part of.  All of the acting in all of Autant-Lara's films is top notch, and the newly restored prints are a joy to behold.  The uncle's relationship with his young niece is fun to watch, as he has known her since she was six, and sometimes she still wants him to treat her like that, but at other times....

Though it gets harder and harder to watch movies where very young women choose much older male partners, and vice versa, the film is still fun and enjoyable.  Based around France's first attempts to fly (the uncle), and with noisy motor cars interacting with horse and buggy transport, there is a lot to watch here besides the romance angle.  What makes me cringe much more than the age difference romances is Autant-Lara's later year, when he briefly became a European member of parliament, and made a speech denying the holocaust.  It makes a person mighty suspicious of how closely he worked with the Nazis in 1940s France.  He was certainly able to make a lot of movies during that time, of very high budgets and quality.  The writer, "Gyp", whose novel became the basis for the film, was a fanatical anti-Semite.  Good grief.

 From 1942, now showing on Criterion. 

The 2nd film was Douce, about a young girl in love with  the man who managed the estate for her grandmother and father.  Her fantasies are interrupted since her governess is also in love with him.  Not as enjoyable as the first film, nevertheless it features some great writing and acting, and period sets (1887) that are jaw dropping.  The finale, with a theatre fire, is very well done.  Only the stupidity of Douce is in question.  I would not be likely to watch this one again, mainly because of a botched ending.  Not the fact that Douce dies in the fire, but the fact that she keeps running upstairs, pushing her way past hysterical patrons running out of the theatre.  She more or less deserves her death, which I don't think was intended.  Joyeux is pensive and moody in this film, again being 16 and ready for something besides childhood.  She gets it, both barrels.

 

From 1943, now showing on Criterion.  

The third and final film of our month-end festival was a light-hearted comedy, starring Odette Joyeux again, with Jacques Tati miming his way through as a friendly and not very efficient ghost.  The ghost special effects are actually quite awesome, and even scary in a few places.  Wonderful acting, the story drags in a few places and becomes unnecessarily complicated, but it is good fun and worth a look.  Odette as the 16 year old is very dreamy, impressionable, and sombre.  At least she ends up with someone not too much older than herself in this one.

Now showing on Criterion.  

In other news, I enjoyed a final clear night of the April lunar session.  It was the best one of them all, with no wind and tolerable temperatures.  I lasted 3 1/2 hours before my eyes refused to cooperate any longer.  So I managed four outings in April, which certainly helped keep me sane.

Today's painting from the DIA is by John Brett, and is a favourite landscape.  Detroit has an entire wing of British art, most of it of very high quality.  This is one of the finest landscapes, displaying a tonal palette that is amazingly fluid and striking.  The viewer is swept away by the sunset at the seashore.  When I first saw the painting, many years ago, I thought it the Arctic!  The sands are as white as the gypsum dunes at White Sands, NM.  These dunes are in Cornwall.  The painting could easily grace the cover of a SF novel, front and back.

Bude Sands at Sunset, 1874, John Brett, English (1831-1902).  Oil on canvas, 30" x 50".  Collection Detroit Institute of Arts.

 Detail of left side, showing part of the amazingly rendered sky.

 Detail of central area.  I love the perspective, with the idea of great distance being expressed by the clouds.

 Detail of right side.  

Next up is Beltane, the Celtic holiday that is on the opposite side of Samhain.  Hard to believe it's been 6 months since we lit our pumpkin!  If time is going by so fast, we must be having fun.

Mapman Mike

Dreary Days

I suppose the dreary weather is helping people to remain indoors.  It's been mostly gloomy for two weeks now, though the flowers and trees seem to like the colder weather.  Our last pleasure outing was March 10th, so we are 7 weeks into staying home.  It's been good news for the piano repertoire.  Memory work is actually a bit ahead of schedule, and most pieces should be inside my head by the end of May.  It's also good news for Deb's film making, as well as my reading and listening program.  Three astronomy nights have helped me keep my sanity, too.  With the moon waxing now, my session possibilities are nearly at an end.

We've also been getting some yard work done.  That includes getting the lawn tractor started and all three lawns cut at last.  The remains of last year's leaves got chopped up, and things are beginning to look halfway civilized.  Last Thursday we picked up our first on-line grocery order.  Though they were out of some things and substituted others, we did well enough to try it again next week.  You simply drive up to a special parking area at the store, phone them, open your trunk, and someone comes out with your groceries and puts in the vehicle.  I might get used to shopping this way in the future, too.

Deb's movie choice last week was Ball of Fire, starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck.  From 1941 and directed by Howard Hawks, it concerns a group of professors writing an encyclopedia, and a young singer with dubious connections who assists them with the section on slang.  She brings a breath of fresh air to the study, and the 8 professors take a fancy to her.  It's a light comedy, with Gary Cooper getting to show a different side to his acting ability.  The 7 older professors are played by some of cinema's finest character actors, giving some depth to this adventure.  Miss Stanwyck gets to sing a song at the start, backed by Gene Krupa and his band.

From 1941, and showing on Criterion Channel. 

Today's artwork is a photograph from the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts.  Here is a quote about this important photograph from their website:

“Brig upon the Water” created a sensation when it was first exhibited at the Photographic Society of London in December 1856, because it was reported to have been printed from one negative. Such an achievement was considered extraordinary, because the light sensitivity of the materials used was very uneven and typically yielded either well-defined scenes with completely washed-out skies or very dark, unreadable scenes with well-developed skies. To fuse the sky with the scene the photographer usually either in-painted clouds by hand or printed twice, using one negative for the sky and another for the scene. Perhaps Le Gray succeeded with this seascape because he kept the composition simple. Here the exposure time for the sky and water was equal, and the brig, while dark indeed, appears as an appealing silhouette."

 Brig Upon The Water, Gustave Le Gray, French (1820-1882).  Albumen print, ca. 1856.  13" x 16".

This is a stunning photo, a difficult enough subject to pull off today!  I do not remember seeing this, though I will watch for it during any upcoming photography exhibits from the collection.  There is a gallery devoted to photography at the DIA.

Detail of above.  

It's film festival weekend, my choice.  I have selected three films by Claude Autant-Lara.  More later.

Mapman Mike

March All Over Again

This will go down as one of the coldest Aprils on record.  Today's high was only 36 F, a record for this date.  It's been brutal most of the time, with high winds adding to the misery.  Not to mention snow on more than three recent days so far.  I have had three clear nights recently:  Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday.  All three were bitter cold and windy.  I managed a total of 11 hours of observing time.  I am in a race against conditions which will make amateur astronomy a thing of the past.  The lights from industrial sized greenhouses in our county have put Hallam Observatory out of the picture, for one thing.  I haven't been there in over a year, and might never return.  My new secret location is in another county, and is perfect for now.  For now.  A massive tower has been built near me.  It remains dark, which is mysterious, since it is higher than surrounding windmills.  Sooner or later it will be lit, no doubt with flashing strobe lights, which will end the current love affair with my site.  And finally, we have Elon Musk's satellite constellations, which have travelled through my viewfinder twice so far.  The hobby will likely be dead within a year or two.  So I am making hay while the stars shine.

As a result of all the observing, we haven't watched much in the way of movies.  Deb's weekend choice was Paris Blues, a decent film with excellent acting about two Americans, one white and one black, living the life in Paris working at a premier jazz club.  Aside from the big name actors and actress, Louis Armstrong makes a few appearances.  What a guy!!  The plot is different, too, as two young women vacationing in Paris for 12 days (one black and one white) latch on to our two musicians (we musicians have a way with the women).  They both want the men to come back to the USA with them, which is kind of a downer.  One goes and one stays.  Hopefully the one that went back will return to Paris.  Who needs the USA when you have Paris (or London, or Berlin, Vienna, or any number of other vastly superior places!).  But it's an American film, so what do you expect?

 A really good film directed by Martin Ritt. 

My choice this week is called Closely Watched Trains, A Czech classic that we somehow missed over the years. There are so many great Czech films, especially from the 1960s.  Report coming soon, as no more clear nights are predicted.  3/14 is about normal around here.

Amanda L.'s dad passed away Saturday.  Gene had serious kidney issues, and wasn't too strict in following all the rules that he should have followed.  She just posted the obit today on FB, so we only just found out.  He worked at GM for many years.  Our sympathies to Amanda and the rest of her family.

M.

April Showers?

It's been a cold week here at the Homestead, with measurable snow on two of the days.  Friday it snowed all day, landing us with about 3" of heavy snow, which turned into 0.7" of water in the rain gauge.  It was a day of misery, but we had a lovely wood fire Thursday night, and a smaller prepared log fire on Friday.  Amazing how cheerful a fire can make a home.  Anyway, I went outside and took some photos.  now you get to see them.  First the mid day radar on Friday....

 Yes, it did snow.  All day Friday.

Our daffodils are still depressed today, even though it is sunny and the snow has melted.

The violets growing amidst the grass were non too impressed.

Our forsythia bush got a little droopy.  It had been so much happier before the snow.

Forsythia close up.

It begins to accumulate. 

End of the weather report--now on to a film report.

Any Sam Fuller film is worth a look.  Viewers can always expect the unexpected.  This one from 1959 tackles racism against the Japanese in America, but in a way one wouldn't expect.  James Shigeta and Glenn Corbett play LA detectives trying to solve a murder.  They fought in Korea together, and are like blood brothers.  Until a pretty woman comes between them.  Shigeta is so paranoid and expectant of being treated in a racist manner that he mistakes his buddy's facial expression when he tells him that he, too, loves the girl and wants to marry her.  The film deals with the fact that the Japanese population in LA is faced with so much racism that it can even appear in a best friend.  However, the Japanese detective's mistake costs him his best friend, even though he does get the girl.  His awakening to how he acted comes at the very end.  Even so, we have to sympathize with him.  A great look at Little Tokyo in LA, and many traditional Japanese cultural pursuits.  Definitely worth a watch.  Victoria Shaw plays the love interest, an artist who reacts to Shigeta's sensitivity and depth.  Hopefully they live happily ever after, but he is a moody type of guy, so watch out.

It's supposed to be clear tonight, and the scope is loaded in the vehicle and ready to go.  There are two problems, however.  It's cloudy, and it's windy.  Either one of those conditions can scupper my observing night, the first chance I've had.  The session is currently 8 days old, so there isn't much time left.  Wherever in Essex County one observes, there are dozens of jet trails from Detroit airport dirtying the air and blocking transparency.  Now that there are hardly any jets, I am yearning to see how much difference it makes without their pollution.  I may never know.

Mapman Mike

 

Harry Dean's Big Break

As usual, we watched three very different films lately.  We hadn't seen Paris, Texas in many years.  While the film has many fine moments, overall it just doesn't hang that well any more.  The first half of the film, up to where Travis gets to LA, is really good.  But after this point (there was no script after this) things go downhill slowly but steadily.  I have never met a film buff who does not love Harry Dean Stanton, and he is the perfect choice for this film.  Also turning in a very strong performance is Dean Stockwell.  And Nastassya Kinski turns in a solid performance, as does the little boy.  Problems develop when the film should be reaching a climax.  Instead, we are treated to very long and boring monologues inside a peepshow booth.  The mysterious story we've been waiting so long to hear about is painfully uninteresting and banal (he was a jealous alcoholic who blacked out for four years after hitting his wife (who was about 35 years younger than he was!).  The ending itself is quite ridiculous, as the absent father, after reuniting the boy with his mother, takes off again, leaving her to figure out what the hell to do now.  A film made by males for males.  Even Wenders admits that he is terrible at constructing endings.  Harry Dean was furious when he discovered that the family would not be staying together at the end, and wanted to punch the director.  Even a simple "I will see you again," at the end would have been better than what was given audiences, who for some reason loved it at the time.  So 4 stars for the first half, and 2 stars for the second half (which I would never watch again).  The opening scene, with Travis walking alone in the desert, is one of the great openings of a film.  It's too bad that Wenders couldn't have come up with a better ending.  Sam Shepherd wrote the final monologues in one night, and it shows.  The film has about two hours of extras to watch, which we are still finishing up.

 Now showing on Criterion Channel.

Next up was a film noir, part of a package of this type of film from Columbia that Criterion is currently showing.  We watched Dead Reckoning, with Bogart getting beaten up and shoved around for awhile.  The plot is all over the place, and the dame, Lizabeth Scott, is either the best liar in the world, or she really loves Bogart.  Which is it?  That's about the only interest here, and the ending, though surprising in some ways, is expected in others.  Deb claims it to be the most misogynistic film she has ever seen.  Right up there with Paris, Texas, in my reckoning.

 Now showing on Criterion. 

And now for something completely different.  In other words, something I would not let my mother watch.  Adan Jodorowsky's short film (27') The Voice Thief is stylish and edgy, and was obviously made for the film festival circuit.  It would likely do well at many festivals.  A man chokes his singing wife, who loses her voice.  He then sets out on a dark mission to capture other voices and give them to his wife, hoping she will be able to sing again.  Sets, use of colour, and camera work are quite incredible, though the subject matter often becomes very disturbing and uncomfortable.  Deb thought he pushed boundaries too far, while I thought that if it had gone any further, I would have jumped ship.  An interesting experiment, in the tradition of Eraserhead and its ilk.

 Disturbing short film showing on Criterion.  

On the home front things are going well here, as they are in Sudbury (my family) and Lindsay (Deb's mom).  We are not bored, still barely finding enough time in a day to get things done--practicing, writing, walking, yard work, watching films, making films, reading, gaming--there is no end of things to do at this location.  I think I should qualify for a long space voyage, if I can take my house with me and all belongings.

It's the new astronomy session, and so far it's been a bust.  I'm hoping for at least 3 good nights, but my hopes are dimming as we approach last quarter moon.  The weather here is very windy and very cold, so even if skies were clear, conditions are not good enough to get me driving 75 miles round trip.

And speaking of the moon and night time, here is a wonderful painting from the DIA, long a favourite of mine.

Matlock Tor By Moonlight, Joseph Wright of Derby, English, 1734-97.  Painted between 1778-1780.  Oil on canvas, 24" x 30", collection Detroit Institute of Arts.  

We have a Sam Fuller movie lined up, more episodes of season 5 Elementary, lots more to read, and my 2nd Valeria novel, which is bouncing along nicely.  I write at least one new page every day, plus some rewriting and editing.  Hoping to have it complete by the end of May, and sooner if I have to stop piano for awhile due to my blocked right ear.

My next outing is scheduled for Thursday, for some fresh food.  We already have an on-line order, to be picked up, for the following week.  And a big order of vitamins etc is due any time from Wal Mart.  So we are venturing out even less frequently than before.  All is good at Lone Mountain Homestead.  Though I am pining for New Mexico a lot.  And my craft beer supply is getting dangerously low.

Mapman Mike

The Back Garden

I had to make a 2nd outing of the week today.  I had two prescriptions to fetch at the Wal Mart pharmacy, as well as get one for Mogi the cat at our vet.  I arrived at Wal Mart at 8:20 am, and got into the store about one hour later.  I was standing outside in a long line (we were at least 2 metres apart) that hardly moved.  When I finally got into the store I realized why: they were hardly letting anyone inside!  The store was virtually empty.  Since I had waited so long (in a very cold wind) I decided to pick up a few other things while there.  My prescriptions will last for three months, so I won't likely be seeing Wal Mart for awhile.  But two prescriptions for three months each only cost me $8,which is why I use their pharmacy.

The vet was easy, as Deb had pre-ordered.  When I arrived I simply called the office, and the vet tech put my supplies outside on a small table, which I then fetched.  Easy peasy.  Next, I gassed up the car, and then it was home sweet home. 

My ear is very bad today, with increased pressure and a loud roaring sound going on.  It made piano practice very difficult.  Since early January I have had about 85% hearing loss in my right ear; today that is easily increased to 95% loss.  It is frustrating, as there is nothing medical science can do for me. 

Today's painting for the DIA is a fitting one, under the circumstances.  Likely a view from the artist's studio window in Berlin, it seems to capture the glory and the claustrophobia of such an environment as one's back garden.  With no humans directly in the picture, it has a calming effect, and somewhat meditative.  We have lots of space here, though, and are not feeling particularly closed in.  I am now looking forward to staying home for at least a week.

  The Back Garden, Adolphe Von Menzel, German 1815-1905.  Between 1850 and 1860.  Oil on canvas, unframed 19 x 27 inches.

 Detail of left side, above.

Detail of right side, above.

  

We are still watching Paris, Texas.  More on that film when we are finished viewing.

Mapman Mike

The Outing

Today was Deb's infusion day, on the opposite side of the county.  Traffic was much lighter than normal, though at times it did appear normal.  The plan was for her to go the clinic, get her infusion, see her doctor, and I would head out to a local supermarket.  We left home armed with home made masks, so what could ever happen to us that is bad? The store is billed as a "superstore," meaning that is has everything.  Normally it does, but not today.  About 50-60% of the shelves and freezers were empty.  I still managed a fairly good haul, as most fresh fruit and veggies were available (there is a terrible run on potatoes, though).  So we should be good for a week at least, again.  My next outing is set for Thursday (very unfortunately), as I need to refill two prescriptions, and pick up cat food and a cat prescription at the vet.  So out twice in a week.

We are actually happily adjusting to being grounded, so to speak.  Life has been even better here lately, with more creative time being allowed since we are not out as much.  The bank account is gaining a slight bulge, too.  However, I still pine for visits to Detroit, to London, and especially to Vienna, which might be at the top of our list once things return to a new normal.  We now know how to screw oil companies--drive a lot less.  We now know how to have cleaner air--drive less and fly less.  We know how to stay healthier--maintain a degree of social distancing after this is over.  Will we do it?  We as in Deb and I will certainly give it a go.  But I really doubt it will catch on with the public.

We've been watching Season 5 of Elementary a lot lately, as well as finishing up Season 1 of Bosch.  Then there is the Dr. Who classic episodes that we are screening, and Upstart Crow and Blandings.  A new Criterion movie is coming up soon (Paris, Texas).  In the meantime, let us go back to the first group of artists known to paint outdoors.  I fell in love with Barbizon art many years ago, after encountering works of Theodore Rousseau.   I went on to learn about many other artists in this group, each of them worth exploring on their own.  Here is one of the most calming paintings I have ever seen, one of two in Detroit by the artist.  Listen to some environmental music by Brian Eno and stare at this painting (try "Music For Airports").

 The Forest of Fountainbleu, ca 1840.  Theodore Rousseau (French, 1812-67).  

Oil on panel, 16" x 25".  Detroit Institute of Arts.

Detail of central area, above.

As I write this, severe storms are arriving in our area this evening.  We are home celebrating the April Full Moon (a super moon).  Detroit currently has more corona virus cases per capita than NYC.  Our own county is the highest in southern Ontario outside of Toronto.  You can thank our proximity to Detroit for that one.  When will it end?  Not soon enough.

Mapman Mike

April Begins

Our new normal is working out fine for us.  Our once per week grocery shopping trips have (so far) being easy and hassle free.  We are out for walk in the neighbourhood almost every day, though tomorrow's exercise will be dedicated to cleaning up the yard, after a winter of winds.  The last few days have been gorgeous; sunny and very mild, with little wind.  Our next outing will be Tuesday, when Deb goes for her infusion.  I will drop her off instead of accompany her, and I will try for groceries at a nearby large supermarket.  My strategy is simple; if it isn't busy, I go inside and shop.  If the parking lot is full, I give it a miss.  Tonight will be the 2nd clear night in a row, giving us an opportunity to see Venus passing in front of the Pleiades star cluster just after sundown.  Anyone with binoculars can see this very cool event, as the sky's best and brightest star cluster meets the brightest object in the sky, not counting the Moon and the Sun.  Last night Venus was just on the edge of the cluster; tonight it will lie amidst it.

We watched two movies this past week, one dismal and one very good.  The dismal one was Lindsay Anderson's Britannia Hospital, which was agonizing to sit through.  Nothing comes out right in this look at a troubled time in England, as people protested their hospitals being used by the rich, who were given special treatment (which they paid for), while the regular citizens had a 2nd class service.  A worthy cause for a film, perhaps, but it proves to be disastrous.  Filled with fine actors and actresses, the entire project seems destined for rubbish heap after about 30 minutes.  It continues to writhe in agony (or was that me) for a further 90 minutes.

Much better was Allison's Anders' first big solo feature, a neat little indie film called Gas Food Lodging.  Filmed in Deming, NM (we recognized many of the landscape features), it's about a mother trying to raise two teenage daughters in a small town that serves mostly as an Interstate stop.  Mom is a waitress at a truck stop diner, living in a depressing trailer park with two teenagers.  The oldest one is hell bent on self destruction, while the younger (sensitively played by Fairuza Balk) is still searching for her place in the scheme of things.  No pretensions here of trying to solve major world problems, just a harsh and close up look at a small family, with the mom trying her best to hold things together.  Highly recommended.

 This film has aged very badly.  If it ever did have significance, it was lost a long time ago.

A must to avoid.  Now showing on Criterion Channel.

 A small treasure of a movie, and recommended highly. 

  Now showing on Criterion Channel. 

In art news, with Spring and flowers bursting forth everywhere we turn, it is now safe to think of summer, and visiting the farm.  Which farm?  Why Glebe Farm, in England, of course.  Constable's painting recalls the work of Dutch masters, but he also predates the Barbizon School by many years, which also influenced the impressionists.  One of two Constable paintings in Detroit, this one is a favourite, and is usually on display.  The sky bursts with everyday drama, and the air seems thick and heavy with the scent of greenery and humidity.

The Glebe Farm, Dedham, 1827.  John Constable, English (1776-1837).  Oil on canvas, 18" x 23.5".  Collection Detroit Institute of Arts.  A calming image in a troubled time.

 Detail of left side, above.  The artist did 4 versions,
 another of which is in Tate Britain.

 Detail of the farm.

 Detail of lower right side, above.  Notice the impressionistic brush strokes!  

Practicing is going well, and the listening program is still going great guns (Haydn #98 coming up next).  I was called upon to use my powerful, manly voice to be the narrator in Deb's current short film, a retelling of the Poe story Masque of the Red Death.  I'm sure it will lead to no end of requests from other filmmakers.  But I will continue to be very selective in my choice of narrated films.  I have (literally, really and truly) played Hamlet in Stratford Upon Avon, doing his voice for a movie Deb made that was screened there.  So I have some legitimate credits to my name.

Though piano practice itself is going well, memorization of pieces is quite another matter.  Instead of my billions of healthy synapses snapping to attention when needed and getting the job done, I have been trying to pour notes into a head containing a substance reminiscent of porridge that has been left to cool in the pot too long.  It is an agonizing task to memorize new pieces.  Very slow and anything but steady, but it goes on.

I now have less than 100 pages left in Spinrad's Mexica, his detailed and well researched account of how Cortes managed to conquer Tenochtitlan.  It wasn't as easy as school books would have you think, but it still was a remarkable achievement.  Sometimes the book is a bit of a slog, but most parts read well, and the narrative is always clear and unfuddled.  The descriptions of what the city looked like, its size, its vast population, and how it totally awed the Europeans, is worth reading the book for in itself.  Having visited the existing ruins a few times, and seen the progress of recent archaeological digs, I would like to return once more to see these things again.  The National Museum of Anthropology remains one of the finest museums I have ever visited.

Mapman Mike