Vibrant scenes of individuals' daily life are filmed in Place de la République.Vibrant scenes of individuals' daily life are filmed in Place de la République.Vibrant scenes of individuals' daily life are filmed in Place de la République.
- Director
- Star
Photos
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOriginally Malle intended to film in several different locations around Paris with professional actors. This plan was scrapped and he filmed ordinary people in the titular location in central Paris in lieu of actors and the 40 various 'sets' that were planned.
- Quotes
[first lines]
Louis Malle, Himself: Excuse me, sir. Did you realize we've been filming you for 15 minutes? Do you realize we've been filming you?
Old Man: What?
Louis Malle, Himself: Filming.
Old Man: Filming me? No.
Louis Malle, Himself: You didn't notice?
Old Man: Not at all.
Louis Malle, Himself: Do you live on the area?
Old Man: What?
Louis Malle, Himself: Do you live on the area?
Old Man: No.
Louis Malle, Himself: Are you from Paris?
Old Man: No.
Featured review
Place de la République (1974)
It's an intriguing experiment. Go up and down a couple of blocks on a busy Parisian street and strike up conversations with random people. Malle stops to chat with all kinds: retirees, shoppers, homeless, immigrants, salespeople, and one woman who says "I'm not racist" and then proceeds to say some pretty racist stuff. There's no common thread to the questions asked, just getting people to talk about their lives, their frustrations, their opinions. It's such a simple documentary concept that you wonder why it isn't done more often. After a while it becomes apparent: a little of this goes a long way, but 90 minutes goes too far. Like HUMAIN, TROP HUMAIN, this film eventually wears out its welcome and even the cameraman and editor seem to get restless. It's not that the discussions are too mundane (some are quite interesting and/or charming), it's just not enough to sustain one's interest for that long.
- MartinTeller
- Jan 11, 2012
- Permalink
Details
- Runtime1 hour 34 minutes
- Color
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Top Gap
By what name was Place de la République (1974) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer