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Les tableaux
Before discussing this movie, I need to discuss the idea of tableaux. There are two ways of looking at movies: as a series of actions, or a series of scenes. Tableaux takes the "series of scenes" to an extreme: a series of still pictures, rather than action.
Perret's tableaux in this and other movies are magnificent. Each scene is a magnificent picture. Given the recent (2002) restoration of this picture, one can appreciate Perret's composition, his framing techniques -- he likes to shoot small groups of people in windows, one person per window pane, so they wind up looking like a gallery of pictures -- and his attention to detail.
The problem arises in the director's decision in how long to focus on each shot. Even with elaborate framing, composition and detail -- this is a movie about a lacemaker, after all -- tastes vary. In terms of story-telling, of course, one should look at each scene just long enough to let its sense penetrate. In terms of looking at pretty pictures, the individual viewer makes up his or her own mind. In terms of a tableaux director's movie, the director makes the decision -- and Perret makes the decision to slow things down so you can look at every line of every piece of lace in every frame of the movie.
And it's a simple plot, unadorned by comic relief or much movement of any sort,a two-reel movie, about 16 minutes, and by halfway through the second reel, I was screamingly bored. "All right!" I wanted to shout. "It's another piece of lace! It's magnificent! Now get on with it!"
And that's what's great and awful about this movie.
Perret's tableaux in this and other movies are magnificent. Each scene is a magnificent picture. Given the recent (2002) restoration of this picture, one can appreciate Perret's composition, his framing techniques -- he likes to shoot small groups of people in windows, one person per window pane, so they wind up looking like a gallery of pictures -- and his attention to detail.
The problem arises in the director's decision in how long to focus on each shot. Even with elaborate framing, composition and detail -- this is a movie about a lacemaker, after all -- tastes vary. In terms of story-telling, of course, one should look at each scene just long enough to let its sense penetrate. In terms of looking at pretty pictures, the individual viewer makes up his or her own mind. In terms of a tableaux director's movie, the director makes the decision -- and Perret makes the decision to slow things down so you can look at every line of every piece of lace in every frame of the movie.
And it's a simple plot, unadorned by comic relief or much movement of any sort,a two-reel movie, about 16 minutes, and by halfway through the second reel, I was screamingly bored. "All right!" I wanted to shout. "It's another piece of lace! It's magnificent! Now get on with it!"
And that's what's great and awful about this movie.
helpful•21
- boblipton
- Nov 14, 2002
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- Also known as
- Spetsknypplerskan
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- Runtime17 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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