Alain Robbe-Grillet

[tavernier]

I figured you saved your coherence for imdb.

[ouatitw]

According to Alain Robbe-Grillet the restored prints will be the basis for a dvd edition of his collected work - to be published in France in March 2008.

This is great news has anyone heard anything else about it?

[Barmy]

Gradiva is coming out on DVD in Japan in a week. No news on the French DVD front.

[petoluk]

A couple of ARG's films are coming out on DVD this summer in Italy:

Trans-Europ-Express (1966)
Éden et après, L' (1970)
Gradiva (2006)

Italian subs only though...

Cheers!

Peto

[Barmy]

How ironic that Gradiva is the only one without a nudie on the cover. =P~

[Ovader]

MEMORY/MONTAGE/MODERNISM: ALAIN RESNAIS & ALAIN ROBBE-GRILLET is at the Cinematheque Ontario from July 25 to August 20.

Robbe-Grillet films to be screened:
L’EDEN ET APRÈS
L’HOMME QUI MENT
L’IMMORTELLE
TRANS-EUROP EXPRESS

[tavernier]

Coming to BAM in July:

The Immortal Alain Robbe-Grillet, July 10–15

A true career switcher, Alain Robbe-Grillet was a scientist until 30, when he began writing. After cementing his literary reputation (as a founder of the nouveau romain and an “immortal” of the Academie Française), Grillet changed gears again. We celebrate his final career move with four films he directed as well as his first screenwriting job—Alain Resnais’ enigmatic masterpiece Last Year at Marienbad. All new prints courtesy of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (except for Marienbad). All films in French with English subtitles and directed by Alain Robbe-Grillet unless otherwise noted.

L’immortelle (1963) 100min
Thu, July 10 at 4:30, 6:50, 9:15pm
With Françoise Brion, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze
A man shares an abrupt, passionate affair with a woman who soon disappears. Fearing she’s been kidnapped and forced into prostitution, he searches the labyrinthine streets of Istanbul for her. Grillet’s directorial debut disturbingly evokes the uncertainty of a strange, foreign land.

Trans-Europ Express (1966) 105min
Fri, July 11 at 2, 4:30, 6:50, 9:15pm
With Marie-France Pisier, Jean-Louis Trintignant
An author (played by Grillet himself), considering ideas for a film while riding the Trans-Europ Express, dreams up a sordid melodrama of gangsters, drugs, and bondage. When a gangster (Trintingant) does show up aboard the same train, the author’s fantasies come to life.

Last Year at Marienbad (1961) 84min
Sat, July 12 at 2, 4:30, 6:50, 9:15pm
Sun, July 13 at 2, 4:30, 6:50, 9:15pm
Directed by Alain Resnais
With Delphine Seyrig, Giorgio Albertazzi
“Haven’t I seen you here before?” This film took the world’s oldest pick-up line and turned it into one of the most famous art films ever. An unnamed man is certain he met an unnamed woman last year, but did he? This dream-like cinematic puzzle, populated by beautiful, vapid pawns, is the very definition of “must-see.” “Hopelessly retro, eternally avant-garde, and one of the most influential movies ever made.”—The Village Voice

The Man Who Lies (L’homme qui ment) (1968) 95min
Mon, July 14 at 4:30, 6:50, 9:15pm
With Sylvie Bréal, Jean-Louis Trintingant
Possibly Robbe-Grillet’s most innovative, major work, this film is set in an old Czech castle amid the forests. A man (Trintignant again) invents his own character, past, and emotions as he goes along. However, the words which create his reality are eventually turned against him and his identity begins to disintegrate.

Eden and After (L’Eden et après) (1971) 93min
Tue, July 15 at 4:30, 6:50, 9:15pm
With Catherine Jourdan, Pierre Zimmer
An erotic and labyrinthine tale of murder and vampirism, this film is set somewhere between the fictitious landscapes of the Marquis de Sade and Lewis Carroll. In Café Eden, a group of bored students engaged in a series of baroque parlor games is visited by a mysterious stranger whose presence evokes new menacing fantasies.

Of course, the lone film not directed by R-G is the one that gets extra showings.

[Barmy]

Thanks. Naturally, this partially overlaps with a vacation. #-o These are his first 4 films and also his 4 best.

[dadaistnun]

Any news on DVDs of these films?

[jsteffe]

Any news on DVDs of these films?

Mondo Macabro is releasing a DVD of C'est Gradiva qui vous appelle on August 25.

I haven't seen this one, but after suffering through La Belle Captive, I'll need a lot of convincing even to see it for free! So far the only one that's clicked with me to any extent is Trans-Europ Express. L'Immortelle was surprisingly wooden and schematic, though fortunately Robbe-Grillet became more adept at handling actors in his second film. Also, the "surprise" ending was straight out of a third-rate thriller, something for which no novelist of his stature can be forgiven. L’Eden et après was laughably pretentious with its serial music score and gauzy David Hamilton-type images, but at least it used color in a somewhat interesting way. La Belle Captive didn't even look particularly good, even though it was photographed by Henri Alekan; and the acting was actually more incompetent than in his earlier films! And again, the ending was lamely predictable in a bad thriller sort of way.

For me, seeing his films now after all these years confirms that he was a talented novelist and that film directing was more of a hobby, though Trans-Europ Express is an interesting footnote to Sixties French cinema. I haven't seen L'Homme qui ment, though apparently some think that's his best.

[petoluk]

ARG's L'homme qui ment to be released on Feb 23, 2010 in Italy - see here (only ITA audio is listed, but RHV's L'éden et après does have French audio, albeit no English subs).

In the meantime, some screenshots from the Slovak version known as Muz, ktory luze...

Cheers!
Peto

[dadaistnun]

Beaver reviews of the Ripley's/R2 (non-English-friendly) editions of Eden and After and Trans-Europ-Express.

[jsteffe]

Ripley's R2 Italian editions of L'Homme qui ment and Glissements progressifs du plaisir look really nice and have the original French soundtracks as an option. If you're comfortable with French or Italian, I strongly recommend both releases.

[petoluk]

My take on Ripley's edition of L'homme qui ment (it's not much, I admit, but surely better than a poke in the eye )...

Cheers!
Peto

[2112]

Hi,

I I'm putting this tread back-up because I'm about to order a bunch of Robbe-grillet dvd from amazon italy (Eden and After, Successive Sliding of Pleasure, The Man who Lies, Trans-Europ-Express) and I wanted to know what people here think of the quality of these release. Since French is my main language (as you can see in my poor english writing), I don't mind about any subtitles factor, but I just want to be sure they will look ok on the tv.

Thanks!

[Cold Bishop]

If you're talking about the RHV's, they're very good. Better than I ever expected for them to look in my lifetime.

[bainbridgezu]

Mondo Macabro (Gradiva) will be releasing four Alain Robbe-Grillet films in the U.S.

Coming later this year will be TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS, THE MAN WHO LIES, EDEN AND AFTER (along with its rare alternate version N TAKES THE DICE) and SLOW SLIDINGS OF PLEASURE! These astounding and transgressive arthouse/exploitation hybrids have all been painstakingly remastered in HD. In fact, they look so nice that a BD or two may be a real possibility. No promises, but the option is there! Stay tuned for more details as they come in!

[htshell]

BLU RAY! BLU RAY! BLU RAY! BLU RAY!

[feihong]

please YES. Blu-ray is needed for these for sure!

[towda]

Oh my, this is fantastic news, I'll get all four (although it might get weird looks from my wife).

ARG films are low on plot but high on visuals, these films definitely should be prime candidates for some amazing blurays.

[Perkins Cobb]

Yeah, these are worth a look (especially on Blu-ray) -- sort of hollow imitations of New Wave ideas rather than the real thing, but likable nonetheless.

[JakeB]

Great news. Big fan of R-G.

[L.A.]

Bad news from Mondo Macabro.

[feihong]

Brutal.

[Cold Bishop]

It sounds like either someone scooped them or the rights-holders are confident they can attract a higher bidder.

The bitterest Criterion editions ever?