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Re: Eric Rohmer- RIP

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 7:32 pm
by skuhn8
aox wrote:I need to see more of his work, but My Night at Maud's left my jaw on the floor. Incredible film, and I feel it is an important precursor to My Dinner with Andre.
I agree wholeheartedly. Maud's has been solid in my top 5 since i saw it 2 years ago. So sad to hear.

Re: Passages

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 7:47 pm
by Jean-Luc Garbo
Here's the NYT Rohmer obit. I know he was up there in years, but I'm stunned and depressed. It's sad to be reminded that such a great man was mortal like all of us. I'm gonna guess that he was a good Catholic to the end so I hope he's at rest now in the next world.

Re: Passages

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 8:00 pm
by cinemartin
The obit makes the mistake of Rohmer being the founder of Revue du Cinema. It was Gazette du Cinema that he founded with Rivette.

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 8:02 pm
by Murdoch
The style and manner of Rohmer's films are among the most charming things ever put to celluloid, just received Marquise of O and Green Ray and will certainly be watching tonight them in memoriam.

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 8:11 pm
by ezmbmh
I first saw Rohmer many years back in high school, no doubt trying to impress my girlfriend, and he flew right over my head. Years later he became one of the directors I value most for his sympathetic objectivity. Meaning he had a way of withholding judgment while sympathizing with just about every foible, thwarted desire, half-understood motive, made or disappointed connection. He saw and showed a remarkable amount of life without giving into cynicism, which may be most remarkable of all.

A film I don’t hear mentioned much is The Aviator’s Wife which has Marie Riviere in a wonderful role, about the uncanny way meaning drifts into our lives sometimes.

Re: Passages

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 8:33 pm
by dx23

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 8:43 pm
by NilbogSavant
ezmbmh wrote:A film I don’t hear mentioned much is The Aviator’s Wife which has Marie Riviere in a wonderful role, about the uncanny way meaning drifts into our lives sometimes.
Not to mention the charming Philippe Marlaud from Pialat's Passe ton bac d'abord who would tragically die a month after the Rohmer film was released.

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 8:47 pm
by GaryC
One of my favourite filmmakers. He will certainly be missed.

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 9:05 pm
by HypnoHelioStaticStasis
I just watched the brilliant Le Beau Mariage the other day. So full of beautiful humanity, and such a summit in an already exalted career.

RIP.

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 9:32 pm
by Tom Hagen
Sad news. As others of said, at least he was able to create a full body of work, even as he got off to a late start in filmmaking relative to his peers.

The Criterion box is their finest release in my opinion.

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 9:56 pm
by ellipsis7
Wonderful oeuvre - like Ozu revisiting the same situations and similar characters, forever fascinating and fresh, over and over again, in his marvellous film series, punctuated by singleton forays into period and otherwise - a true master and maverick, Rest in Peace!

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 10:11 pm
by colinr0380
A masterful filmmaker who produced a remarkable and beautiful body of work. I like the quote from the Ebert obit that dx23 posted:
[also like Ozu], his films seem individual and fresh and never seem to repeat themselves; both directors focus on people rather than plots, and know that every person is a startling original while most plots are more or less the same.

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 2:17 am
by Michael Kerpan
For those needing to fill in gaps in their Rohmer DVD collection, Amazon UK is offering an 8 film box set for about $22 (including slow postage to the US). If you can play Region 2 DVDs, this set is a steal.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... os_product" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Includes ‘The Aviator’s Wife’, ‘A Good Marriage’, ‘Pauline At The Beach’, ‘Full Moon In Paris’, ‘The Green Ray’, ‘My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend’, ‘Love In The Afternoon’ and ‘The Marquise Of O’.

I have half of these already, but the price of this set is much lower than buying the four needed films separately.

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 2:53 am
by domino harvey
They're actually R0 PAL

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 2:54 am
by Murdoch
That set is definitely a worthwhile purchase, and more often than not it's extremely low-priced (I once saw it for £9).

On a similar note I watched The Green Ray from the set and it was absolutely splendid, my favorite Rohmer thus far after having only seen the Moral Tales.

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:10 am
by Michael Kerpan
Also right now, the UK Tales of Four Seasons set is expensive, but the individual films are only about 5 pounds a piece over on amazon UK.

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:22 am
by Cash Flagg
Michael Kerpan wrote:Also right now, the UK Tales of Four Seasons set is expensive,
Though only £17.41 shipped from BlahDVD.

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:40 am
by jbeall
Andrew O'Hehir wrote a very nice obit for Rohmer.

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:44 am
by Michael Kerpan
Cash Flagg wrote:
Michael Kerpan wrote:Also right now, the UK Tales of Four Seasons set is expensive,
Though only £17.41 shipped from BlahDVD.
A great price for three excellent and one good films (IMHO).

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:06 am
by fiddlesticks
Michael Kerpan wrote:For those needing to fill in gaps in their Rohmer DVD collection, Amazon UK is offering an 8 film box set for about $22 (including slow postage to the US). If you can play Region 2 DVDs, this set is a steal.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... os_product" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Includes ‘The Aviator’s Wife’, ‘A Good Marriage’, ‘Pauline At The Beach’, ‘Full Moon In Paris’, ‘The Green Ray’, ‘My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend’, ‘Love In The Afternoon’ and ‘The Marquise Of O’.

I have half of these already, but the price of this set is much lower than buying the four needed films separately.
I bought this set last spring, and in so doing duplicated my R1 Pauline at the Beach. I gave my now spare copy to my neighbor, who I thought would enjoy it.

Today I was chatting with him, and mentioned Rohmer's passing. When I told him I had lots and lots of Rohmer on DVD, he asked me if I could lend him "the best" Rohmer film to watch, presumably in tribute. I reminded him that he already had a copy of Pauline, and that it was one of my favorites, and he said, "oh yes, but I want to watch one where something happens!" :lol:

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 8:44 am
by ellipsis7
Fine Tom Milne penned Rohmer obit in The Guardian (obviously drawn from file & updated by Ronald Bergan)...

And Geoff Andrew's tribute in Time Out...

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 1:39 pm
by Forrest Taft
Thank you very much for those links, Michael Kerpan and Cash Flagg, I´ve just ordered both sets. I´m almost embarrassed to admit the only Rohmer I´ve seen is Triple Agent...

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 2:00 pm
by Jean-Luc Garbo
RobertAltman wrote:I´m almost embarrassed to admit the only Rohmer I´ve seen is Triple Agent...
At least you started with a good one. It's one of my favorites and I'll be buying it soon.

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:30 pm
by gubbelsj
Many thanks for the links, folks. It's a sad impulse buy, but I have to echo the thoughts of the others in this thread - what a wonderful and rich legacy Rohmer leaves film fans.

Re: Eric Rohmer 1920-2010

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:50 pm
by bearcuborg
He also had one of the great cameo's in all of cinema as the Balzac expert in Rivette's Out 1 where he sets Jean Pierre Leaud straight.