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Céline and Julie Go Boating



Whiling away a summer in Paris, director Jacques Rivette, working in close collaboration with his stars and coconspirators Juliet Berto and Dominique Labourier, set out to rewrite the rules of cinema in the spirit of pure play—moviemaking as an anything-goes romp through the labyrinths of imagination. The result is one of the most exuberantly inventive and utterly enchanting films of the French New Wave, in which Julie (Labourier), a daydreaming librarian, meets Céline (Berto), an enigmatic magician, and together they become the heroines of a time-warping adventure involving a haunted house, psychotropic candy, and a murder-mystery melodrama. Incorporating allusions to everything from Lewis Carroll to Louis Feuillade, Céline and Julie Go Boating is both one of the all-time-great hangout comedies and a totally unique, enveloping cinematic dream space that delights in the endless pleasures and possibilities of stories.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• Audio commentary from 2017 featuring critic Adrian Martin
• Jacques Rivette: Le veilleur, a 1994 two-part feature documentary by Claire Denis, featuring an extensive interview with Rivette by film critic Serge Daney
• New interviews with actor Bulle Ogier and producer and actor Barbet Schroeder
• New conversation between critic Pacôme Thiellement and Hélène Frappat, author of Jacques Rivette, secret compris
• Archival interviews with Rivette, Ogier, and actors Juliet Berto, Dominique Labourier, and Marie-France Pisier
• New English subtitle translation
  PLUS: An essay by critic Beatrice Loayza and a 1974 piece by Berto

I was dreading Criterion getting their hands on this one, but apparently they’ve hired someone who actually knows how to
handle Rivette’s work! Pleasantly surprised by that slate of special features — especially the Denis doc and the interview with Frappat. I’ll definitely be double-dipping on this one.

It'll be hard to resist a double dip with that Adrian Martin commentary

therewillbeblus wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:02 pm It'll be hard to resist a double dip with that Adrian Martin commentary

Is it different from his BFI one?

I have to assume it’s the same as the 2017 BFI one — which is worth a listen either way!

Yeah, weirdly, the commentary is on the BFI but it's not listed in the extras on the BFI site...

The Denis doc is still more than enough to warrant a double dip, though, especially since it looks like it'll get its own disc.

I’ve been dying to see that Denis doc since I saw it at MOVI a long time ago. This is an easy double dip.

Didn’t Rosenbaum contribute something to this release many years ago? I thought he mentioned his participation in this release online...

In my head (I understand this did not happen), as soon as Ash Clark was hired, he tied up Peter Becker to a chair and forced Criterion to release this movie despite his protests.

senseabove wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:08 pm Yeah, weirdly, the commentary is on the BFI but it's not listed in the extras on the BFI site...

Huh, yeah I've watched my copy a few times and never noticed it- but good to know it's there

bearcuborg wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:26 pm Didn’t Rosenbaum contribute something to this release many years ago? I thought he mentioned his participation in this release online...

His essay in the BFI booklet on the existential consequences of Rivette and Pynchon's 'anti-paranoia' is my favorite essay from any physical media release I own (and so incredibly validating for me to read Rosenbaum analyze their similitude after comparing the two artists for years to deaf ears!)

bearcuborg wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:26 pm I’ve been dying to see that Denis doc since I saw it at MOVI a long time ago. This is an easy double dip.

Didn’t Rosenbaum contribute something to this release many years ago? I thought he mentioned his participation in this release online...

Maaaaaany years ago Rosenbaum filmed extras in France for New Yorker’s mooted release. He said in a Reddit AMA a few years ago that he presumed those extras are never surfacing

Extras comparison

Shared:
Audio commentary from 2017 featuring critic Adrian Martin

BFI wrote: "Presented in High Definition" is all it says on the transfer--I thought this was the new restoration in 2017 but maybe not?
Jonathan Romney on Rivette and Celine and Julie Go Boating (2006)
Tout la memoire du monde (Resnais, 1956)
The Haunted Curiosity Shop (WR Booth, 1901)
Booklet
Jonatham Rosenbaum essay
Tom Milne review
Labourier, Berto, Rivette interviews
Susan Seidelman reflections

Criterion wrote: New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
Jacques Rivette: Le veilleur, a 1994 two-part feature documentary by Claire Denis, featuring an extensive interview with Rivette by film critic Serge Daney
New interviews with actor Bulle Ogier and producer and actor Barbet Schroeder
New conversation between critic Pacôme Thiellement and Hélène Frappat, author of Jacques Rivette, secret compris
Archival interviews with Rivette, Ogier, and actors Juliet Berto, Dominique Labourier, and Marie-France Pisier
Booklet
An essay by critic Beatrice Loayza and a 1974 piece by Berto

So not a lot of overlap excluding the commentary. (And Criterion put Tout la memoire on Last Year at Marienbad, where it makes sense. I'm not sure why the BFI pairs it with this film, but it's been there since the DVD version.) I love this film, so I might hold on the BFI for the booklet extras, but the Criterion looks like the winner.

All depends on the color grading here––I'm hoping we don't see a teal Celine and Julie! The BFI release looks great, imo––the film isn't very handsome to begin with. Can anyone comment on the restoration?

domino harvey wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 7:14 pm

bearcuborg wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:26 pm I’ve been dying to see that Denis doc since I saw it at MOVI a long time ago. This is an easy double dip.

Didn’t Rosenbaum contribute something to this release many years ago? I thought he mentioned his participation in this release online...

Maaaaaany years ago Rosenbaum filmed extras in France for New Yorker’s mooted release. He said in a Reddit AMA a few years ago that he presumed those extras are never surfacing

Yup, that’s where I saw that...since I’ve never been to Reddit, I’m sure I read it here.

therewillbeblus wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:49 pm

senseabove wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:08 pm Yeah, weirdly, the commentary is on the BFI but it's not listed in the extras on the BFI site...

Huh, yeah I've watched my copy a few times and never noticed it- but good to know it's there

bearcuborg wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:26 pm Didn’t Rosenbaum contribute something to this release many years ago? I thought he mentioned his participation in this release online...

His essay in the BFI booklet on the existential consequences of Rivette and Pynchon's 'anti-paranoia' is my favorite essay from any physical media release I own (and so incredibly validating for me to read Rosenbaum analyze their similitude after comparing the two artists for years to deaf ears!)

That essay, titled "Work and Play in the House of Fiction", is available to read online at the BFI web site:

https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/si ... t-1-celine

How come Criterion announces this as a 2K restoration, when both the BFI and the Potemkine blu-rays come from Eclair's 4K?

The BFI is from a 2K restoration by Eclair.

Close The Door, Raymond wrote:

therewillbeblus wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:49 pm

senseabove wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:08 pm Yeah, weirdly, the commentary is on the BFI but it's not listed in the extras on the BFI site...

Huh, yeah I've watched my copy a few times and never noticed it- but good to know it's there

bearcuborg wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:26 pm Didn’t Rosenbaum contribute something to this release many years ago? I thought he mentioned his participation in this release online...

His essay in the BFI booklet on the existential consequences of Rivette and Pynchon's 'anti-paranoia' is my favorite essay from any physical media release I own (and so incredibly validating for me to read Rosenbaum analyze their similitude after comparing the two artists for years to deaf ears!)

That essay, titled "Work and Play in the House of Fiction", is available to read online at the BFI web site:

https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/si ... t-1-celine

I'm still working out some kinks (including the layout) but I did add a comparison feature to this and have these releases up: https://www.criterionforum.org/c/nivfls

Also have the other announcements added.

I try to keep up when announcements are made.

cdnchris wrote: Wed Dec 16, 2020 4:13 pm I'm still working out some kinks (including the layout) but I did add a comparison feature to this and have these releases up: https://www.criterionforum.org/c/nivfls

This is great Chris- I keep forgetting about the comparison feature, but now see plenty of entries at the bottom of the main page. Is there a designated area of the site to search and find all the comparisons you've done, besides the list of "New Comparisons" listed there?

therewillbeblus wrote: Wed Dec 16, 2020 5:36 pm
This is great Chris- I keep forgetting about the comparison feature, but now see plenty of entries at the bottom of the main page. Is there a designated area of the site to search and find all the comparisons you've done, besides the list of "New Comparisons" listed there?

Not a super-easy or clean way yet. For now, you can got to the "Titles" link in the main menu, find the film you're looking for, expand the title and if there are comparisons there will be a button (though it's a bit buggy around box sets at the moment). I'm still entering data, so it's not what it could be (yet).

cdnchris wrote: Wed Dec 16, 2020 6:16 pm

therewillbeblus wrote: Wed Dec 16, 2020 5:36 pm
This is great Chris- I keep forgetting about the comparison feature, but now see plenty of entries at the bottom of the main page. Is there a designated area of the site to search and find all the comparisons you've done, besides the list of "New Comparisons" listed there?

Not a super-easy or clean way yet. For now, you can got to the "Titles" link in the main menu, find the film you're looking for, expand the title and if there are comparisons there will be a button (though it's a bit buggy around box sets at the moment). I'm still entering data, so it's not what it could be (yet).

Thanks!

I've never seen this. I notice that it falls about halfway between Out 1 and the...er...Truncated Quartet.

The former I find magnificent in it's extremely gradual coalescing of plotlines and ultimate (rather Lynchian) payoffs, and I gladly watch it annually, finding much fresh and surprising with each viewing. The latter films....not so much.

How does CAJGB compare with these surrounding works, good forumites?

It’s better if that’s the question. Lynch is a good comparison though this time Rivette comes across more optimistic.

I confess I found it fairly saccharine when I watched it years ago. It's also a bit over three hours long so your mileage may vary depending on how you feel about the mood Rivette presents which I think knives is pretty close to describing. If that isn't your cup of tea it might be a long three hours.

I find Out 1 only middling in its effectiveness, so take this for what it’s worth: C&J is much, much more playful and light-hearted than any of the films around it. Imagine the scene from Out 1 where Berto gets beat up by Honeymoon, only reversed and played as comedy, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of the tone.

Noiretirc wrote: Sun Feb 21, 2021 11:35 pmthe...er...Truncated Quartet.

Not sure what you are referring to...