Sunday, March 6, 2011

La Belle Noiseuse (1991)


La Belle Noiseuse (1991)
La Belle Noiseuse (1991)

Genre: Drama
Director: Jacques Rivette
Starring: Michel Piccoli, Jane Birkin, Emmanuelle Béart
Duration: 237 min.
Rating: 9.3  

Summary:
The former famous painter Frenhofer lives quietly with his wife on his countryside residence in the French Provence.  When the young artist Nicolas visits him with his girlfriend Marianne, Frenhofer decides to resume working on a painting he long ago stopped: 'La Belle Noiseuse', with Marianne as a model.


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La Belle Noiseuse, a masterpiece by Jacques Rivette (Around a Small Mountain), was awarded the Grand Prix at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.  It is a look into the connection between creative art and life, via the relationship of an artist and his muse.  

With an almost four hour running time, and using minimal plot and dialogue, Rivette captures the artistic process and immerses the viewer entirely in the experience.  There are several long takes from the artist's perspective played by Michel Piccoli, showing only his hand and his canvas, as he sketches and paints, images slowly forming with only the sound of his utensils scratching away.  Or of the model played by the stunning Emmanuelle Béart, posing nude and holding completely still in various positions.  All of it entirely fascinating as it shows their relationship slowly evolving.

Truly a unique and rewarding cinematic experience.

La Belle Noiseuse (1991)

La Belle Noiseuse (1991)

La Belle Noiseuse (1991)

La Belle Noiseuse (1991)

La Belle Noiseuse (1991)

La Belle Noiseuse (1991)

La Belle Noiseuse (1991)

La Belle Noiseuse (1991)

La Belle Noiseuse (1991)

La Belle Noiseuse (1991)

La Belle Noiseuse (1991)

La Belle Noiseuse (1991)


3 comments:

Drackar said...

Zee art model, she is a.

Moviemonstrosity said...

four hours? my god

Asdf said...

beautiful movie yet time consuming

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