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“The Jacques Rivette Collection” brings together some of the director’s hardest to see works, each restored, newly translated and debuting on home video for the first ever.
One of the things that a filmgoer is likely to know about Jacques Rivette is that he has been credited by François Truffaut as inventing French New Wave. It’s always a bit hard to define French New Wave, but it was an art movement in the 1950s and ’60s that rejected previously used and more rigid structures. The three films in this collection were filmed in the ’70s, a period during which Rivette was experimenting with the use of fantasy in his films. Rivette also weathered bad nerves during this time, which caused him to collapse on the set of a film. Made between 1976 and 1981, these three films are an odd grouping. “Noroît” followed “Duelle” in what was to be Rivette’s unfinished Scènes de la vie parallèle. Unfortunately, this series lacks a first and fourth film. “Merry Go Round” came much later.
“Duelle” (1976)
“Duelle” (French for Twilight) is the most controlled of the three films. The film is structured as a film noir with scene references to classic films in the genre like “The Seventh Victim,” “The Lady from Shanghai,” “The Big Sleep,” and “Kiss Me Deadly.” A particularly difficult film to encapsulate, “Duelle” involves a struggle between the Queen of the Night (Juliet Berto) and the Queen of the Sun (Bulle Ogier) over a magical diamond that allows the owner to remain on Earth. The film is very ambiguous, though, and it’s hard to distinguish the purpose of many scenes. While Rivette’s other films focus more on the landscape, “Duelle” spends much of its time with a close focus on the film’s few main actresses. Oddly, I watched “Duelle” last in this trilogy but the film is my favorite in the series due to its use of fantasy in a controlled manner. There some images in this film including a train scene at the end that incorporates difficult visuals to forget.
“Noroît” (1976)
While “Duelle” was controlled, “Noroît” (or Sunset in French) is a much less controlled film. Set on a mysterious island and starring pirates that look like they’ve wandered out of a mid-1970s Rolling Stones Concert, the film has an intricate plot. Erika (Kika Markham) joins a pirate gang and helps the gang’s leader (Bernadette Lafont). Erik, however, is acting under orders from the ghostly Morag (Geraldine Chaplin) to take revenge. “Noroît” revolves around friendships and betrayal with the film proceeding like a delicate game of chess. There are parts of the film where it becomes very clear that the actors are not authentic, but Rivette is the type of director where you’re never certain if that’s an intentional move. The ending of “Noroît” comes as a surprise to the viewer and feels like more of a desperate attempt to end the film rather than the conclusion of the narrative.
“Merry Go Round” (1981)
While “Duelle” was the most controlled film in the collection, “Merry Go Round” is the least. The film tells the story of American abroad Ben Phillips (Joe Dallesandro) visiting France with Leo Hoffmann (Maria Schneider) in search of Elisabeth (Daniele Gegauff). The film is obsessed with the idea of parallel realities and alternate universes. This is a fascinating concept, but it’s a hard thing to pull off successfully in a film, which is often so heavily dependent on providing a narrative that can be easily understood. Further confusing the film is that Leo Hoffman is played in some scenes by another actress because Schneider left the film unexpectedly. I’m not sure I understood enough of the plot to offer a better encapsulation of what actually happens in this film. Suffice to say, there are many unexpected and strange twists and turns throughout. Rivette famously experienced a nervous breakdown after completion of the film. Given how confounding the plot of “Merry Go Round” is, I’m not certain why I don’t dislike the film more. Perhaps I have reserved a place in my heart for “Merry Go Round” because, despite its lack of logic at times, the film is full of beautiful shot compositions, particularly a late scene that occurs at a sand dune.
Now available in a 6-Disc Limited Edition Blu-ray + DVD
