This week’s movie is Day for Night (1973).
The drama/comedy is about a
director struggling to finish his film in the face of a plethora of crises
among the cast and crew. French New Wave director François Truffaut directs (it is
my personal favorite of his films), working with composer Georges Delerue, cinematographer
Pierre-William Glenn and
production designer Damien
Lanfranchi. Truffaut also stars in the film with support from Nathalie Baye, Jean-Pierre Leaud (Truffaut’s
star in The 400 Blows), Valentina Cortese, and Jacqueline Bisset. The film is
maybe the best narrative exploring the exploits of making a film (influencing
many films and filmmakers – like Wes
Anderson’s The
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou; it is also the direct influence on
Anderson’s American
Express commercial). Truffaut’s camera is fantastic in the film, as it
flows through the set, seemingly always in the perfect position. Day for Night
is also Truffaut’s funniest film, as the director manages the egos of actors
and complications arising from the production (like getting a cat to drink from
a saucer). I highly recommend the film for fans of cinema (both the art of
cinema and the process of filmmaking), as it is a must-see for aspiring
filmmakers and critics. Check out the trailer.
No comments:
Post a Comment