Plus fort!!!!!!!

1. are here any cinema of cruelty effects?
2. comment on the use of sound in the film
3. how effective is the use of Black and white stock?
4. rate the film out of 5

Regrettably I will have to agree with Matt on this one the film did deserve 4 out of 5. Also I felt that the scene with the actress on stage and the flashing bulbs was a powerful moment of cruelty within the film. The use of silence and lights created an eerie atmosphere that exposes the viewer. Another moment similar to that is right at the beginning where the camera pans through the train station at eye level. The shaking and the constant switch of the camera gave a nauseating and unpleasant feel to the scene. Despite this the film itself felt more of a biopic then a delve into cruelty and that these were the only instance of theatre of cruelty within the film. It was much more a film about the relationship between Prevel and Artaud and how their friendship effected their lives.

As for the music it felt that at any moment you would hear the deep rumble and wail of a blues singer, "I got the blues, Saturday morning 9:15 etc etc... It just didn't feel appropriate. It just didn't quite suit the mood. The music at the beginning with the singer on the stage felt much more appropriate to the mood and atmosphere of the film.

As for the black and white it felt appropriate. If it had been not been in black and white it would perhaps lose some of its appeal. The black and white made the whole experience feel much more real and authentic, as well as a romantic edge to it. I understand romantic may not be the right word so feel free to comment.

Jeremy x

There once was a king of Thuleeeeeeeeee.

It's a bit keen writing this early i know, but here goes!
Firstly, I reckon it deserves a good 4 out of 5. The one point i feel is lost by the dodgy soundtrack; i did expect Bob Dylan to flounder onto our screens at any moment. However, in regards to the sound. What i found so striking was the use of silence, or almost silence. When our lovely Colette is on stage and the lights flash around her, illuminating her momentarily, there is no sound of the stage action; only the flashing of the bulbs (a sound similar to a nail being dropped on a metallic table). This obviously draws your attention to the irregular and eerie lighting bursts and almost creates a sense of frustration as the viewer is denied the opportunity to hear what she is saying.
This is the only moment that i feel is directly linked to Cinema of Cruelty (as Yann mentioned, this flashing of images is reminds me greatly of Requiem for a Dream). I find the link between this sequence and Cinema of Cruelty weak though and hard to justify.
It was interesting to see this portrayal of Artaud; a reminder that he is human. A tragic story but littered with humour (when he describes Prevel's lover as a 'gorgon'). Enough babble from me.

Love and Artaudian Kisses (in the form a gruesome and long winded scream)

Matt
xxx

P.S. Could this have been done any differently than Black and White?

(come see Edmond)

In Response to the Screening of 'My Life and Times With Antonin Artaud'

While the film acts primarily as a biopic, depicting the relationship between Antonin Artaud and Jacques Prevel up until Artaud's death on March 14th 1948, it does posses elements of The Cinema of Cruelty. The cinematic spectator witnesses, in a conventional linear progression, the growing and intensifying relationship between the artist, Artaud, and the poet, Prevel. In his lifetime Artaud expressed a disatisfaction with cinema, believing that the audience were split from representation into merely accepting realism. However, he did believe that the advancements in technology, such as ' lenses, camera positions and even different stock' ('Performance', p.55) would enable audiences to engage with the work. The viewer's vision then allowed them to become a part of the action. This is the case in 'My Life and Times with Antonin Artaud'; the film is filtered through a grainy black and white stock, which distances us from discarding the piece as Artad's unquestionable reality. Instead, it is cold, unsettling and thus acts literally and figuratively to symbolise Artaud's bleak descent into hallucinogenics and extreme illness. The external and the internal worlds of Prevel and Artaud increasingly intwine, creating a nightmarish set of images.
Sound and music acted in support of the artists' disjuncture with society. In my opinion, the blues music that was repeated at various parts of the film did not create or sustain a certain mood or atmosphere. Moreover, it completely conflicted with the emotions and images of the characters and bohemian Paris. Even so, Artaud himself would have encouraged these obscure choices, because they force the spectator to answer their own questions on what is being presented or alluded to. The characters used their own voices as tools of cruelty in keeping with Artaud's manifesto: they screech, yell, whisper and utter. Each noise layers them in unpredictability and ultimately adds to an illusion of madness.

I would rate the film as 3/5. I found it an interesting insight into the lives of many characters, but Prevel and Artaud especially: the film was well shot and effectively acted, but I think it was slow and seemingly long. Also, if Artaud's manifesto and personal beliefs are to be taken into account, 'My Life and Times With Antonin Artaud' detered too heavily from them, as it gradually became 'a slice of life'. Realism overwhlemed the surreal and abstract, giving us a biopic narrative of Artaud's life.

SCREENING TOMORROW

Dear Artaudians,

we will be looking at the Mordillat centenary project film tomorrow entitled 'My Life and Times with Antonin Artaud'. Two reasons:
its not in the library and Performance is (so you can arrange to see Performance at your own convenience)
this is a good copy (the library copy of Performance is a broadcast copy and not good quality for projection (probably ok for private screening)

so why not view both?

Questions for the Artaud film:

1. are here any cinema of cruelty effects?
2. comment on the use of sound in the film
3. how effective is the use of Black and white stock?
4. rate the film out of 5

please be brief and post yr answers on the blog

enjoy

see you next week

ed