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Back in 1982, one Sunday evening I caught an intriguing-looking movie on tv. It was on BBC2 (back in the day when British terrestrial telly quite regularly showed arthouse films). I was 11. The picture was _Pauline à la plage._ I was hooked, there and then. 30 years later, Rohmer is still my all-time favourite director. I calculated the other day that I have seen all of his films at least 50 times for each one. Some _(Conte d'été,_ _Le Beau mariage,_ _La femme de l'aviateur)_ I must’ve watched about 100 times. My all-time favourite, _Le rayon vert,_ probably about 150 times. All told, I calculated I have spent about 5,000 hours of my life immersed in Rohmer’s world, and not a minute of those hours was wasted; even on the 33rd viewing of whichever film it might be, for with Rohmer, he is inexhaustible! What you watched at 21, you watch again at 35, or 50, or 70, but because you are changed, more layers will be waiting to be uncovered that weren’t apparent on previous viewings. Meaning is constantly waiting to be uncovered in Rohmer. It’s never exhausted. Anyway, for those who are still interested, here is my personal ranking of Rohmer’s oeuvre. The choice here is mainly based on sheer enjoyment/personal meaning and not necessarily on any given film’s technical achievement. Those who tell you, like Harry Moseby in _Night Moves,_ that watching a Rohmer movie is like ‘watching paint dry’ are lying. I’d rather have a full bottle in front of me than a full-frontal lobotomy, and Rohmer’s vintage is very productive indeed. 1. _Le rayon vert_ (1986) 2. _Conte d'été_ (1996) 3. _La femme de l'aviateur_ (1981) 4. _Le beau mariage_ (1982) 5. _Pauline à la plage_ (1982) 6. _L'amour l'après-midi_ (1972) 7. _Conte d'automne_ (1996) 8. _Les nuits de la pleine lune_ (1984) 9. _Conte d'hiver_ (1992) 10. _Le genou de Claire_ (1970) 11. _La collectionneuse_ (1967) 12. _L'ami de mon amie_ (1987) 13. _Ma nuit chez Maud_ (1969) 14. _Le signe du lion_ (1962) 15. _Conte de printemps_ (1990) 16. _Quatre aventures de Reinette et Mirabelle_ (1987) 17. _L'arbre, le maire et la médiathèque_ (1993) 18. _Les rendez-vous de Paris_ (1995) 19. _La carrière de Suzanne_ (1963) 20. _La boulangère de Monceau_ (1963) 21. _Triple agent_ (2004) 22. _Die Marquise von O_ (1976) 23. _Perceval le Gallois_ (1978) 24. _L'Anglaise et le duc_ (2001) 25. _Les amours d'Astrée et de Céladon_ (2007)
I couldn´t agree more. These films of Eric Rohmer are reflections of the complexity of friendship, love, and human nature. We are individuals with our own dreams and desires, yet at the same time, we are social beings bound by moral principles and the expectations of others. Moreover, our differences often lead to misunderstandings and conflicts even when our intentions are morally impeccable. After watching a film by Eric Rohmer, you are left with the satisfying feeling of not only having been entertained but also having learned something about life and gained a bit of wisdom. I fell in love with these films as a teenager when I saw "La femme de l'aviateur" in the early 1980's. They evoke an emotional resonance within me similar to when I listen to Chopins music, study Renoirs paintings or read Milan Kunderas books. It is difficult to rank them but in general I can say that your favourites are also mine. These cinematic gems deserve attention so that a new generation discovers them. Hence, a big THANK YOU to The Cinematheque for this video essay!
@@DickeFix just watched my first film from rohmer a couple days ago - a summer's tale. already an all time favorite. the themes you mentioned definitely show up in that film, and i look forward to seeing how they play out in rohmer's other films. this is a small, great write up that has me even more excited to see the rest of his filmography.
I agree, Rohmer is truly one of a kind. Although I have found the works of Hong Sang Soo to be similar in relation to thematic and stylistic approach, if you were interested. Thanks for watching :)
This is wonderful - thank you for creating this! I recently had a cinematographer I'm working with reference Rohmer and I, shamefully, had no idea what he was on about so this has helped my cause (and my shoot) greatly... THANK YOU!
@@TheCinemathequefilms ive seen Pauline at the beach and green-ray which was my first Rohmer, trying to see more Rivette and Chabrol, so just finished la belle noiseuse 2 nights ago!
@@kevinmuendo9889 It is hard to pass on any of the great French filmmakers from that period. Actually, it's funny you mention Altman, as I am currently working on a future essay that will explore some of his earlier works...
@@TheCinemathequefilms amazing man! cant wait to see it! keep up the great work, cant wait for your channel to blow up (keep doing obscure cinema though)
I return to this video often as I love these films, particularly Love in the Afternoon which may be one of my favorites. I only just got the criterion blu ray of them all and am excited to revisit them all. Cheers
Excellent video. I live in Australia and its a great shame none of his films have been released here of physical media. Because of this I have never seen any of his movies!
@@nudge2626 im living in Aus too! have you managed to find any of his films? I desperately want to watch le rayon vert but cannot find it anywhere with english subtitles :(
What a great essay, this channel should get popular! Although, I must say that the French pronunciations were quite bad. I laughed when Trintignant was pronounced 'Trantigunænt'
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Amazing video, I've recently gotten into Paolo Sorrentino, Wong Kar-Wai and Eric Rohmer, any recommendations for similar style films and directors? Thanks
Kelly Reichardt, Hong Sang-soo, Guillaume Brac, Ryusuke Hamaguchi. My main recomendation would be Yasujiro Ozu which is quite different but is the only director I would place above Rohmer.
