Friday, July 03, 2009

Occupe-toi d'Amélie!

Occupati di Amelia FR/IT 1949 D: Claude Autant-Lara. Based on the play (1908) by Georges Feydeau; SC: Jean Aurenche, Pierre Bost; DP: André Bac; ED: Madeleine Gug; DP: Max Douy, Jean André, Jacques Douy; M: René Cloërec; S: William Sivel; CAST: Danielle Darrieux (Amélie), Jean Desailly (Marcel), Carette (Pochet), Victor Guyau (Van Putzboum), Grégoire Aslan (il principe di Palestrie), Armontel (generale Koschnadieff), André Bervil (Etienne), Charles Deschamps (il sindaco), Louise Conte (Irène), Marcelle Arnold, Lucienne Granier, Primerose Perret, Colette Ripert, Robert Auboyneau, Richard Francoeur; PC: Lux C.C.F. (Paris)/Lux Film (Roma); 35 mm. 2374 m. 86’. French version. From: AFF/CNC. Presenta: Eric Le Roy, earphone commentary in English and Italian, viewed at Cinema Lumière 2, Bologna, 3 July 2009. - Eric Le Roy told that the rights to the film reverted to the Autant-Lara family, and because of that, the film was for a long time difficult to see. This print was made 30 years ago and had barely been screened. - Immaculate print. - My French is not good enough, and I tried to follow the earphone commentary, which was always a few sentences late, so I stopped. - I could see that this is a brilliant meta-film which moves on several dimensions with lightning speed and with a powerful sense of the absurd. I look forward to seeing it again with proper translation.

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