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Jul 03, 2009
Huillet-Straub : unsolicited advice. (5/8)
Jean-Marie Straub’s refreshingly basic concerns about « Cézanne, dialogue avec Joachim Gasquet » allow the average viewer to be equally down to earth in his own comments and candid about suggestions he believes could further enhance audience’s comfort and eventual understanding of the film.
In his « dialogues », Cézanne-Huillet tells of his struggle to see reality as it really is, but his language, after passing though the prism of Gasquet’s memory, is so dense, at times ungainly and dated, that we cannot simultaneously comprehend his search fully and try to put his lessons into practise : we are unable to « see » his paintings and listen to him at the same time.
The old « rachâchant » way would carefully separate theory from practical work and we would first listen to Cézanne’s method without the distraction of any image : watching a black screen ; only afterwards would we be allowed to put the painter’s teachings to the test and try and « see » his paintings or Montagne Sainte-Victoire « for good » : their image would then appear on screen, while the soundtrack would switch to silence.
Such advice may seem a bit reckless as, if followed, it would result in a longer film, but the minutes spent watching it might not only be more, but also better.
Huillet-Straub actually anticipate this criticism, as one last Cézanne painting appears on screen and stays there, without any comment, dialogue, German poetry, or even a whisper of wind, to turn our attention away or influence it.
But it is too late and, without information as to the length of the shot, we are left wondering what we should do, wait for something to happen and consequently waste our time rather than try and look at the painting « Cézanne’s way » in the hope that we shall ultimately « see » it.
The addition of a clock in one of the screen corners could provide a simple and elegant solution to this irritating situation.
The clock would count down the minutes -it feels like a long shot, when one passively awaits its end- and seconds before the painting disappears : we would thus know how much time is available to us to explore the painting and would be able to use it best. As a bonus, the film would become a thriller : shall I « see » before I run out of time ?
Do I have a gift for « minority cinema » ?
A clock would prove similarly useful in the film final shot of buildings, of course unidentified, behind an iron gate. We would understand that we must not lose our time with such trivial questions as what ? where ? and why ? but only watch for good what is put before our eyes.
It is true that, without clocks and countdowns, the film confirms Huillet-Straub works require more than one screening to be fully appreciated, but all viewers are not called Empedocles : most are mere mortals without the guts to jump more than once into the Etna fire.
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