Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)

The French New Wave seasons marches on at the BFI, and this, the only Alain Resnais film included, is widely considered to have kicked-off the whole movement. Its main contribution is its revolutionary use of flashback. Its brevity, perhaps emphasised by contemporary cinema's overuse, is somewhat startling some forty years on, and no doubt the key to its impact.

French actress Elle (Emmanuelle Riva) arrives in Japan to star in a film set in Hiroshima. Upon meeting Lui (Eiji Okada) they initiate a one-off fling only to find themselves drawn together despite social, political and geographical differences.

Fulfilling his obligation to a pre-arranged short-documentary on the Atomic Bomb, Resnais decided to develop the film to feature length in an attempt to steer away from his documentary Nuit et brouillard/Night and Fog (1955).

The opening act features various shots and scenes in the aftermath of the A-Bomb dropped on Hiroshima on the 6th of August 1945. A purely documentary style counteracted solely by the repetitive narration provided by yet-to-be-seen protagonists Elle and Lui.

After the initial act the dramatic narrative comes into play and, along with said flashbacks, we begin to delve deeper into the histories of Elle and Lui. Both are married but it's Elle's background that becomes the narrative focus. She is haunted by a previous relationship in Nazi-occupied France. Her beau was a German soldier who died (gunshot) on the eve of the A-Bomb being dropped.

Can you see where this is going? Basically the A-Bomb dropped on Hiroshima prompted both the end of WW2 and yet also her relationship with her boyfriend. Lui helps her to come to terms with her conflicted emotions despite being affected personally by the loss of his parents. A latter day French version of Casablanca (1942) and Brief Encounter (1945) and one that draws considerable comparisons with both.

Sadly the FNW season is coming to an end, it's been a great run. My last film will be Pierre le Fou on the 26 May 2009, tickets are still available.

Encounters at the End of the World (2007)

I had to join Herzog in going off the beaten track here. EATEOTW’s limited release forced me to give up on my usual cine-diet of Prince Charles, BFI and Cineworld and venture to Odeon Covent Garden. I have no qualms, the price (£10.50) is exorbitant (of course), especially for a 15:00 showing but at least the digital quality is superb and the seating is comfortable, despite the odd shape of the auditorium.

That quality is very much appreciated too; Herzog’s documentary is stunning, beautiful landscapes pan effortlessly across the screen. Their allure is emphasized by the film’s initial grainy scenes (shot in 4:3) that provide a perfect juxtaposition to what is to come. These scenes were filmed by Henry Kaiser, Herzog’s friend and colleague (producer and composer of the film), a professional diver/amateur cinematographer and the source of Herzog’s initial interest in Antarctica.

Herzog’s documentary style has shifted ever so slightly, the influence of Errol Morris is more apparent than ever. Here he focuses more upon the eccentric people that the landscape attracts rather than the locations themselves (isn’t Herzog therefore also one of these?). Neutrinos, hippies, survivalists, a contortionist, a supposed member of Atzec royalty and an ex-banker are all on display. I say display because Herzog has approached his subject with outlandish candor, a modern day freak-show, again well worth the price of admission. It’s incredibly funny stuff.

In one way this is the most personal of all his documentary films. Herzog judges the cultural niceties that according to him have no place in such extreme locations. Listing yoga classes and bowling alleys as examples, these are over-shadowed still by his disdain for Morgan’s BFFs, the “fluffy penguins”. At the beginning of the film they are dismissed, there is no place for them in his documentary we are told. Only later they will feature, their march this time is towards imminent death as he swaps the adjective “fluffy” for “deranged”. Juxtaposing audience members can audibly be heard crying and laughing at his obscure presentation of this extremely harsh reality.

Original music has been provided by Kaiser and David Lindley. The isolated violin pieces match perfectly with the location, especially when presented over raw documented footage of early adventures with Shackleton and Scott. Truly inspiring.