MovieChat Forums > Jules et Jim (1962) Discussion > The most beautiful movie in the world

The most beautiful movie in the world


Anyone agree?

reply

i certainly do. jules and jim may not necessarily be the "best" of all movies (that, in my opinion, is hitchcock's vertigo) but it's hard not to call the film beautiful. the cinematography by raoul coutard is astonishing, truffaut's direction is fantastic, the performances are fantastic all around (jeanne moreau drives the movie), and the score by georges delerue is one of my favorite of all the cinema. this is definitely the best film of the french new wave, though i also love godard's breathless, alphaville, pierrot le fou, and truffaut's other masterpiece the 400 blows.

reply

What a coincidence, I also think that Vertigo is the best and I love the films of Godard(especially Vivre sa vie and Pierrot le fou).

reply

wow you guys should get a room!

reply

Not the most, but one of the most beautiful films in the movie history.
The music of George Delerue is charming. I think that this film is much greater than Vertigo or any other of Hitchkok's films that I've ever seen.

reply

I think the bridge scene is one of the most beautifully shots scenes in film history.

Not sure if there's much to compare in way of Hitchcock (though I loved reading their conversations), outside of both directors worked with DP's who loved their craft, and played with new conventions.

My favorite of Hitchcocks are: Vertigo, North By Northwest, and Strangers on a Train.

reply

Try as I may I can not bring myself to like this film and Im a fan of Truffaut.The characters never become real to me.I dont find them engaging at all.
On the subject of beautiful films-Terence Malicks Days of Heaven is often overlooked.

reply

On a first viewings the characters to me resonate characters from Woody Allen films. It was a beautiful film and a great film experience. My only complaints would be that the supposed time period adds very little to the film, apart from the war and I felt the ending was a little quick. But aside from that, a stunning good film.

reply

It's so great to read someone whose tastes seem to match mine spot on! I do indeed agree with you that "Vertigo" is the best movie ever, ex aequo with "2001: A Space Odyssey"!!! ... And "Jules et Jim" is certainly among the 25 best movies I have ever seen too. The only thing that detracts from my ranking him, let's say, among the 10 best movies (although I rated it 10, I rounded up a 9.5 rating), is the somewhat declamatory tone that is a little annoying (French is my first language). Even Jeanne Moreau, who was a very accomplished actress at the time, sounds very Truffaut-ized at times.

It's a general problem with Truffaut's movies (except for some untypical movies of his such as "L'Histoire d'Adele H", another of his masterpieces). The actors always talk with that artificial, somewhat disembodied tone, as though they were reciting a text without injecting personal feelings in it, as though they were all Jean-Pierre Léaud's clones :-0). Of course, one gets used to it (it becomes the "Truffaut way" of speaking) but for a native French speaker, it certainly sounds contrived and makes all characters sound like a bunch of salon intellectuals. It's the kind of movie that, given the right director, might benefit from a remake with better actors.

Nevertheless, despite the problems with the way characters speak, "Jules et Jim" is a fantastically rich and moving depiction of the complexities of love, jealousy and friendship, and is unique in the way it treats the difficult topic of love triangles (although they never form an actual triangle at any time, at least not explicitly).

reply

With all due respect for everyone's opinons, I didn't like it and I can't see what's so great about it. In terms of cinematography, plot, characters, dialog, ideas.... nothing grabbed me and I found it boring.

I started thinking "now, where are my Fellini dvds cause I can use them right now".

I really didn't understand what's so good about the film. I can't see what's all the fuss about the french new wave. Many people adore it, so I just don't get it, or it's simply not my thing.



This... is chemical burn.

reply

Its charming in it simplicity and I thought their was a great deal of detail and characterisation in there. Some of the shot compositions were really quite beautiful and their was a certain appealing quirky nature to the film as a whole. I dont entirely appreciate the 'french new wave', I found A bout de souffle for example quite uninteresting. Though I haven't seen a great deal, this being my first Truffaut film. Btw I haven't seen many Fellini films so whats your favourite? A starting point if you will. So far I've only seen Amarcord, I've heard Cabiria is great and 8 1/2 is good but pretentious to some. Maybe french films aren't your bag anyway, different strokes and all.

reply

Yes, I got the simplicity thing, and that's really not my problem with it. It's just that the characters didn't appeal to me, not like Fellini or Bergman characters do.

Well, 8 1/2 is genius if you ask me. I don't find it pretentious, it's just a very personal film, very self-indulgent, but I think it's great. I also think La Strada is great.

I don't have a problem with french films... I own some on DVD actually. I find Irréversible to one of the best films I ever watched.



This... is chemical burn.

reply

I can say unequivocally that Jules et Jim is the single most beautiful movie ever made. Not so much in terms of cinematography because basically anything by Christopher Doyle takes the prize in that realm. But the full package makes Jules et Jim exquisite. The characters, the screenplay, the directing, and the cinematography...they cannot be surpassed in terms of sheer beauty. Jules et Jim is my favorite film of all time.
Ironically, since people are talking about Fellini vs. French film, I actually think that 8 1/2 is the best movie ever made. Yet Jules et Jim is my favorite movie. And I do hate it when people call 8 1/2 pretentious. I don't know why self-indulgence is automatically interpreted as prententiousness. If a man forges most of his career on his self-indulgence, more power to him. I really don't find anything pretentious about 8 1/2.
I'm sorry. I have strayed from the topic, but to answer your question- Jules et Jim is and always will be THE most beautiful film in the world.

reply

Well, it's all a matter of opinion... I found it rather boring, although I do agree that the plot has a good structure and the characters are well written, but they didn't appeal to me (plot and characters). And it's not often that I find a film boring.

I do agree with everything else you said regarding 8 1/2 and Fellini, and C. Doyle.




This... is chemical burn.

reply

I have to concur.Im a big Truffaut fan but this film has never done it for me.Ive watched it several times and just have never felt anything for the characters.

reply

[deleted]

8 1/2 lacks any kind of emotional depth which is something this type of movie, a character study, would badly need. And Mastroianni in the middle of it is little more than a smug, pouty pretty-boy void. Also, I 8 1/2 seems rather terribly paced with all those transitions from one reality to another carelessly handled, most them appearing somehow clumsy and rushed.



"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

reply

OP:

Is this some kind of joke? If not, then no, I do not agree.

"Love isn't what you say or how you feel, it's what you DO". (The Last Kiss)

reply

Hi, how are you doing?

Goldmund1710 (the OP) posted in 2005. He/she hasn't been around much since 2010 so I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for a response.

But I'm digressing; I do think Jules et Jim is a beautiful film, perhaps not the most beautiful. Clearly the OP thought so and said so. And you disagreed and said so. Thus life is held in equilibrium.

reply

As far as French films go, Sundays and Cybèle is far superior to Jules et Jim, in my opinion. Cinematography, imagery of the lake, the dialogue between Hardy Krüger and Patricia Gozzi is funny and sad like a Smith's song, and the emotion is just more believable.


-------?---------
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uhyfVEVY_oQ

"I am I am I said I'm not myself. I'm not dead and......."

reply