Masterpiece


François Truffaut's gauche, moribund performance as Julien, a man who transforms himself into an emotional anchorite stoically worshipping his deceased wife decade after decade after decade, is one of the best male performances ever delivered that has left me speechless.The cinematography and music were painfully transcendental; the conclamation of emblazened candles was almost more evocative than Tarkovsky's use of inflamed candles in Nostalghia. You can feel the shivering within the burning, the trembling of the flames, the flametips arching towards the portraits, caressing and perhaps trying to resurrect the images.... This is truly a film for people who have difficulty coming to terms with the loss of loved ones. Our lost loved ones do not keep on living in our reality alongside of us. They are within us, in our hearts and memories, but they remain the age and person they were, and retrogress backwards in time, while we move forward.Splendid re-working of Henry James' The Alter Of The Dead and The Beast Of The Jungle. Authentically Gothic, and the photo direction is spectacularly spine-tingling and flawless.Temporarily shelve Jules Et Jim - which is overhyped fluff - and watch La Chambre Verte, a work of art, instead.Here are 4 dazzling pieces of music from the film, composed by Maurice Jaubert:http://tinyurl.com/3vwrmrn

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It's a very good one. Shy of masterpiece in my mind, but worthy of re-watching at least once.

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I'm not sure why Jules et Jim needs to be diminished. That and Shoot the Piano Player are such an explosion of ideas and vivacity, I don't think you can really understand a film like Le Chambre Verte except in contrast to them, and I believe it was intended as such. It's really quite sad.

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