Bar at the Folie Bergeres by Edouard Manet
Was the director trying to recall this painting in the scene where the woman serving behind the bar at "Les Aviateurs" is reflected in the mirror behind her?
shareAlmost certainly, the resemblance is very close. This is a painting which has been extensively discussed in relation to male spectatorship.
Even more striking are the references to Balthus's paintings of street scenes.
I suspect that the rather morose girl with long hair sitting at a table in 'Les Aviateurs' is a further painterly reference to Renato Guttuso, an Italian artist
who made paintings in the 1950s of young people in night clubs as a satire on the impact of American culture. These ceratinly strike me as far more relevant than the pointless references to Bresson and Rohmer on the DVD case.