La Belle Noiseuse [DVD]

Time and space put together create an existence. The existence that La Belle Noiseuse illustrates is human interaction. An existence with human relations offers both abstracts and tangibles, however, a complete description of existence is very difficult to illustrate in regards to human relation. A complete description would illustrate moments of thought, feeling, and action, as these would interact with one another. Thus, reality is a muddled concoction of the tangible and intangible. The complete image of the truth will never be fully uncovered, as reality does not allow the audience to know the secrets that each individual possesses in their mind. Despite the abstract concept of ultimate truth, La Belle Noiseuse conceptualizes such a moment where time and space merge into existence while it flirts with the notion of complete illustration of human existence.The story opens in a small courtyard during a sweltering summer day where Nicolas (David Bursztein) is sitting in the shadow enjoying a cup of coffee. His girlfriend Marianne (Emmanuelle Béart) sneaks up on him taking a photo while pretending to be a paparazzi. Two British women see the moment when Marianne takes the picture with the camera and the following situation, as they quickly come to their assumption of the situation. However, this moment provides an insight to what is to come in the film, as the audience realizes that one cannot always trust what one sees.Porbus (Gilles Arbona), a friend of Nicolas and Marianne, arrives later the same day and he is to bring Nicolas who is an up and coming painter to meet Edouard Frenhofer (Michel Piccoli). Frenhofer's wife, Liz, (Jane Birkin), greets them when they arrive and it seems Frenhofer has forgotten about his meeting with Nicolas. However, Frenhofer returns home after they have waited for sometime in the hot afternoon sun sipping on something cool. The sixty-year-old Frenhofer used to be a talented painter, but has not accomplished anything of significance in the last decade.During the visit at the Frenhofer's château, the audience will experience an ominous atmosphere, as if to warn the characters in the film. Marianne recognizes there is something strange in the works, but Nicolas who wants to meet with Frenhofer puts her worries aside. However, the bizarre ambiance continues to hang in the air, until Porbus accidentally shakes up the atmosphere at a late supper.The heat makes the small group seek the cool air of Frenhofer's studio. Their conversation leads toward art and Frenhofer's creations, which eventually leads to La Belle Noiseuse. La Belle Noiseuse is a painting that Frenhofer never created, but rather exists as an idea. However, something suggests that it actually was painted, but he never was satisfied with the painting and it may have disappeared. Later, when Porbus accidentally shakes up the atmosphere, the idea of using Marianne as a model for the La Belle Noiseuse materializes. Nicolas agrees that it is a good idea and accepts on Marianne's behalf while Porbus agrees to purchase the painting. Up to this point, the audience will only have seen less than 30 minutes of this epic four-hour long film.Later Marianne learns from Nicolas that he has accepted that she will model for Frenhoher. Frustration boils up inside of her, but instead of following her own will she returns to the château to begin her modeling. Cleverly, the director Jacques Rivette displays prolonged scenes where the audience can observe the creation of several sketches over the artist's shoulder. Vigorously Frenhofer attempts to capture the essence of Marianne while she resists giving whatever he struggles to transfer to a canvas. The audience can hear Frenhofer's hard work, as the pen is scratching the paper on which he is making sketches to help him capture the true Marianne.Throughout Frenhofer's artistic process, the audience can bear witness to Nicolas who begins change his mind as he feels both guilt and jealousy. Initially, Liz offers comfort to Nicolas, but she too slowly changes her disposition of loving support to jealousy. However, Liz's jealousy is not in regards to her husband being able to see Marianne naked all day, but rather due to a void inside her. Simultaneously, as she is dealing with her jealousy she tries to protect Marianne from a painful experience, which she knows will hurt her at the end.La Belle Noiseuse is a brave film that tries to show something new, which Jacques Rivette successfully does. The cerebral process and emotional struggle of an artist is brought to the light through painstakingly long scenes, which are necessary to depict what Rivette attempts to show. Rivette proves that it is possible to combine the intangible and the tangible in one image, as he shows the long process of bringing them together in time and space on a simple fabric of canvas.

This is a 4-hour French film, and I have seen the VHS version. Although the film is generally criticized for being way too long and boring, I personally found the film very appealing. I enjoyed the slow pacing. The film definitely involves the viewer, and 4 hours later, you feel like you really know these characters, who now have a life of their own. There is a substantial amount of nudity in the film, but it's more about posing for an artist than about sex. This is, in fact, an art film, not a mainstream film. As such, it delves into human emotion as much as it paints the beauty of the female form. I'm giving this film, in advance of its DVD release, 3 stars because it is being released in standard format, which is an insult to any film, and because it may not appeal to the average mainstream viewer, who may be too impatient to watch all 4 hours of it. But for me, it will be a welcome addition to my limited collection of French films.I absolutely agree with everything said by the 5-star reviewer (except for the statement about this being released in its orginal format, which is apparently erroneous). But having read contemporary French language critiques of this film, and having dicussed it with a few of my French friends (who mostly complained about its length), I still believe that the average mainstream non-French viewer will probably find the film a bit too long and boring. Fans of art film in general, and French films in particular, will definitely treasure it, though. Include me in.

A famous old artist who wants to paint one more masterpiece, a painting he abandoned ten years before, when he felt he had to choose between his art and his love for his young wife, who was also his model. He chose love, but mourns the loss of his masterpiece. When the beautiful pest comes along, his wife urges him to take up his project again, this time with a woman he's not emotionally involved with. But this is not merely a character study of the old artist, but of his model as well. She's as ambitious as he for this painting, and puts up with his coldness, the difficult and painful poses he makes her hold. She makes him talk about his art, about why he abandoned the previous painting, his fears that he has lost his talent. At a crucial point, when he's ready to abandon the project, she makes him go on. She wants to be immortalized in paint as much as he wants to paint his masterpiece. And the other characters play their parts, too. The wife, who has had an affair but wants to recommit to her much older husband and see him regain his artistic confidence. The model's photographer boyfriend, who wants to keep her dependent upon him and fears her new self-confidence, her independence. The wife's "art" of taxidermy comments ironically on his art; must the painter kill the thing he loves? Roger Ebert wrote two excellent reviews of this film, whch won the grand prixe at Cannes in 1992. Until you can buy this hard-to-get dvd, check out the many beautiful images at celebritymoviearchive.com You'll thank me.

Its says Languages are English and French. It says Subtitles are English. So the subtitles are. But the spoken language is ONLY French. Naturally it does not say 'spoken' language in the text. But that is what is usually meant. So be aware!

As I often say with many French films, this is definitely not for everyone.For me however, a luscious combination of oppressive, sun-drenched days, haunted characters, sexual politics, Rivette's ability to create unsettling atmospheres, and very fine acting made this film perfect.I watched this on release when I was a student and while I quite liked it, I wasn't blown away. Like many such films, it has taken a second, more measured viewing for me to really appreciate it.It is a long film and practicalities meant that this time I was unable to watch it in one sitting, but it is well worth the effort. I know nothing about painting/drawing and the processes an artist goes through to create such works, so I also feel I learned something, and really enjoyed watching the still life drawings and paintings come to life.Emmanuelle Beart is as enviously beautiful and seductive as ever, which almost deflects from her great acting skills. However, she skillfully conveys the frustrations of a young writer (a tortured artist herself in many ways) in an uncertain relationship with a man who volunteers her services for the project, only to change his mind later, delivering a multi-layered and very committed peformance. For me personally, this relationship was the most manipulative and exploitative of all the relationships in the film, and the appearance of his sister offers further insight into what Beart's character has had to endure. And early on, her writing is dismissed as little more than a hobby or part time job compared with her boyfriend's aspirations to be a 'real' artist.As several reviewers have already pointed out, she does seem to spend a lot of time undressed, but it is geniunely in the name of art, it is tastefully done and is not seedy in any way. If I had an older child who was interested in art, I would definitely watch this with them.Michel Piccoli of course, is excellent, and the ever wonderful Jane Birkin is a revelation - and just as timelessly beautiful as Beart in many ways.I'll be watching it again as soon as I have a free evening...

good

because it is beautiful, but i felt it too simple taking even its production time and everything in consideration - something was missing in it... but probably its me and my own feelings... and it was worth it every penny anyway

Il est difficile d'imaginer un film sur la création artistique sans lenteur et silence. Mais dans la Belle Noiseuse la lenteur et le silence sont rendus supportables par la beauté des images et du corps nu d'Emmanuelle Béart. Jane Birkin est excellent dans un rôle qu'elle incarne tout naturellement. Michel Piccoli, magnifique d'intériorité et de recherche artistique, remplit les silences de cette tension intérieure. Quant à Emmanuelle Béart, le bel animal superficiel et satisfait de sa plastique, elle se met à participer à cette tension et à cette recherche, et contribue au crescendo émotionnel de la fin du film.Un beau film, sans équivoque, de ceux que le cinéma français a rarement le courage de produire.