Friday, November 2, 2007

72. L'Age d'Or (1930)


This movie seems to be the inspiration for many people's misconceptions about foreign films. It basically makes no sense and is deliberately strange and odd. It is filled with weird images, notably the cow in the bed, the woman 'shrimping' the statue, etc.


I really did enjoy it though, but I confident that 90% of the people I know would think it's retarded.


A basic plot synopsis would be that a man and a woman try to make love but stuff keeps getting in the way. Including a cow.


There was a lot going on in this film, most notably for me the interchangeability of people and objects. The woman of the film often is seen as either a poster, or in one scene two shots are overlapped, one of her and one of her dress, as if to say that her dress is as valuable as she is. In another scene the man is taken away as they are about to kiss, so she ends of up sucking the toe of a statue.


The movie also skewers elitist values as in one scene at a party a wealthy dowager(Simpsons reference) gets slapped and everyone is shocked and concerned for her, but at the same time in the field outside a gameskeeper shoots his son and no one really cares.


Also a dog gets kicked and a blind man gets kicked, a priest gets thrown out of a window. In the same scene a burning pine tree is tossed out of a window(shades of Muchmusic?).


It's all very weird, but strangely compelling. Good thing I went to college and can appreciate these things.