Adieu Philippine

Jacques Rozier shot this film in real locations with non-actors improvising their parts following a very loose plot outline. It shows. The film is ragged and uneven at times, but is really full of energy and enthusiasm for the lives of young folks in France at the time. Despite feeling like a tentative gesture towards the kinds of films Rozier would go on to make, it's difficult to dislike a film that's this joyous, energetic and filled with girls in bikinis dancing cha chas.

It's not so much that this is the best movie of France's nouvelle vague. It actually shares only superficial characteristics with the movement (the jump cuts and a few other editing shticks, the youth and youth culture). It lacks the underlying pomposity, masturbatory intellectualism and cold-heartedness. In essence it is entirely in the Italian tradition of its time: Naturalism, ingenious insight, radiant warmth and omnipresent humor. It is also densely packed with lush visuals and rich music.

A ludicrous juxtaposition between the French New Wave and the 60s British Horror film movement: the former matures like wine over the years, while the latter like beer. The Nouvelle Vague gives us sweet melodic images of a youth culture that was at the prime of its cultural and social freedom, keeping a soft balance between the old and the new, whilst not throwing morality in the rubbish bin and glorifying dissipation like nowadays. It nurtures our longing for the greatest bygone era there was.

Although mostly forgotten now, it fully embodies the nouvelle vague and all its characteristics. Rejection of old studio methods, location shooting, youth-oriented, pop culture, modern music, minimal plotting with more focus on episodic "moments", improvisation, experimental techniques (especially jump cuts). It's a perfect example of French New Wave. It seems to run out of gas at times, wallowing in certain dead spots for a little too long, but it's mostly a lot of fun and very charming.

very light and fluffy new wave affair, and a bit more enjoyable than most.

Adieu Philippine estreava há 60 anos em Paris. Meu primeiro Rozier, mas certamente não será o último. O conhecia mais por ser amigo do Godard nos livros de memórias da Wiazemsky e pelo Christian Metz fazer uma análise sintagmática desse filme por dois capítulos no seu livro Film Language: A Semiotics of the Cinema, mas fiquei surpresa aqui por encontrar um filme bem delicinha sobre a juventude francesa sem nunca deixar de lado o perigo sempre à espreita da guerra da Argélia. DVDRip no MakingOf

I know a girl who would like the feather-light nouvelle vague stylings of this date flick. She also likes Godard, Pasolini, Marker, the early Wong Kar-Wai. So yeah, it didn't work out.

picks up after the first hour, but it's a little underwhelming (and i like rozier!). the music is gorgeous of course.