From the Journals of Jean Seberg

My first film by Rappaport and its certainly a (difficult to find) gem. Like Jean-Luc Godard's Historie(s) du Cinema, a fitting comparison since Godard is heavily involved in the life of Seberg, the subject of this meta-documentary where an actress plays her looking back on her life, all Rappaport needs is pre-existing footage (on video) to create a film far more cinematic and emotionally deep than a glossy movie. Its a masterpiece.

This is the only Rappaport film I have seen to date and so perhaps I am yet to become properly attuned to his distinctive films to appreciate his unique approach to filmmaking. With that caveat out of the way, based on viewing this film alone, there is not a lot for me to like, for example is Hurt as Seberg deliberately putting on a phoney performance or is she really that bad an actor? Despite my low rating, I will watch more Rappaport films on the off chance I am missing something of note.

Rappaport's brilliant film essay is perfect viewing to anyone who loves to watch and THINK about cinema.

Probably the most wide-ranging and in-depth of Rappaport's essay docs, but also (in a sense at least consequentially) the driest and least 'fun' to watch, even if ultimately it might also be the most thought-provoking (if sort of depressing, in a good way). There's probably an entire book-length thesis' worth of film theory worked over here, and it's interesting to see Rappaport's evolution between this and Casual Relations, and how he was able to integrate his ideas more successfully over time.