Columnists
Entries from May 2008
SERGE'S STIMULATING SLOGAN
As satisfying as any guilty pleasure, Slogan is
known primarily as the film that brought together Serge Gainsbourg and Jane
Birkin between the sheets, both on and off the screen. Yet it’s also a comic
and bittersweet examination of the darker side of desire. Cinema Retro takes a
look at the Cult Epics DVD release of this overlooked classic.
By Dean Brierly
“There is a trilogy in my life,†Serge Gainsbourg once said.
“An equilateral triangle, shall we say, of Gitanes, alcoholism and girls.â€
Of course, Gainsbourg wasn’t the first artist to embrace
such a decadent dolce vita, but few have done so with the style and
commitment of the French singer-songwriter, poet and provocateur. Fewer still
have exploited it to such evocative effect in their art. Gainsbourg wore his
hedonism on his well-tailored sleeve, and liked nothing better than upsetting
mainstream sensibilities through his outrageous lifestyle and his sexually
charged, often-scandalous lyrics. The explicit description of an erotic
encounter in his 1969 song “Je t’aime…moi non plus†even earned him a public
rebuke from the Vatican, doubtless much to his delight. But Gainsbourg’s lyrics
had depth as well as shock value. Shot through with equal parts cynicism and
romanticism, they proclaimed him the 20th century’s Baudelaire.
Gainsbourg also indulged his creativity in visual terms. He
made pioneering music videos, directed several movies, and acted in nearly 50
film and television productions. He first appeared in front of the camera in
low-budget potboilers (including the sword and sandal epic Samson) that
consistently failed to exploit his unique louche persona. In 1969, however, the
phenomenon that was Serge Gainsbourg finally achieved appropriate celluloid
representation in the film Slogan, a fascinating romantic
drama-cum-advertising satire. Gainsbourg called it “the first film where a
director finally had me act as myself, just as I am.â€
It could hardly have been otherwise, as the film’s narrative
prophetically mirrored events in the performer’s real life. Gainsbourg plays
Serge Fabergé, a director of hip advertising films who, at 40 years of age, is
in the grip of a midlife crisis. While attending an awards festival in Venice, he begins an adulterous affair with a
free-spirited English girl named Evelyne (played by England’s free-spirited Jane
Birkin) in a vain attempt to recapture his youth. Behind the scenes, Slogan
was the vehicle through which Gainsbourg and Birkin met and embarked upon one
of the most celebrated love affairs of the seventies. Birkin had already
achieved her own measure of notoriety as a sixties wild child: She was one of
the models who cavort naked with David Hemmings in the film Blow-Up, and
was married to James Bond composer John Barry from 1965-68. She would remain
Gainsbourg’s lover, muse and creative partner until leaving him in 1980.
Ironically, the two did not initially strike sparks, and
Birkin was put off by Gainsbourg’s indifference and arrogance. An evening out
in Paris to
break the ice ended with the two in bed, but with Gainsbourg too drunk to
consummate their new union. Nonetheless, the couple soon became inseparable.
Their off-screen passion is almost palpably rendered in Slogan, in which
they make a memorable, if unconventional, screen couple, with Birkin’s naive
yet smoldering sexuality matched against Gainsbourg’s narcissistic, deadpan
cool. Director Pierre Grimblat, who also wrote the screenplay, effectively
captures the physical hunger of the lovers in a series of brief, evocative
vignettes—a naked Evelyne striding seductively towards Fabergé, who lies
expectantly in bed; Fabergé’s hand unzipping Evelyne’s top as she throws her
head back in ecstasy; an amorous embrace in front of a roaring fire.
Yet the characters' smugness and self-absorption make
it hard to empathize with them. Fabergé is entirely indifferent to the effect
his philandering has upon his wife. His excuse—“I hate choosing because I hate
making sacrificesâ€â€”sums up the selfishness at the core of his character. He
also boasts a nice line in cruelty. After leaving his wife, he throws a party
for their mutual friends at which he introduces Evelyne as “my little
home-breaker,†taking delight in scandalizing his guests and embarrassing his
inamorata. Evelyne is no saint, either. Fundamentally shallow and manipulative,
she’s not above threatening suicide to exact greater commitment from Fabergé.
She’s entirely a slave to her whims and desires, pursuing her pleasure with
nary a thought for the lovers who trail despondently in her wake.
The film’s only sympathetic character is Fabergé’s
long-suffering wife Françoise, played with brittle strength by Andréa Parisy.
Françoise understands her man all too well: “You look young, but you’re not
young. I remind you of that, so you get another opinion.†Accustomed to Serge’s
infidelities, she patiently waits for him to become bored with his latest
conquest and return to the safe harbor of marriage and family. Only when it’s
apparent that he’s committed to chasing his sexual fantasy to the end of the
licentious night does she reluctantly begin divorce proceedings.
Continue reading "DEAN BRIERLY REVIEWS THE EROTIC CULT FILM "SLOGAN""
We've intercepted this Top Secret memo that divulges inside information about the recent VIP opening of For Your Eyes Only, the new Ian Fleming exhibition taking place at the Imperial War Museum, London. Read it, then forget you ever saw the memo.... To: M From: Head of R, GCHQ Subject: Former SMERSH sleeper agent, code-name Deep Sleep Six (Real name: Krassno Granitskiovich. Aliases: Red Grant, Jr., Captain Norwood Nash) Documentation: E-mail intercept, sent to G, head of SMERSH Veterans’ Association Greetings Comrade G, Following instructions, attended opening of special exhibition, ‘For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond’, at Imperial War Museum, London, 16 April, 2008, having neutralised and taken the place of reporter of nostalgic-revisionist organ ‘Cinema Retro’, using silicone mask provided by Otdyel II. Met at museum (dedicated to past glories of British imperialist war-mongers) by the American, Pfeiffer, and the Briton, Worrall, capitalist running-dogs and editors of aforementioned ‘Cinema Retro’. Enemy failed to penetrate disguise. Event began with Bollinger champagne reception (not Dom Pérignon, as favoured by British assassin and enemy of the Russian and former Soviet peoples, James Bond). Speech of welcome given by Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Squire, GCB, DFC, AFC, DSc, FRAeS, Chairman of the Trustees of the Imperial War Museum. Follow-up speech by the Right Honourable Margaret Hodge, Minister of State for Culture, Media, and Sport. Official opening speech delivered by Miss Honor Blackman, actress responsible for impersonating Pussy Galore, former associate of deceased agent, Auric Goldfinger. Exhibition dedicated to life of Ian Fleming, fascist hyena and biographer of the killer Bond, on pretext of centenary of birth (see conclusion below). Items of interest include: bourgeois dinner-jacket and bow tie belonging to the author; desk and Remington Remette typewriter from Goldeneye, the author’s colonial-imperialist home in Jamaica; copy of ‘Checklist of Birds of the West Indies’ (1947) by James Bond (a transparent attempt to confuse real-life assassin with local ornithologist); a recipe for scrambled eggs, headed “Scrambled Eggs Never Let You Down†(copy forwarded for deciphering); book entitled ‘Sea Fauna or The Finny Tribe of Golden Eye’, with notes and illustrations by Fleming; and manuscript of propaganda work, ‘Casino Royale’, detailing the regrettable failure of SMERSH operative, Le Chiffre. These items followed by various family portraits and mementos, including letters from enemy of the Revolution, Winston Churchill; Christmas stockings large enough to clothe an entire village of peasants; various sporting trophies from Eton, the so-called public school (and breeding ground of reactionary imperialist swine); and various documents pertaining to the class enemy Fleming’s time spent as a “journalist†(a remarkably transparent cover) in Moscow, including a denied request for an interview signed by our late, Great and Glorious Leader, the much-loved Chairman Stalin himself! (Overcome with emotion, I found myself singing the Internationale – until I noticed the American Pfeiffer looking at me suspiciously. Strongly suspect this Pfeiffer may be none other than the Yankee pig-dog Felix Leiter, lackey of the CIA and cohort of Bond.) The next exhibits are dedicated to the fantasist Fleming’s secret service in the Naval Intelligence Division during the Great Struggle against the forces of National Socialism. These include the coat worn by Fleming during his observation of the Dieppe Raid in 1942, a courier’s passport allowing him passage from Madrid to Gibraltar; various documents pertaining to his work with Rear Admiral Godfrey, the Director of Naval Intelligence, and the clandestine activities of 30 Assault Unit, overseen by Fleming, as well as information on the German V1 and V2 flying bombs, allegedly the forerunners of former Soviet agent Drax’s Moonraker rocket. A manuscript of fictional ‘Moonraker’, with original title, ‘Mondays Are Hell’, crossed out and replaced by the words “The Moonrakerâ€, is also displayed. The post-Struggle section of the exhibition includes a Mercury News map of the world showing the location of various journalists (and spies, as we well know) employed by the Sunday Times newspaper, of which Fleming was the foreign news manager, along with various souvenir items from the author’s effete and luxurious travels for a series of articles (and later book), ‘Thrilling Cities’. This is followed by a most interesting item – a portrait of the killer, Bond, commissioned by Fleming circa 1957, incontestable proof that the assassin known as 007 really exists and was not just a figment of the lap-dog Fleming’s decadent day-dreams (as the British establishment, with inexplicable perversity, would have the masses believe). After all, even a degenerate bourgeois like Fleming would not commission a portrait of a non-existent character! There is also a cup, in the shape of a chamber pot, presented by Fleming to the Old Etonian Golfing Society – a typical example of British public school humour. This is followed by a case containing first editions of Fleming’s glorification of the murderous functionary, Bond, and original art-work for the books by the illustrator, Richard Chopping.
Continue reading "A SPY'S GUIDE TO THE NEW IAN FLEMING EXHIBITION AT THE IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, LONDON"
The Cinema of Terrence Malick—Poetic Visions of America. (Second Edition) Edited
by Hannah Patterson. (Wallflower Press, 2007.)
The Cinema of Krzysztof Kieslowski—Variations on Destiny and Chance. Edited by
Marek
Haltof. (Wallflower Press, 2004.)
Wallflower Press publishes several lines of film books. Represented here are two examples of their “Directors’
Cutsâ€â€”a series devoted to the works of individual directors. Both are similar in structure and degree of
academic and scholarly study. These are
not picture-books or “Films Of†books.
They are intended for the serious student of film theory and
history.
Perhaps no other filmmaker other than Stanley Kubrick has
elicited more mystique than Terrence Malick.
He made two critically-acclaimed poetic dramas in the seventies (Badlands and Days of Heaven) and then
“disappeared†for twenty years before re-emerging on the Hollywood scene with The Thin Red Line in the late
nineties. One more film (The New World) appeared in 2005. His work eschews traditional narrative, is visually
beautiful, and emphasizes mood and emotions over character development. Editor Patterson has collected a number of
essays written by film academicians and critics that dissect Malick’s four
films. Dry stuff, but it’s a worthy
companion for anyone wanting more out of the director’s pictures.
Polish director Kieslowski had been working behind the Iron
Curtain for two decades and was relatively unknown in the West until the late
eighties. With such penetrating
examinations of “everyday life†as The
Double Life of Veronique, The
Decalogue, and the superb Three
Colors Trilogy (Blue; White; Red), Kieslowski presented us with dramatic
puzzles about fate and its effect on the human condition. Once again, editor Haltof has gathered a
collection of essays by prominent international critics, authors, and
academicians that attempt to make sense of films that are not instantly
accessible. Of particular interest are
the discussions of the director’s earlier, little-seen works such as The Scar and Blind Chance. Recommended.- Raymond Benson Click here to order The Cinema of Terrence Malick Click here to order The Cinema of Krzysztof Kieslowski
Click here to visit www.raymondbenson.com
Cinema Retro columnist David Savage continues his coverage of the Tribeca Film Festival with a report on a surprise appearance by Dennis Hopper at a screening of one of his earliest films. The newly restored 35mm print of Night Tide (1961),
USA
Last year saw the passing of Curtis Harrington (1926-2007),
the director of a slew of delicious psycho-thrillers from the '60s and '70s,
including Who Slew Auntie Roo? (1971) and What's the Matter with
Helen? (1971), both with Shelly Winters, as well as the critical favorite
The Killing Kind (1973) with John Savage. So it was a fitting tribute to
the director that Tribeca Film Festival screened two newly restored prints of
Harrington's at Pace University last Sunday, April 29th -- his 1948
experimental short, Picnic, and his rarely seen, first feature film,
Night Tide (1961) with Dennis Hopper. Both prints were fresh out of the
Academy Film Archive labs in Los Angeles. Adding to the insider-thrill of the
occasion was a surprise visit by Hopper himself, who drove in from Queens where
he was on location shooting a new movie. Hopper said he hadn't seen the film --
his first, full-length starring role -- in several years, so it was interesting
to watch the 25-year-old actor on the screen, then steal furtive glances over at
him in his seat watching himself, some 47 years earlier.
Night Tide tells the tale of a young sailor, Johnny
Drake (Hopper) on leave in the then-derelict area of Venice, California, who
becomes smitten with a mysterious, dark-haired girl, Mora (Linda Lawson) who
portrays a mermaid in a carnival sideshow on the pier. They meet in a beatnik
grotto-bar complete with jazz combo and snapping, turtlenecked patrons, and from
there embark on an enigmatic, moody love affair that spells trouble from the
get-go. Her handler and sideshow boss, Captain Murdock (Gavin Muir), warns
Johnny that her previous boyfriends were both found drowned, and hints broadly
that the fishtail she wears in the sideshow may not be a put-on. Other troubling
signs include her serving fish for breakfast, and on one date, she succumbs to
the incantatory rhythms of a beach bongo-duo and draws a crowd as she writhes
expressionistically to their performance. Johnny won't listen to locals who also
try to warn him off the mysterious Mona, until it's nearly too late.
Highly atmospheric and evocative of Los Angeles' beatnik art
scene in the late '50s-early '60s (of which Hopper was a member), Night
Tide is a odd delight, full of eccentric bit players, stilted dialogue and
the lurid backdrop of a seedy amusement pier. It also sets the tone for
Harrington's later pictures, most of which are campy thrillers involving a
mentally fragile woman in a setting of decayed glamour, in the same genre as
Aldrich's What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962).
But digging a bit deeper, it hints at Harrington's
involvement in the occult. Harrington, according to Dennis Hopper, was a friend
of notorious occult filmmaker Kenneth Anger, with whom he went to school and
collaborated on Anger's and his own first experimental films -- many of which
deal in mythical and pagan topics. Their mutual friend was an artist in the L.A.
art scene of the time known simply as 'Cameron,' and who plays the role of The
Water Witch in Night Tide. In the film (credited as
Marjorie Cameron) she appears elusively as a witchy woman in black, usually
accompanied on the soundtrack by ringing bells. Her appearance throughout
Night Tide is never explained, but it casts doubt on the true provenance
of the character of Mona, and whether they are mother and daughter, or something
more sinister. Interestingly, Marjorie Cameron was married to Jack Parsons, a
pioneering genius in rocketry and occult enthusiast, and together they were
friends of L. Ron Hubbard and other science fiction writers. According to a
short bio on the Internet Movie Database, in 1946 she, Parsons and L. Ron
Hubbard undertook the famous "Babylon Working," a complex ritual spell
attempting to create a "magical child." In the early '50s she lived in a house
in Pasadena reputed to be a hive of occult and sexually transgressive behavior.
In 1954 she appeared in Kenneth Anger's Inauguration of the
Pleasure Dome (along with Harrington) and was a friend of Satanist Aleister
Crowley, Dennis Hopper and actor Dean Stockwell. How well Hopper knew Cameron
was unclear by his comments, but it was intriguing information, providing a
glimpse into his early days as an actor in L.A. and the cast of characters that
populated art galleries, living rooms and underground film sets of the time.
Hopper went on to comment that Night Tide was "one of
the first independent films," made for $28,000 and listed on Time
Magazine's 10 Best Films of that year, although it was never released in
theatres, owing to a dispute with labor unions. "Making independent films back
then was nearly impossible," he told the audience from the stage. "It was
virtually unheard of to work outside the studio system." Harrington, Hopper
revealed, was Twentieth Century Fox head Jerry Wald's assistant and got his
start in movies the old fashioned way – by serving as a gofer and working his
way up from there. Still flinty and ornery as hell at 72, Hopper makes a
compelling case for career longevity and still does not suffer fools easily, as
evidenced by his sarcastic answers to many questions posed from audience
members. When he mentioned his authorship of Easy Rider (1969),
vigorously disputed by Terry Southern and others, I was going to raise my hand.
Then I thought, hmm…better not go there. This dark man of indie cinema
just turned a shade more sinister.
To watch the original trailer of Night Tide, cut and
paste this URL into your browser: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2275213593/
-David Savage
CLICK HERE TO BUY THE NIGHT TIDE DVD DISCOUNTED FROM AMAZON
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