Directors MORE DIRECTORS CHECKLIST SERIES - Volume #239 - The Films Of ROBERT BRESSON (1 Viewer)

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Volume #239 - Robert Bresson

Argent, L' (1983)
The Devil Probably (1977)
Lancelot du Lac (1974)
Four Nights of a Dreamer (1971)
Une femme douce (1969)
... aka A Gentle Creature
... aka A Gentle Woman
Mouchette (1967)
Au hasard Balthazar (1966)
Trial of Joan of Arc (1962)
Pickpocket (1959)
A Man Escaped (1956)
Diary of a Country Priest (1951)
Dames du Bois de Boulogne, Les (1945)
Angels of the Streets (1943)
Affaires publiques, Les (1934)

Trained as a painter, Robert Bresson moved into screenwriting and then directing. After his first 3 films, he developed a unique minimalist style. He would break stories down to their bare essentials. He called his actors, "models", and wanted them to give flat, expressionless deliveries, willing to shoot take after take until he got exactly what he wanted. But in his soundtracks he took pain-staking care to make sure each sound was represented accurately.

His films are demanding, even difficult, such that he will probably never be one of my favorites, but I do admire several of his films.

1. Diary of a Country Priest - A- (An often beautiful and rending treastise on faith in which a young priest finds himself inadequately equipped to minister to his small, troubled community.)
2. L'Argent - A- (Bresson's final film is a moving and biting portrait of how money controls us and the destructive power of greed and deceit)
3. Lancelot du lac - A- (Using the Arthurian legends to make a powerful anti-war film)
4. Procès de Jeanne d'Arc - A-
5. Les Dames du Bois du Bologne - B+
6. A Man Escaped - B (a prison escape film in which mental and emotional preparations and activities are more important than the physical effort)
7. Pickpocket - B
8. Au Hasard Balthazar - C (Considered among the all-time great films, I found this so bleak that I had trouble generating any emotional involvement.)
9. Mouchette - C

Own: 0

Mouchette is his remaining film I'd most like to see.

Now, you're talking, Brook: one of my favorites!

In order of merit:


1.A Man Escaped (1956) ****
2.Pickpocket (1959) ****
3.Diary Of A Country Priest (1951) ****
4.Lancelot Du Lac (1974) ***1/2
5.Au Hasard, Balthazar (1966) ***1/2
6.L' Argent (1983) ***1/2
7.Les Dames Du Bois De Boulogne (1945) ***1/2
8.Les Anges Du Peche` (1943) ***1/2
9.Mouchette (1967) ***
10.The Devil, Probably (1977) ***

11.A Gentle Woman (1969) ***
12.Four Nights Of A Dreamer (1971) ***
13.The Trial Of Joan Of Arc (1962) *** - a fine film in itself, but it does suffer somewhat in comparison with Dreyer's sublime THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (1928)

14.Public Affairs (1934) **1/2



Bresson is quite simply one of the greatest film-makers ever whose deceptively matter-of-fact style - wholly absorbing and deeply spiritual to my eyes - puts to shame all the whizz-kids in Hollywood!

Seen: 2
Like: 0
Own: 0

Rank order:

Dames du Bois de Boulogne, Les (1945)
Diary of a Country Priest (1951)

Rated from
Les Affaires Publiques (1934)

Seen 11
Own 6

Ratings out of :star: :star: :star: :star:


[SIZE= 14px]ROBERT BRESSON (1901 - 1999)[/SIZE]


Argent, L' (1983) :star: :star:
The Devil Probably (1977)
Lancelot du Lac (1974) TURD!
Four Nights of a Dreamer (1971)
Une femme douce (1969)
Mouchette (1967)
Au hasard Balthazar (1966) :star: :star: 1/2
Procès de Jeanne d'Arc (1962) :star: :star: 1/2
Pickpocket (1959) :star: :star: 1/2
A Man Escaped (1956) :star: :star: :star:
Diary of a Country Priest (1951) :star: :star: :star:
Dames du Bois de Boulogne, Les (1945) :star: :star: :star:
Angels of the Streets (1943)
Affaires publiques, Les (1934)

Seen, in order of preference:

Au Hasard Balthazar
Diary of a Country Priest

L'Argent :star: :star: :star: :star:

Le Diable, Problement :star: :star: :star:

Lancelot du Lac :star: :star: :star:

Four Nights of a Dreamer :star: :star: :star: :star:

Une Femme Douce :star: :star: :star: 1/2

Mouchette :star: :star: :star: :star:

Au Hasard Balthazar :star: :star: :star: :star:

Trial of Joan of Arc :star: :star: :star: :star:

Pickpocket :star: :star: :star: :star:

A Man Escaped :star: :star: :star: :star:

Diary of a Country Priest :star: :star: :star: :star:

Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne :star: :star: :star:

Les Anges du Peche :star: :star: :star: 1/2

Les Affaires Publiques :star: :star: :star:

.

Updated:
Pickpocket - B

Pickpocket ***1/2

Mouchette ***

Argent, L' (1983) :star::star::star:
The Devil Probably (1977)
Lancelot du Lac (1974)
Four Nights of a Dreamer (1971)
Une femme douce (1969)
Mouchette (1967)
Au hasard Balthazar (1966) :star::star:1/2
Trial of Joan of Arc (1962) :star::star::star:
Pickpocket (1959) :star::star::star:
A Man Escaped (1956) :star::star::star::star:
Diary of a Country Priest (1951)
Dames du Bois de Boulogne, Les (1945)
Angels of the Streets (1943)
Affaires publiques, Les (1934)

Updated:

Procès de Jeanne d'Arc - A-

Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne ***1/2 out of ****

Argent, L' (1983) - 8/10
The Devil Probably (1977) - 6/10
Lancelot du Lac (1974) - 2/10
Four Nights of a Dreamer (1971) - 8/10
Une femme douce (1969) - 9/10
Mouchette (1967) - 9/10
Au hasard Balthazar (1966) - 9/10
Trial of Joan of Arc (1962) - 8/10
Pickpocket (1959) - 8/10
A Man Escaped (1956) - 9/10
Diary of a Country Priest (1951) - 6/10
Dames du Bois de Boulogne, Les (1945) - 7/10
Angels of the Streets (1943) - 8/10
Affaires publiques, Les (1934) - 5/10

If I had to make a top 10 directors list, Bresson would definitely be a contender. A couple of missteps, but I've been meaning to give those a second chance.

Updated Master list...............................

Updated:

Mouchette - C

UPDATED:

Au hasard Balthazar (1966) :star: :star: :star: :star: (Own the DVD)

Seen 2
Own 5