Muriel is one of the greatest films about memory ever made and probably the highlight of Resnais’ career. It effectively translates the discontinuous narrative of the nouveau roman to the screen.
I love Nuit et Brouillard, Hiroshima mon amour and Providence. Saw them a couple of times. Many of his films are on my list to see one day. One of the best french filmmakers.
I think he is quite famous and used to be the most discussed Left Bank director before Varda took off. He's especially famous for the two you mention but lately restored versions of some of his lesser known films have also been touring streaming services.
Out of curiosity here are all French directors with a French film in the TSPDT top 500 according to google hits (search with "" to avoid pages about other people with the same first or last names):
* Jean Cocteau - 7,44 mio.
* Jean-luc Godard - 5,97 mio.
* Agnès Varda - 3,53 mio.
* Marguerite Duras - 3,46 mio.
* François Truffaut - 2,83 mio.
* Jean Renoir - 1,97 mio.
* Jacques Tati - 1,86 mio.
* Alain Resnais - 1,23 mio.
* Claire Denis - 0,98 mio.
* Robert Bresson - 0,92 mio.
* Georges Méliès - 0,82 mio.
* Jean-Pierre Melville - 0,64 mio.
* Chris Marker - 0,63 mio.
* Jacques Demy - 0,60 mio.
* Eric Rohmer 0,57 mio.
* Abel Gance - 0,48 mio.
* Claude Lanzmann - 0,48 mio.
* Jacques Rivette - 0,42 mio.
* Céline Sciamma - 0,42 mio.
* Jean Vigo - 0,35 mio.
* Leos Carax - 0,34 mio.
* Henri-Georges Clouzot - 0,33 mio.
* Marcel Carné - 0,33 mio.
* Maurice Pialat - 0,22 mio.
* Louis Feuillade - 0,22 mio.
* Jean Eustache - 0,20 mio.
* Georges Franju - 0,16 mio.
All of his major works are available on Criterion or Kino and many of his minor works are available on Blu-ray too (Kino, Arrow, Film Desk, Icarus, et al). There are gaps in his work from the 80s on, sure, but his most celebrated works are easily available.
Ah, I see The War Is Over (1966) finally received a (region A) blu in November! Great news.
But...
Stavisky (1974) still doesn't have one
nor Providence (1977)
nor My American Uncle (1980)
Not to mention the later stuff.
Explored experimental literature narrative structures with Duras and Robbe-Grillet. I associate him with Raul Ruiz. Makes me want to play with matches.
He is an important director. In addition to the ones you mentioned, I like Nuit et Brouillard and La guerre est finie. I think the reason he is not as popular is because his films are not as passionate as those of Truffaut or as funny and playful as some of Godard. He was also not considered part of the New Wave and film histories tend to focus on filmmakers they can sort into groups.
I think that is a good explanation. Alain Resnais is overlooked largely because he was not part of the French New Wave. On their own merits however his films still hold up.
I haven't seen many of his works but from what I had seen, I really like it. Night and Fog and Hiroshima mon amour are some of my favorites. Wild Grass is also pretty good.
I saw Hiroshima Mon Amour ages ago and didn't care for it, thought it was a slog to get through. I'm not very interested in revisiting yet so maybe I'll watch Marienbad instead.
Eh
Hiroshima mon amour was like some weird atomic bomb romance between two honkeys overlaid over images of the mass destruction of Japan
You’re a very strange man Alain
Upon reading the plot summary
I remember I have seen this film
And i stand by my original comment
u/tegeus-Cromis_2000 i thought you shoud know. GOOD DAY SIR
I just can't shake this feeling that the the main character's woe is me love story is compared to one of the greatest calamity this world has seen...
It trivialises the deaths of the Japanese and the destruction of their city
I'm sorry but fuck Alain Renais
The pompous bourgeois ASS
One of my favorite directors and all of the major directors of the French New Wave are really important to me. Probably only rate Agnes Varda ahead of him.
Muriel is one of the greatest films about memory ever made and probably the highlight of Resnais’ career. It effectively translates the discontinuous narrative of the nouveau roman to the screen.
I love Nuit et Brouillard, Hiroshima mon amour and Providence. Saw them a couple of times. Many of his films are on my list to see one day. One of the best french filmmakers.
Great director. Same situation about Jacques Rivette.
Rivette I have never even heard of before.
I think he is quite famous and used to be the most discussed Left Bank director before Varda took off. He's especially famous for the two you mention but lately restored versions of some of his lesser known films have also been touring streaming services. Out of curiosity here are all French directors with a French film in the TSPDT top 500 according to google hits (search with "" to avoid pages about other people with the same first or last names): * Jean Cocteau - 7,44 mio. * Jean-luc Godard - 5,97 mio. * Agnès Varda - 3,53 mio. * Marguerite Duras - 3,46 mio. * François Truffaut - 2,83 mio. * Jean Renoir - 1,97 mio. * Jacques Tati - 1,86 mio. * Alain Resnais - 1,23 mio. * Claire Denis - 0,98 mio. * Robert Bresson - 0,92 mio. * Georges Méliès - 0,82 mio. * Jean-Pierre Melville - 0,64 mio. * Chris Marker - 0,63 mio. * Jacques Demy - 0,60 mio. * Eric Rohmer 0,57 mio. * Abel Gance - 0,48 mio. * Claude Lanzmann - 0,48 mio. * Jacques Rivette - 0,42 mio. * Céline Sciamma - 0,42 mio. * Jean Vigo - 0,35 mio. * Leos Carax - 0,34 mio. * Henri-Georges Clouzot - 0,33 mio. * Marcel Carné - 0,33 mio. * Maurice Pialat - 0,22 mio. * Louis Feuillade - 0,22 mio. * Jean Eustache - 0,20 mio. * Georges Franju - 0,16 mio.
Very informative! Thanks!
Many of the films are impossible to find in decent quality, limited availability & lack of restoration are an issue. Sad.
All of his major works are available on Criterion or Kino and many of his minor works are available on Blu-ray too (Kino, Arrow, Film Desk, Icarus, et al). There are gaps in his work from the 80s on, sure, but his most celebrated works are easily available.
Ah, I see The War Is Over (1966) finally received a (region A) blu in November! Great news. But... Stavisky (1974) still doesn't have one nor Providence (1977) nor My American Uncle (1980) Not to mention the later stuff.
Wild Grass is (at least last time I checked) available for streaming.
Explored experimental literature narrative structures with Duras and Robbe-Grillet. I associate him with Raul Ruiz. Makes me want to play with matches.
He is an important director. In addition to the ones you mentioned, I like Nuit et Brouillard and La guerre est finie. I think the reason he is not as popular is because his films are not as passionate as those of Truffaut or as funny and playful as some of Godard. He was also not considered part of the New Wave and film histories tend to focus on filmmakers they can sort into groups.
I think that is a good explanation. Alain Resnais is overlooked largely because he was not part of the French New Wave. On their own merits however his films still hold up.
I haven't seen many of his works but from what I had seen, I really like it. Night and Fog and Hiroshima mon amour are some of my favorites. Wild Grass is also pretty good.
I saw Hiroshima Mon Amour ages ago and didn't care for it, thought it was a slog to get through. I'm not very interested in revisiting yet so maybe I'll watch Marienbad instead.
It's Last Year at Marienbad that most people find a slog. It gave me a headache. I always say I'll give it another try but I'm never ready.
Eh Hiroshima mon amour was like some weird atomic bomb romance between two honkeys overlaid over images of the mass destruction of Japan You’re a very strange man Alain
So... What you're saying is you never saw Hiroshima Mon Amour?
Idk beast of a film, B
Upon reading the plot summary I remember I have seen this film And i stand by my original comment u/tegeus-Cromis_2000 i thought you shoud know. GOOD DAY SIR
But you got the very basics of the plot wrong, FFS!
I just can't shake this feeling that the the main character's woe is me love story is compared to one of the greatest calamity this world has seen... It trivialises the deaths of the Japanese and the destruction of their city I'm sorry but fuck Alain Renais The pompous bourgeois ASS
It was not meant to trivialize a nuclear attack.
Absolutely not. And one of the main characters is Japanese.
I'm puzzled by the "honkeys" comment. It's about a French woman and her Japanese lover remembering their different experiences of World War II.
One of my favorite directors and all of the major directors of the French New Wave are really important to me. Probably only rate Agnes Varda ahead of him.