Discussion In honour of Jean-Paul Belmondo, let's talk about French cinema

Li Kao

It’s a strange world. Let’s keep it that way.
Jan 28, 2019
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The passing of Jean-Paul Belmondo, one of the great remaining icons of French cinema, and a post by Kvik (one of the great remaining smiling dinosaur thingy) inspired me to make this thread.
Believe me, while indeed French, I'm no nationalist, but French movies had some incredible highs, a couple of glorious periods and actors you must have seen on screen if you are a all interested in the art form. Nowadays, I don't want to say too much as I don't follow it, but still, tempted to use the past tense.
That being said I'm a little terrified by the topic, for one because contrary to the impression I must be leaving, I'm not thatttt interested, and mostly because the subject at hand is so rich.

I said GREAT Jean-Paul Belmondo, and that is apt. But I would be remiss to not mention the AOATS first.


- Jean Gabin


- Lino Ventura


These two actors alone have a positively astounding and diverse filmography.


Then you have Jean-Paul Belmondo, who also had a diverse filmography but left his mark in French pop-culture mostly in Action / Adventure movies.
For serious drama and comedies, there is a metric ton of other actors, but I prefer to limit this OP to the best of the best.

I would be relatively shocked if you tried some movies with those actor, mostly the first two, and felt let down.

Now If you will excuse me, I'm bucking under the pressure of my own thread, please discuss and talk about your fav' French movies. You have 2 hours.


PS. Shietttt, I didn't even talk about the 'bourgeois' cinema period of the 70's, so much to talk about.
 
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EdwardTivrusky

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Dec 8, 2018
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Just to lay your mind to rest, unless i'm missing something i don't link appreciating French Cinema with Nationalism. Sure, there's going to be some films in that vein or people involved who hold those views but that's the same everywhere else too.

Now i need to wrack my mind for some French films i've seen, it's been a while since i've had to think of it tbh but i know there are quite a few.
 
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Li Kao

Li Kao

It’s a strange world. Let’s keep it that way.
Jan 28, 2019
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Just to lay your mind to rest, unless i'm missing something i don't link appreciating French Cinema with Nationalism. Sure, there's going to be some films in that vein or people involved who hold those views but that's the same everywhere else too.

Now i need to wrack my mind for some French films i've seen, it's been a while since i've had to think of it tbh but i know there are quite a few.
Don't put to much meaning on the use of the word, it was a relatively quick write and my goal may have been lost in translation. What I meant is simply that, let's put it that way: I'm sure a ton of people are proud of their country's movies and I have no issues with it. I think, at least for the first two actors, that they transcend the country parameter, though. And I dearly hope that when I say that I'm not under the influence of some misplaced pride.

On another topic, Kvik mentioned his interest in French film noir. Any advice, anyone ? He has already watched Le Samouraï and Le Doulos (don't think Pierrot Le Fou is noir cinema but could be wrong).
Now if you are not too attached to specifically noir cinema, a very specific genre, you won't have any trouble finding great crime movies.

'L'armée des ombres' / 'Marie Octobre' for movies set during the French resistance or linked to it.
'Mélodie en sous sol' for burglary movie.
'La métamorphose des cloportes' for revenge movie in the underworld.
'Les tontons flingueurs' for a lighter tone flick about gangsters.
'Le cercle rouge' is a famous crime movie, too.

What is super sad and interesting because it speaks about the nature of pop culture, is that apart from 'Les tontons flingueurs' I'm not sure I have seen one of those films. Still mostly sad, because I'm 99% sure most of them are great.
 
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Kiru

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From the old french movies I watched on MUBI I really liked:
Bob le flambeur (1956)
Plein soleil (1960)
Le doulos (1962)
Le cercle rouge (1970)
and all the Jaques Tati movies lol

There was some modern stuff on there I also enjoyed:
Un prophète (2009)
Dheepan (2015)
Micmacs à tire-larigot (2009)

That's just from my MUBI viewing history tho, much more stuff I can't quite remember lol.
 
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Alexandros

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I remember watching quite a lot of movies with this guy when I was a kid:

 

Kvik

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Dec 6, 2018
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Downunder.
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! Maybe I'll look into getting some Criterion editions of these for Christmas (if anime boxsets didn't already consume my budget) :flare_lmao:

Pierrot Le Fou
Yeah, there's some noir elements in it, but it's more of an avant garde/experimental piece like other Godard's work.

Un prophète (2009)
I think I saw this once before. It's about a French kid with Arabic descent serving his prison sentence and somehow ended up become an underworld figure, right? I enjoyed it a lot.
 
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Kiru

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I think I saw this once before. It's about a French kid with Arabic descent serving his prison sentence and somehow ended up become an underworld figure, right? I enjoyed it a lot.
Yeah, that's the one!
 
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