Films Afloat
I was interested late last month, to read a list published in The Guardian, ranking “The 20 best films set on Water”
I was also slightly underwhelmed by the choices. Some that made the cut, are just terrible pieces of cinema such as Kevin Costner’s “Waterworld” from 1995 & Stephen Sommer’s “Deep Rising” from 1998
Others are included because they they are great films and just happen to have a maritime element, such as Federico Fellini’s “And the Ship Sails On” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now”.
But the biggest surprise for me was the number one choice…. A film I didn’t know of, called L’Atalante made in 1934 by the legendary Jean Vigo. And best of all… the full film is available on YouTube for free.
So one cold Valencian evening last week I sat down and watched it. What a Joy!
It’s is a striking example of French cinema from the early 1930s, a period of experimentation and artistic exploration. Other well know films from the era are Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion and La Règle du jeu. Vigo, who was only 29 when he made the film, had a tragically brief career. He only made four films. This story, which follows a young couple's life aboard a canal barge, is about love, separation, and reconciliation and the way it’s presented demands that you are in the right frame of mind before settling down to watch it. It’s the antithesis of today’s Tiktok driven world.; slow paced, languid and thoughtful. Although on the surface its a simple tale, the film weaves complex emotions and the social issues of the time into the storyline. Most of the filming took place on an actual working barge, using real locations, giving the film an authentic texture, which is both ruthlessly industrial and fundamentally human.
The production was plagued by difficulties, including Vigo’s declining health due to tuberculosis and interference from the studio, which led to significant cuts and changes. When L’Atalante was released, it was not popular with either audiences or critics, perhaps because a shortened version had been released by the studio fearing that public’s attention span wouldn’tl ast the distance. (plus ça change!).
Over time, however, as the original footage was restored, the film’s peculiar visual style the delicate balance between realism and romanticism, has lead to it being acknowledged as a masterpiece.
The famous director and critic Jean-Luc Godard admired L’Atalante, seeing it as a key influence on his own cinematic style. He said that Vigo’s film "makes the ordinary magical" and praised the way Vigo mixed realism with an almost surreal tenderness. Godard also admired the acting performances, especially those of Jean Dasté and Dita Parlo, calling their portrayal of a troubled marriage “a model of understated emotional depth.”
Don’t click below until you are absolutely ready. I recommend a comfortable armchair, the biggest screen you can find, some decent speakers, and perhaps a glass of vin rouge.
