I've been studying Painleve for an assignment lately, he is one of those individuals who seemed to take on all of life at the same time and somehow make it work. He was into everything, always on the periphery of important political, scientific, and cinematic projects. He was very close friends with Jean Vigo and Eisenstein. Founded the worlds first diving club. Filmed the liberation of Paris from the street level. Managed to disgust Luis Bunuel with footage from eye surgery. Had a penchant for auto racing. Escaped from the nazi occupation with diving equipment that he made himself. And most importantly made a huge number of glorious nature films.
The Seahorse
Wonderful movie. I love the dissection segments. It reminded me of Michel Houellebecq, who will periodically insert long quotes from scientific essays or tourism brochures into his novels. It's like Painleve is reclaiming (or, I guess this film is old enough that he's claiming, not reclaiming) the scientific as beautiful first, and informative second. It's an effort I whole-heartedly support. Like, why can't a page of math equations be valued for it's beauty?
ReplyDeleteI love the camera movements in the film. They're too jerky. I don't like jerky movements in the midst of otherwise smooth shots, but Painleve insists on the jerkiness enough that, ultimately, it works. And then, in the midst of the clunkiness are these little miracle zooms and tracking movements.
And the music!!! It's like prog-rock from the 1930s. It's a little too squawky (sp?) in places, and I prefer a little melody -but I dunno, it worked in the film, so what do I know.
Thanks for exposing me to this guy.
I'm noticing a trend: everyone of interest to me is an anarchist. I guess I have to come out of my anarchist closet and join my people.
-s$s
This guy sounds amazing! But really, the bio sounds way too good to be true. I think proximity to Winnipeg is making you invent the past, Guy Madden style.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like he didn't change much over time either. The colour films that he made are almost the same as the early silent ones. There is some great voice over narration in his 'love life of the octopus' film.
ReplyDeleteI read that he had to stay awake for an excessive amount of time to capture the birth sequence in this film. To do this he rigged up an electrical device that would shock him every time his head started to drop.
I read it in a book I swear, or maybe I dreamt I read it in a book, or maybe there is a special library on the 3 and halfth floor of the old Bay building were books chronicling the real history of the world are kept, and you can only read them by the light of a full moon.
ReplyDeleteI agree with s$s. The music is incredible. Is this definitely the original score?
ReplyDeleteThe seahorses seem so vivid at certain points. Like you could reach out and grab them. Eat your heart out, Avatar!