Bravo -- how the French are "retaking" the high-ground in cinema -- French films are doing better in the U.S. than in France --
from the Wall Street Journal:
www.wsj.com
French Cultural Imperialism
February 9, 2006; Page A12
France's filmmakers are "exceptional" these days, and in a welcome change we're not referring to their prickly cultural protectionism.
Three French movies last week collected Oscar nominations, including the surprise hit "March of the Penguins." Moviegoers saw French films in record numbers, and last year was the first that the foreign box office take came in higher than in France itself.
The largest market for French cinema is none other than Hollywood's home turf. As the Ministry of Culture in Paris might say, there's no accounting for American taste. "March," a documentary about peregrine Empire penguins, barely registered in France but took in 16 million spectators abroad, mostly in the U.S., where it became the most-watched French film ever.
"Joyeux Noel" (Merry Christmas), about the impromptu football match along World War I trenches, and "Darwin's Nightmare," another documentary, also won Oscar nods. "Caché" (Hidden), with the stars Daniel Auteuil and past Oscar winner Juliette Binoche, "13-Tzameti," "Danny the Dog," and "The Transporter II" all found either critical or commercial success. Among the internationally big name actors born and bred in France are Mathieu Kassovitz, Jean Réno, Gérard Depardieu and not least the original Amélie Poulain, Audrey Tautou, who plays the lead female part in the coming "Da Vinci Code."
After so many dry years at home and abroad, and so much political capital spent to protect itself against all-powerful Hollywood, France is basking in its success. All it had to do was make films that moviegoers were willing to plop down good money to see.
from the Wall Street Journal:
www.wsj.com
French Cultural Imperialism
February 9, 2006; Page A12
France's filmmakers are "exceptional" these days, and in a welcome change we're not referring to their prickly cultural protectionism.
Three French movies last week collected Oscar nominations, including the surprise hit "March of the Penguins." Moviegoers saw French films in record numbers, and last year was the first that the foreign box office take came in higher than in France itself.
The largest market for French cinema is none other than Hollywood's home turf. As the Ministry of Culture in Paris might say, there's no accounting for American taste. "March," a documentary about peregrine Empire penguins, barely registered in France but took in 16 million spectators abroad, mostly in the U.S., where it became the most-watched French film ever.
"Joyeux Noel" (Merry Christmas), about the impromptu football match along World War I trenches, and "Darwin's Nightmare," another documentary, also won Oscar nods. "Caché" (Hidden), with the stars Daniel Auteuil and past Oscar winner Juliette Binoche, "13-Tzameti," "Danny the Dog," and "The Transporter II" all found either critical or commercial success. Among the internationally big name actors born and bred in France are Mathieu Kassovitz, Jean Réno, Gérard Depardieu and not least the original Amélie Poulain, Audrey Tautou, who plays the lead female part in the coming "Da Vinci Code."
After so many dry years at home and abroad, and so much political capital spent to protect itself against all-powerful Hollywood, France is basking in its success. All it had to do was make films that moviegoers were willing to plop down good money to see.
The French used to make some fabulous films. Grand Illusion, Wages of Fear, etc ...
Then for a couple of decades a "typical" French film seemed to copnsists of little more than 2 hours of a couple of actors sitting in a cafe talking about trivialities. The exceptions to this have Luc Besson (director) and Jean Reno (very cool action hero). Once I commented on this to a French person who turned up her nose and informed be those two eren't really French any more "their souls have been sold to Hollywood.". Oh well...
Then for a couple of decades a "typical" French film seemed to copnsists of little more than 2 hours of a couple of actors sitting in a cafe talking about trivialities. The exceptions to this have Luc Besson (director) and Jean Reno (very cool action hero). Once I commented on this to a French person who turned up her nose and informed be those two eren't really French any more "their souls have been sold to Hollywood.". Oh well...
Hi guys
i like french films too
i also like italian westerns where an american actor speaks
italian
😉
cheers
i like french films too
i also like italian westerns where an american actor speaks
italian
😉
cheers
We have TV5 on our cable service -- here's a wonderful film for kids -- an updated version of Heidi -- "Malabar Princess".
The most impressive short I've seen in recent years was from France.
Damn if I can recall where I saw it or what its name was. It described a relationship between a young guy and a girl he fell in love with at first sight from across the restaurant. Miserable, he returns to his apartment and thereupon we (himself included) are introduced to the dozen or so characters that inhabit his psyche. They make their appearances as real people - good and bad, old and young, introverted and not, etc, etc. They just come knocking at his door one after another. With his apartment (and his head) thus full, he's now quite convinced that he could never be with such a fantastic girl as he'd seen at the restaurant.
She shows up at his door, his psychic riff-raff is sent hiding in closets, behind drapes, etc. Eventually she meets them all and basically all hell breaks loose. There is just no way this can work. This guy, and his apt full are just too much. Just when all is lost, there's a knock at the door. We're now introduced to the dozen or so complementary sides of herself in the form of good and bad girls, young and old, introverted and etc. The short ends with the whole gaggle of them trotting down the sidewalk happily paired off on the way to a movie!
It could have been just another sit-com idea for a twenty minute short, but it was done so beautifully that it rose above the silly idea.
Damn if I can recall where I saw it or what its name was. It described a relationship between a young guy and a girl he fell in love with at first sight from across the restaurant. Miserable, he returns to his apartment and thereupon we (himself included) are introduced to the dozen or so characters that inhabit his psyche. They make their appearances as real people - good and bad, old and young, introverted and not, etc, etc. They just come knocking at his door one after another. With his apartment (and his head) thus full, he's now quite convinced that he could never be with such a fantastic girl as he'd seen at the restaurant.
She shows up at his door, his psychic riff-raff is sent hiding in closets, behind drapes, etc. Eventually she meets them all and basically all hell breaks loose. There is just no way this can work. This guy, and his apt full are just too much. Just when all is lost, there's a knock at the door. We're now introduced to the dozen or so complementary sides of herself in the form of good and bad girls, young and old, introverted and etc. The short ends with the whole gaggle of them trotting down the sidewalk happily paired off on the way to a movie!
It could have been just another sit-com idea for a twenty minute short, but it was done so beautifully that it rose above the silly idea.
Scuse me, but i had the impression you've been watching remakes of French movies ever since John Wayne died.
I'll name just '3 Hommes et un Couffin' , the original of '3 men and a baby'. I believe the celluloid of the original was not even dry when the clone comedy hit the cinemas.
Then, after Luc Besson's 'Le Grand Blue' that came out a year later, Hollywood thought it much easier to import both the script, the director and the actor.
The Hollywood movie list has shown nothing but remakes with American titles for decades, you've been watching French movies all along.
Of course, the next stage is that Hollywood will be producing the originals only and Ya' All will have to learn to speak French.
I still enjoy hearing Canadians speak French on TV5. Overhere we have the TV station Arte as well. Praise the lord that everything is shown here in the original language, that's how i learned to speak a lot of the lingos.
Still, nothing beats porn.
I'll name just '3 Hommes et un Couffin' , the original of '3 men and a baby'. I believe the celluloid of the original was not even dry when the clone comedy hit the cinemas.
Then, after Luc Besson's 'Le Grand Blue' that came out a year later, Hollywood thought it much easier to import both the script, the director and the actor.
The Hollywood movie list has shown nothing but remakes with American titles for decades, you've been watching French movies all along.
Of course, the next stage is that Hollywood will be producing the originals only and Ya' All will have to learn to speak French.
I still enjoy hearing Canadians speak French on TV5. Overhere we have the TV station Arte as well. Praise the lord that everything is shown here in the original language, that's how i learned to speak a lot of the lingos.
Still, nothing beats porn.
I was surprised since I expect French movies to primarily play in metropolitan areas and smaller circuits. But I wasn't really surprised when it comes to relative popularity.
There are probably no bigger fans of America and American culture in Europe than the French. The French Wave directors were all Hollywood fanboys. And American jazz musicians probably make a large share of their income in France.
I guess it's fortunate Americans don't know how loved they are abroad. ANYONE would risk being full of himself in that position. There's nothing that hurts more than when somebody you admire disappoints you.
There are probably no bigger fans of America and American culture in Europe than the French. The French Wave directors were all Hollywood fanboys. And American jazz musicians probably make a large share of their income in France.
I guess it's fortunate Americans don't know how loved they are abroad. ANYONE would risk being full of himself in that position. There's nothing that hurts more than when somebody you admire disappoints you.
SY said:
Ditto.
My dad adored The Duke, as a youngster i had to see all of the titles over and over again.
German television seems to have only 5 people to dubb movies since they started transmission, and none of those 5 seem to hit the dust.
Ever seen a John Wayne movie with German voices, Stuart ? I've been tortured by my parents.
Still, there have been a surprising number of really good movies produced in recent years, French and other. Maybe the population of this planet will evolve to a higher intellectual level afterall.
Haven't seen a German John Wayne film, but easily the most surreal thing I've ever seen was Hogan's Heroes dubbed into German. Brrrrrrrrr.
jacco vermeulen said:
on TV5Monde in the North American version at least -- the Quebecker's require subtitles so that the real French can understand what's going on...and you sometimes hear stuff like this: "Quel'est le problemme avec vous, ehhh?, hoser, me passer un autre Labatts".
I few years ago with nothing better to do I watched Dune (David Lybch, Kyle McLachlan version). Disappointing in English. Worked much better in German. Prochnow dubbed himself I think, ( Maybe the English version was dubbed and he was actually speaking German during the filmiming. Anyway, the German dubbing especially the voice over gave it mythical gravitas the English version lacked.
Still a rotten movie -- just less rotten in German.
Still a rotten movie -- just less rotten in German.
If you have the opportunity to watch Das Boot in either the original or dubbed versions, don't be tempted. Get the original. So much of the breath and immediacy of the drama is lost through the dubbing process that it's almost another film altogether.
As a former pig boat employee i can tell you the shaving is the least of the problem. Try not to wash the entire family for two weeks while walking around in damp clothing before you push the DVD button. The French cheese accompanying the movie will not make a significant difference.
Now if we're talking German movies, then Run Lola Run has to be mentioned. I watched it, in German with no subtitles, but frankly, it didn't matter. Cracking film.
jacco vermeulen said:
and don't bother to change the baby's diapers either...worse than a ripe Livarot.
Wasn't that something that has been experimented: movies you can smell while watching them ?
'Three men and a diaper' probably killed the budget.
'Three men and a diaper' probably killed the budget.
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