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| La Collectionneuse |
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  (7/10)
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Runtime: 88 m |
| Public Rating: 8.33 (6 votes) |
Director: Eric Rohmer |
MPAA Rating:  |
| Genre: Drama/Comedy |
Year: 1967 |
| Writer(s): Eric Rohmer |
| Reviewed by: Vadim Rizov |
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Fascinating but grueling by the end, Rohmer's first feature-length film, and the third in his "Moral Tales," follows a bunch of self-obsessed people, some more ridiculous than others, for 88 minutes until they dissolve all connections between themselves. It's a study in narcissism, self-justification, and other, less attractive human traits. The film focuses on some pretty unlikable people, and you'll probably miss the more sympathetic characters to be found in Rohmer's other films, but this
is a worthy, if less polished, work from the master of all-dialogue films.
Adrien (Patrick Bauchau, who went on to an extremely succesful American-French career, including acquiring a minor cult following for his role on NBC's "The Pretender") is an art dealer whose girl-friend is going to London; he's heading off to a friend's house in St. Tropeze, where his friend Daniel (Daniel Pommereule) is also staying, plus a girl named Haydee (Haydee Politoff). After introducing the trio in 3 prologues, Rohmer packs up the bunch in the isolated house. Adrien's goal is to do nothing and relax totally while preparing to open a gallery, but there's something about Haydee that turns him on...or makes him want to reform her sleeping around with everyone...or makes him indifferent...or something. Adrien doesn't quite know himself, but in the voice-over he continually justifies all his decisions and thoughts to the point of insensibility.
Ah yes - that voice-over. Surely one of the most intentionally pretentious in film history, Adrien's character reveals itself to the audience as egotistical and unlikable, not to mention self-deluding. He sees all human interaction not as spontaneous, but as a series of strategies, games and traps designed with pre-conceived goals in mind. In Haydee's case, Adrien convinces himself that she's doing everything just to get him, even when matters prove otherwise. It's a first-person story whose visuals constantly undercut the narration, and the device works well.
The cast is uniformly excellent, including American critic Eugene Archer in a small, Orson Welles-esque part as a deep-voiced investor. I have no idea why Rohmer constantly inserts the sound of an airplane flying overhead, but I liked it the first time it came: we expect the image to change to one of a landing strip, but the shot continues instead. I like to think that's Rohmer's way of cautioning us not to make assumptions about what's going to happen next. As a dissection of youthful malaise and egotism, it's spectacularly accurate; as a gorgeously shot piece of eye candy (by genius Nestor Almendros, who sat in one location all day long to observe the light), it's even better, though the camera never gratuitously lingers on the scenery (the film moves well). As a film, it's bogged down by the frequently pretentious and opaque discussions, not to mention a growing sense of irritation at the frequently unpleasant and stupid characters. Nevertheless, strong stuff and an interesting watch.
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