The amateurish lighting, the fixed camera, the long takes, the primitive sound all would be acceptable in a student film.
But with Jeanne Dielman we are expected to believe that "experts" consider this to be one of the greatest films of all time.
This reminds me of my time in film school where my movie reviews would sometimes not be in synch with my professors.
I am greatly impressed by Fellini, Bergman and Kurosawa in terms of film technique.
If wanted to watch a movie about the oppression of women, I would consider "The Accused" staring Jodi Foster.
I am open to movies from women directors such as "The Piano" and "The Power of the Dog" from Jane Campion, "The Hurt Locker" from Kathryn Bigelow or even "Swept Away" from Lina Wertmuller.
Back to "Jeanne Dielman". I won't go into details but any movie which seems 'real' has violence has a challenge in depicting this violence in a realistic manner. "Jeanne Dielman" goes out of its way in being realistic. But if part of the climax is not realistic (and this is true of this movie with a clumsy technique), then that undermined the experience for me.
The fans of this movie can claim the violence was symbolic. But the rest of the movie often tries to be literal sometimes feeling like a documentary. This mix of amateurish technique, the attempt at realism and its unrealistic climax does not work.
But with Jeanne Dielman we are expected to believe that "experts" consider this to be one of the greatest films of all time.
This reminds me of my time in film school where my movie reviews would sometimes not be in synch with my professors.
I am greatly impressed by Fellini, Bergman and Kurosawa in terms of film technique.
If wanted to watch a movie about the oppression of women, I would consider "The Accused" staring Jodi Foster.
I am open to movies from women directors such as "The Piano" and "The Power of the Dog" from Jane Campion, "The Hurt Locker" from Kathryn Bigelow or even "Swept Away" from Lina Wertmuller.
Back to "Jeanne Dielman". I won't go into details but any movie which seems 'real' has violence has a challenge in depicting this violence in a realistic manner. "Jeanne Dielman" goes out of its way in being realistic. But if part of the climax is not realistic (and this is true of this movie with a clumsy technique), then that undermined the experience for me.
The fans of this movie can claim the violence was symbolic. But the rest of the movie often tries to be literal sometimes feeling like a documentary. This mix of amateurish technique, the attempt at realism and its unrealistic climax does not work.