Director Jacques Demy (1931-1990) would bring a decisive je ne sais quoi to the world of nouvelle vague with his distinctive blend of the fantastical and otherworldly, which was a contradiction of terms for the movement, as it prided itself on its abhorrence of this expression as well as any literary adaptations or period pieces. It could even be seen as an act of defiance on the director's part as he was far more like a Bresson than ever a Godard. Demy would usher in with his works a certain grace and charm as he did in 1961 with the romantic Lola and subsequently with La Baie des Ange (Bay of Angels, 1963) and the euphonious Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg 1964).
Consequently the director would never quite capture the spontaneity of the aforementioned works, although his evocative adventure Peau d'Ane (The Magic Donkey 1970) did boast many moments awe-inspiring, it honestly could not hold so much as a candle to the masterful musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, long considered his greatest effort.
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| Will you get to La Pointe already? |
His talented wife Agnes Varda, a natural born thespian would make a precocious debut in his short La Pointe Courte (1955) and after the release of several documentaries, would follow suit with Cleo de 5 a 7 (Cleo From 5 to 7, 1961) which depicted a day in the life of a chanteuse (Corrine Marchand) who has not been diagnosed but fears she is dying from a terminal illness. Le Bonheur (Happiness, 1965) decidedly more lucid than his prior releases with a title however ironic - that centers on a man who gets more than he bargains for after a torrid affair leads to the suicide of his wife.
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| From 1969's Model Shop - a pretty picture that fell on deaf eyes |
In the year 1969 Demy and Varda tried to no avail to break Hollywood, they would produce two films Model Shop which starred prolific Parisian actress Anouk Aimee and a cinema verite like comedy Lions Love later the same year, but the pair would never garner any substantial success in the states. However this realization could never deter the unstoppable couple and come the year 1977 Varda would be back on form with the feminist L'Une Chante, l'Autre Pas (One Sings, The Other Doesn't).
Jacques Demy was only fifty nine when he left this earth in 1990 - his missus Agnes Varda is very much among us at eighty-four and continues to direct, write and make art. Last September the still vivacious Varda received an honorary degree from Belgium's prestigious Liege University.