La Jetée is a science fiction film of 1962 directed by Chris Marker. It is notable for being an experimental and unique film, as it consists almost entirely of a series of black and white photographs, with only a few footage clips.
The plot of the film follows a man who is imprisoned in the post-apocalyptic future, who is sent back in time to find a solution to save his shattered world. During his journey, he meets a woman he falls in love with and who accompanies him on his mission.
There are many interesting and complex themes addressed in the film, including memory, time, reality and perception. The visual narration of the film is very suggestive and creates a surreal and dreamlike atmosphere that fits perfectly with the plot.
La Jetée has been highly influential in experimental cinematography and has inspired many directors and artists over the years. The film is also notable for being used as the basis for Terry Gilliam’s 1995 film, ’12 Monkeys’.
Plot
La Jetée is set in a post-apocalyptic future, where the Earth has been devastated by a nuclear war and humanity is forced to live underground. The film’s protagonist, a man imprisoned and tortured by the authorities, is chosen to participate in an experiment involving time travel.
The scientists conducting the experiment send the man back in time to 1960s Paris in order to find a solution to save the shattered world in which he lives. The man falls in love with a woman he meets during his time travel, but must return to her present to continue his mission.
Later, the scientists decide to send the man even further into the past, in the era of the Middle Ages, to try to get information about the cause of nuclear war. During this trip, the man realizes that a man he saw as a child is responsible for the nuclear war, and decides to return to his present to try to prevent the war.
La Jetée is a complex and evocative story that explores themes such as memory, time, reality and perception, and uses visual storytelling to create a dreamlike and surreal atmosphere.
Characters
The film La Jetée features few main characters, including:
The Man – played by Jean Négroni – the protagonist of the film, imprisoned and tortured by the authorities in a post-apocalyptic future. He is selected to participate in an experiment involving time travel and is sent back in time to find a solution to save his world.
The Woman – played by Hélène Chatelain – the woman that the man meets during his journey through time in Paris in the 60s. She falls in love with him and accompanies him on his mission.
The Scientists – played by Jacques Ledoux and André Heinrich – the scientists who conduct the time travel experiment and who send man back in time to find a solution to save the destroyed world in which he lives.
The Man in the Museum – played by Davos Hanich – the man that the man meets during his time travel in the Middle Ages and who is revealed to be responsible for the nuclear war that destroyed the future world.
In addition to the main characters, the film also features some minor characters and background figures who appear in the photographic images of the film.
Production
La Jetée is a 1962 film directed by Chris Marker, one of the most important French experimental filmmakers of the 20th century. The film is known for having been made with a unique and innovative technique, i.e. with the almost total absence of moving images and with the exclusive use of black and white photographs.
The production of the film was particularly challenging, as Marker had to resort to very complex techniques to create the effect of movement using only the photographs. The film was shot over a period of six months and required more than 2,000 photographs to be taken, with the addition of some moving scenes shot on film.
The soundtrack of the film was composed by Trevor Duncan, with the addition of some music by Mozart and Brahms. The narrator of the film was provided by Jean Négroni.
La Jetée premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1962 and achieved great critical acclaim, thanks to its innovative construction technique and complex plot. The film was influential in the experimental cinematography and has inspired many directors and artists over the years.
Distribution and Reception
La Jetée premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1962, where it aroused the interest of international critics and won the jury prize. The film then had limited release in France and other European countries, but was enthusiastically received by audiences and critics.
In the following years, La Jetée has been regarded as one of the most important and influential experimental films ever made, thanks to its innovative filmmaking technique and complex plot. The film has influenced many directors and artists over the years, becoming a classic of the arthouse cinema.
In addition to its critical success, La Jetée was also a commercial success, grossing far more than expected for a low-budget experimental film. The film was released in many countries and gained a large following among fans of the avant-garde cinema.
Today, La Jetée is considered a classic of experimental cinema and is often cited as one of the most important and influential films of the cinema history. The film has been restored and remastered on various occasions and is still today the object of study and reflection by critics, scholars and cinema enthusiasts.
Movie Style
La Jetée is an experimental film that uses an innovative production technique, based on the exclusive use of black and white photographs. Most of the film is made up of a series of still photographs, which are presented in succession to create the effect of movement. This technique gives the film a dreamlike and surreal atmosphere, creating a very special viewing experience.
The film also uses a non-linear narrative, jumping back and forth in time and creating an effect of discontinuity. This narrative style combines with the technique of making the photographs to create a very intense and complex visual experience, which requires the viewer to be very attentive and focused.
The film’s soundtrack consists of a combination of sound effects, classical music and French dialogue. The narrator of the film is used very effectively to create a mysterious and eerie atmosphere, which combines perfectly with the static images of the photographs.
La Jetée’s style is very experimental and innovative, using techniques that were not common in cinema at the time. This allowed the film to stand out from other films of its time and become a classic of auteur cinema.
Director
Chris Marker, born July 29, 1921 and died July 29, 2012, was a French director, screenwriter, writer, photographer and artist, considered one of the most important experimental filmmakers of the 20th century.
Marker began his film career in the 1950s, working as an assistant director and making a few documentaries. In 1958 he made his first short film, entitled Les statues meurent aussi, which was a great critical success and aroused public interest for his innovative approach to documentary cinema.
After the success of Les statues meurent aussi, Marker continued to work as a director and made a series of experimental and documentary films that made him famous throughout the world. In addition to La Jetée, his most famous films include Sans Soleil (1983), A Grin Without a Cat (1977) and Le Joli Mai (1963).
In addition to his film career, Marker has also worked as a writer, publishing numerous books and essays on culture and politics, and as a photographer, carrying out various exhibitions and photography projects.
Chris Marker was a leading figure in French and international culture, loved by both audiences and critics for his innovation, creativity and originality. His death in 2012 was felt around the world as a great loss for the world of cinema and art.
