I, You, He, She (1976) Je, tu, il, elle (original title)

Director:

Chantal Akerman

Writers:

Chantal Akerman
Eric De Kuyper
(more)

Release Date:

27 December 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

'Je' is a girl voluntarily lock up in a room. 'Tu' is the script. 'Il' is a lorry driver. 'Elle' is the girlfriend.

Plot Keywords:

Lesbian | Masturbation | Lesbian Sex | Written And Directed By Cast Member | Lesbianism

Cast

Chantal Akerman	...	Julie
Niels Arestrup	...	Truck-driver
Claire Wauthion	...	Girlfriend

Directed by
Chantal Akerman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Chantal Akerman
Eric De Kuyper
Paul Paquay

Produced by
Chantal Akerman	....	producer

Cinematography by
Bénédicte Delesalle
Renelde Dupont
Charlotte Szlovak

Film Editing by
Luc Fréché
Geneviève Luciani

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Arias	....	assistant director

Art Department
Michel Fradier	....	props

Sound Department
Marc Lobet	....	sound effects
Alain Pierre	....	sound effects
Gérard Rousseau	....	sound re-recording mixer
Samy Szlingerbaum	....	sound

Other crew
Nicole Cérès	....	collaborator
Marc Maes	....	collaborator
Marc Mopty	....	collaborator
Emile Poppe	....	collaborator

Production Companies

• French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (support)
• Paradise Films

Distributors

• Other Cinema (????) (UK) (theatrical)
• World Artists (1985) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Carlotta Films (2007) (France) (DVD)
• CineArt Releasing (2007) (USA) (DVD) (5 DVDs : Chantal Akerman -The Seventies)
• Eclipse from the Criterion Collection (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• World Artists Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• World Artists Home Video (1998) (Japan) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Camions Berliet, Les  thanks

Also Known As:

"Je, tu, il, elle" - France (original title)

Runtime:

Spain:90 min | USA:90 min | Belgium:86 min

Country:

France | Belgium

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:18 (orginal rating)

Company:

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Quotes:

Julie:I lay down on my mattress, then got up to undress. I lay down again, naked.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (2006)

Did very little for me

Not quite sure what this is supposed to be or mean. Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those who strive after meaning, allegories and new dimensions or need such things to get involved in a great film. Sadly Je, tu, il, elle did not strike me as a great film.

As a fan of long static shots I might not have had as big trouble as some others seems to have had. But the beauty of the imagery was minimal. And the lesbian love scene in contrast less grey felt not only dead but entirely inhuman and distant.

The 30 minute opening act was though it's many attempt of humor more or less dull. Her inner dialog struck me as somewhat silly rather than funny, interesting and deep. My interest grew during the second act, which is more dialog driven than the first and the last.

If anything this is a revolt against form. And I can in some sense appreciate it for this. Anything new or different will obviously create some interest and start some sparks. But Akerman did not manage to bring me in with this one.