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La belle noiseuse (1991)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
4 September 1991 (France)
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Plot:
The former famous painter Frenhofer lives quietly with his wife on his countryside residence in the French Provence...
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Awards:
5 wins
&
6 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Tuesday Morning Foreign Region DVD Report: "Joan The Maid: The Battles/The Prisons" (Jacques Rivette, 1994)
(From The Auteurs. 12 October 2009, 12:15 AM, PDT)
IFC seduced by Rivette's 'Duchess of Langeais'
(From ioncinema. 24 August 2007)
(From The Auteurs. 12 October 2009, 12:15 AM, PDT)
IFC seduced by Rivette's 'Duchess of Langeais'
(From ioncinema. 24 August 2007)
User Comments:
A richly rewarding cinematic experience
more (38 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast) | Michel Piccoli | ... | Edouard Frenhofer |
| Jane Birkin | ... | Liz |
 | Emmanuelle Béart | ... | Marianne |
| Marianne Denicourt | ... | Julienne |
| David Bursztein | ... | Nicolas |
| Gilles Arbona | ... | Porbus |
| Marie Belluc | ... | Magali |
| Marie-Claude Roger | ... | Françoise |
| Leïla Remili | ... | La servante |
| Daphne Goodfellow | ... | Deux touristes |
| Susan Robertson | ... | Deux touristes |
| Bernard Dufour | ... | La main du peintre |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
236 min | South Korea:93 min
Country:
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Frenhofer mentions a sculptor, Rubek, and his model, Irene, who both died in Norway. This is a reference to a play by Henrik Ibsen, 'When We Dead Awake'.
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Goofs:
Continuity: In Frenhofer's studio, the position of Marianne's legs changes between the long shot (right leg bent and forward) and close shot (left leg bent and forward) when Frenhofer is telling them that they will be unhappy as well.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in Kiss and Run (2002)
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Soundtrack:
Petrouchka
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (38 total)
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An absorbing four-hour masterpiece from Jacques Rivette. I cannot recall the last time I was so overwhelmed by a film.
"La Belle noiseuse" is a brilliant character study buoyed by two astonishing performances from the always-wonderful Michel Piccoli and the stunning Emmanuelle Béart. She's uncommonly gorgeous, has the most piercing eyes of any actress in recent memory and the way she bares her character's soul is completely entrancing.
This is a film for cineastes who enjoy complex, vividly-drawn characters and the slow unfolding of a story. Rivette takes his time telling us this story. We see the artist Eduoard get his studio ready - collecting his pencils and brushes, finding the sketchbook, filling glasses with water, rearranging the furniture, moving aside paintings.
And then there are those moments in this beautiful film where neither Eduoard nor Marianne speaks. All we see is the artist's hand scribbling in his notebook, maybe the nude model's pose and her glare. The only sound is that of the artist's nib scratching paper as Rivette shows us the preliminary sketches the artist draws before he gets to the canvas.
This goes on for several minutes, yet it's far from dull. On the contrary, it's absolutely riveting. We can't peel our eyes away from the artist's hand. We're captivated as the human form takes shape on the paper and canvas. It's brilliant stuff.
This was the film that made Béart a star. Rightly so, too. Her transformation from the loving wife to the reluctant model to ultimately the provocateur is utterly believable. Her performance doesn't have a false moment. It's as intelligent as it is provocative, one that could easily have been overwrought, but is played to perfection.
The scenes between Piccoli and Béart are fascinating because their relationship grows so unconventionally. Rivette turns their relationship into an engrossing battle of wits. Initially, Eduoard manhandles Marianne, moving her arms and legs about as if she were a mannequin. She is shy, uncomfortable with being nude. But as the hours progress into days, her comfort level grows. Soon, as the artist grows weary, it's the model who spurs him on.
True, four hours is a heckuva long time to spend at a film. But there are hugely popular and well-made thrillers that don't come close to being as mesmerizing as this exquisite work of art.