La belle noiseuse (1991)

Director:

Jacques Rivette

Writers:

Pascal Bonitzer (scenario) and
Christine Laurent (scenario) ...

Release Date:

4 September 1991 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The former famous painter Frenhofer lives quietly with his wife on his countryside residence in the French Provence...

Plot Keywords:

Art | Artist | Painting | Creative Process | Model

Awards:

5 wins & 6 nominations

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

Runtime:

236 min | South Korea:93 min

Country:

France | Switzerland

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:6 | France:U | Australia:M | Finland:S | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:Btl | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Assas, Hérault, France

Company:

Pierre Grise Productions

Trivia:

There was no script per se. The film was shot in sequential order and the day's shooting was dictated by what had been filmed the day before.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Porbus, Nicolas and Marianne approach Frenhofer's house for the first time, as they cross the street their shadows are towards the camera, but when they walk up the stairs, their shadows are now in front of them - a turnaround of about 135 degrees.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kiss and Run (2002)

Soundtrack:

Agon

It Can Change Your Life

This is one of those films which remains etched in the memory and can even change a person's life in a subtle way; certainly it can offer an insight into the art of painting unlike any other film I've seen. It is long, in the sense that classics of world literature can be lengthy - in other words, in an epic sense. I simply cannot restrain my enthusiasm for this film, which is ultimately nothing less than a psychological study of the creative process and its effect on human relationships. Every frame of those 4 hours of viewing is in its own way intriguing and inviting, and of course Beart is very beautiful. But the scenery, too, the old estate on which Frenhofer lives, is a character in the film, reflecting the artists own genteel, yet restless seniority perfectly. Shall I say more? Buy a good bottle of French red wine and sip it with relish, while immersing yourself free of preconceptions (about long movies or artistic pretentiousness) in this masterpiece! It is not about showing off, it is about the human condition. Nothing is entirely infallible, of course, so 9 out of 10.