Marseille (2004)

Director:

Angela Schanelec

Writer:

Angela Schanelec

Stars:

Maren Eggert, Emily Atef, Alexis Loret

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Maren Eggert	...	Sophie
Emily Atef	...	Zelda
Alexis Loret	...	Pierre
Eva Lageder	...	Pierres Freundin
Elisabeth Beyer	...	Pierres Freundin
Mathias Baudez	...	Pierres Freund
Jérôme Leleu	...	Pierres Freund
Benjamin Granier	...	Pierres Freund
Sophie Aigner	...	McDonald's Mitarbeiterin
Alexander Simon	...	Sophies Nachbar
Marie-Lou Sellem	...	Hanna
Louis Schanelec	...	Anton
Devid Striesow	...	Ivan
Bettina Schneider	...	Arbeiterin
Verena Jasch	...	Arbeiterin

Storyline

---

Plot Keywords:

photograph | berlin germany | discovery | marseille provence

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

French German

Release Date:

23 September 2004 (Germany)

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Schramm Film Koerner & Weber, Neon Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min 95 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Schnitte in Raum und Zeit (2006)

User Reviews

Difficult, but not pretentious

This is a very difficult film to describe, because the description of the goings-on on the screen won't get you very far. The director denies you any conventional narrative that would give you access to the characters' motivation. They themselves don't know what drives them, what do they want or what will hit them; that's the key.

It reminded me of Antonioni more than any other film I have seen. Just like Antonioni, it seemed initially boring, but then I noticed that time was running faster than I had felt. Just like Antonioni, the cinematography is meticulously composed, with characters often sharing spotlight with objects or panoramas. Towards the end Sophie is overwhelmed with profound sadness whose source she cannot fully pinpoint, as in L'Avventura, and eventually she completely vanishes from view, just like in L'Eclisse.

Apologies for describing the film as "just like the Great Master XY", I can't stand this kind of lazy reviewing myself, but somehow the film was like an object that is too close for me to see in its entirety. It has all the hallmarks of an art-house bore - lack of plot, lack of glamorous characters, alienation, etc., but I wasn't bored. It forced me to stop and watch, and conclude that this film probably has more to say about our world than any number of films full of profound "statements".

Of course that doesn't mean that many people won't be bored, just like with Antonioni.