Je Tu Il Elle (1974)

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

Director:

Chantal Akerman

Writers:

Chantal Akerman, Eric De Kuyper

Stars:

Chantal Akerman, Niels Arestrup, Claire Wauthion

Cast

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

Storyline

For more than a month, eating only powered sugar, a woman tries to deal with a breakup: she paints her room twice, removes the furniture, writes and rewrites a letter to her lover, clarifying all she had said. She spreads the pages on the floor. She lies down and waits. Finally, her sugar eaten, she is hungry and leaves. She flags down a truck; she and the trucker drive through the dark, stopping at a diner and bars. He asks for a hand job, she complies. He talks about his wife, children, and sex life. She arrives at the flat of her lover, a woman, who tells her she cannot stay. She says she is hungry, so her lover feeds her then allows her to stay the night. They make love.

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Plot Keywords:

triple f rated | female protagonist | feminist film | f rated | lesbian sex | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

World Artists

Country:

France Belgium

Language:

French

Release Date:

27 December 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

I, You, He, She

Company Credits

Production Co:

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Paradise Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

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

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Connections

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

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Soundtracks

Nous n'irons plus au bois
(uncredited)
Traditional French
Lyrics by Madame du Pompadour
Music from the Gregorian 'Kyrie' of the "Mass of the Angels"

User Reviews

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.