Too Early/Too Late (1981)

A sequence of shots of rural landscapes accompanied by readings of texts about the struggles of poor farmers.

Directors:

Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub

Writers:

Friedrich Engels (texts: "Letter to Karl Kautsky" and "The Paesant Question in France and Germany"), Mahmoud Hussein (text: "La lutte de classe en Egypte de 1945 à 1968")

Stars:

Danièle Huillet, Bahgat Elnadi, Gérard Samaan

Cast

Cast overview:
Danièle Huillet	...	Narrator (segment A) (voice)
Bahgat Elnadi	...	Narrator (segment B) (voice) (as Bahgat el Nadi)
Gérard Samaan	...	Narrator (segment B) (voice)

Storyline

A sequence of shots of rural landscapes accompanied by readings of texts about the struggles of poor farmers.

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Plot Keywords:

marxism | film essay | reference to gamal abdel nasser | archival footage | revolt | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

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Connections

Edited into Communists (2014)

User Reviews

nope

Perhaps the thing that most amazes me about Huillet & Straub's films is how effortlessly cinematic they remain while being such cerebral works. The landscapes that constitute this film's visual language are among the greatest I've ever experienced in any film, conveying a sense of almost transcendent wonder at the landscapes of France and, even more so, Egypt. It is a vision informed by Bresson, Antonioni, Ozu and pregnant with the aesthetics of Kiarastami and Wenders. That this visual wonder does not overwhelm the work's ideas- informed by Engles's meditations of the premature birth of socialist radicalism during the French Revolution, and the frustrations of Egyptian communists as to the "misdirection" of the masses' activism (including what was, to me, an unfortunate ultra-leftist critique of Nasser)- constitutes proof that cinema can not only be philosophical, but actually practice philosophy.

Details

Country:

France Egypt

Language:

French German Arabic

Release Date:

17 February 1982 (France)

Also Known As:

Cedo Demais/Tarde Demais

Filming Locations:

Paris, Île-de-France, France

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1