Celine and Julie Go Boating [Céline et Julie vont en bateau] **** (1974, Juliet Berto, Dominique Labourier, Bulle Ogier, Marie-France Pisier, Barbet Schroeder) – Classic Movie Review 7631

Director Jacques Rivette’s 1974 French surreal art film Céline and Julie Go Boating [Céline et Julie Vont en Bateau] stars Juliet Berto and Dominique Labourier as Céline and Julie, along with Bulle Ogier (as Camille), Marie-France Pisier (as Sophie) and Barbet Schroeder (as Olivier), and its film within a film is based on stories by Henry James.

Berto plays magician Celine, who takes librarian Julie (Labourier) to a haunted house, where they are entangled in the drama of the household of a widower and his daughter.

Rivette’s partly improvised film (the four lead actresses are credited as writers, along with Rivette for scenario and Eduardo de Gregorio for dialogue), partly based on a couple of Henry James stories, has been found either brilliantly enchanting and accomplished or frustratingly infuriating and obscure. It could be one of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die to challenge you or just to make your mind up.

Céline and Julie Go Boating certainly brings back the flavour of the French art films of the era and is a prime example of late French New Wave cinema. It has stood the test of time and maintained its place in the world cinema art movie pantheon. But, masterwork or not, it should certainly be approached cautiously thanks to its incredible length (it is 193 minutes long) and its often unfathomable allusions.

Also in the cast are Nathalie Asnar, Philippe Clévenot, Marie-Thérèse Saussure, Anne Zamire, Jean Douchet, Monique Clément and Adèle Taffetas.

It is shot in Eastmancolor by Jacques Renard in 16mm.

There are director cameos by Jean-Claude Biette and Jean Eustache as spectators at the cabaret.

Céline and Julie Go Boating [Céline et Julie Vont en Bateau] is directed by Jacques Rivette, runs 193 minutes, is made by Renn, Les Films du Losange, Les Films Sept, Saga and Simar, is written by Jacques Rivette, Eduardo de Gregorio, Juliet Berto, Dominique Labourier, Bulle Ogier and Marie-France Pisier, is shot by Jacques Renard, is produced by Barbet Schroeder, Christian Fechner and Vincent Malle and is scored by Jean-Marie Senia.

François Truffaut wrote that the New Wave began ‘thanks to Rivette’, who died on 29 January 2016, aged 87.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7631

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