LAtalante DVD Review

“L’Atalante” is a cinepoem that is infused with an evocative mood of lyrical, bittersweet romance, and I think it is one of the greatest movies ever made.

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"L’Atalante" is a cinepoem that is infused with an evocative mood of lyrical, bittersweet romance, and I think it is one of the greatest movies ever made. In the film, an attractive young woman marries a man who operates a river barge, where the newlyweds live with a salty first mate, a klutzy cabin boy, and a bunch of cats. Although barge life is tedious, the young marrieds are in love, and the bride seems to be adapting. But when the strong-willed wife and the controlling husband get into a hassle over her enjoying Paris, he abandons her. Every time I see the film, I find the motif of looking for one’s true love underwater deeply moving. Jean Vigo brings everything to a kind of cinematic life that still looks innovative today.