Recently the world lost Jacques Rivette, who is considered as the most reflective, thoughtful and intellectual figure of the French New Wave. He died on January 29, 2016 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 87 in his home in Paris. Rivette’s films are typically lengthy affairs, loosely inspired by classical Hollywood genres, and often centred around the notion of life as an elaborate theatrical performance. As a gesture of retrospective to this legendary film-maker, we sorted five of his essential offerings till date.
The Beautiful Troublemaker, 1991
A reclusive artist, played by Michel Piccoli, is inspired by a wilful young woman (Emmanuelle Beart) and creates a final masterpiece. This spellbinding study of artistic obsession and the act of creativity deservedly bagged the Grand Prix at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.
Celine and Julie Go Boating, 1974
Rivette’s most popular film, whimsical and audacious all the way, explores the transcendent capacity of human imagination and our enduring desire to escape reality through fiction.
Mad Love, 1968
A distinctive new style for this raw and compelling study of a doomed relationship is pushed beyond the boundaries of traditional narrative and acting method.
Gang of Four, 1989
Four drama students living together in a house in a suburban area of Paris become entangled in a web of love affair when a mysterious stranger enters their lives.
Out 1: Don’t Touch Me, 1971
A pair of conspiracy theorists investigate the existence of a secret society and its connection to two rival theatre groups. An essential rite of passage for any committed cinephile, this boldly experimental 12 hour and 40 minute epic drama grew out of Rivette’s resolution in the aftermath of May in 1968.
