The Pornographer (film)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The pornographer |
| Original title | Le pornographe |
| Country of production | France |
| original language | French |
| Publishing year | 2001 |
| length | 108 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Bertrand Bonello |
| script | Bertrand Bonello |
| production |
Carole Scotta Bruno Jobin Stéphane Choquette Barbara Letellier |
| music | Laurie Markovitch |
| camera | Josée Deshaies |
| cut | Fabrice Rouaud |
| occupation | |
| |
The Pornographer (original title: Le pornographe ) is a French - Canadian film drama by the director Bertrand Bonello from 2001. Against the background of a porn film production , the film in the film addresses the self-reflection of an aging director. The film stages pornographic elements, but is neither a sex film nor a porn film.
action
Director Jacques Laurent had made a name for himself as a producer of porn films at a young age and set standards in the process. After about 10 years and 40 films, he ended his career out of consideration for his family. Now, 20 years later, he's back behind the camera for financial reasons. But the times have changed. Jacques' artistic ambitions gradually collide with the shortage of money in the production and the pragmatic ideas of the film crew to make a cheap porn film that meets the audience's expectations with as little effort as possible. In the end, Jacques' ideas and guidelines are simply ignored, which he takes note of with external composure, as if he did not care.
After about 30 minutes, the plot changes from filming Jacques' grown son Joseph. Joseph despises his father for his job and has largely broken off contact with him. Now father and son meet again and begin a discussion. Joseph is portrayed as a political activist for whom silence is the highest form of protest. However, he is also staged as a contradicting person. Contrary to his revolutionary views, he would like to marry his girlfriend Monika. He reacts aggressively to the silence he has demanded - as a protest note. He is watching a film made by his father.
Jacques resigns himself to the shooting, but continues. After about 60 minutes the film takes up a new storyline when Jacques tries unexpectedly to give his life a new direction. He reveals to his wife Jeanne that he will part with her out of consideration for her. The reasons for this step are unclear to him. He plans to build a house and becomes increasingly isolated.
In the further course, action sequences follow, which are not discussed further:
- On a whim, Jacques chases a completely unknown woman into her apartment, stays there for a few minutes, and then leaves.
- Monika, Joseph's friend, becomes pregnant. You have little to say to each other. Joseph is shown in a longer dance scene.
- A short black-and-white scene from an old silent film is faded in.
Towards the end of the film, Jacques gives the journalist Olivia a longer interview. He describes his career as a director, explains porn production as a political protest and sums it up: It's not my films that are obscene, but your questions.
In the last scene of the film, Jacques resigned himself to lie on a bed in a darkened room.
Scenic details
When his wife Jeanne asked about the porn shoot, Jacques replied dryly: It's like riding a bicycle. You don't forget that.
The scene in which a woman wanders through a forest, interrupted by fade-ins of ancient sculptures, is reminiscent of the film The Beast by Walerian Borowczyk .
Whether the sequence with Monika, Joseph and a flock of sheep in a clearing is to be seen as an homage to the film Caligula by Tinto Brass is up to the beholder.
criticism
The television broadcaster 3sat comments: " The pornographer asks profound questions about love, alienation and the outcome of the enlightenment in a masterly way."
The news magazine Der Spiegel sums it up: "Bonello made a provocative, calm, poetic, but also tough film."
According to the daily taz , the film is “a bizarre look back at the sex film industry”.
Awards (selection)
The production was nominated and awarded internationally. Director Bertrand Bonello and lead actor Jean-Pierre Léaud won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2001 .
Web links
- The Pornographer in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Pornographer. 3sat, accessed February 27, 2015 .
- ↑ The Pornographer. Der Spiegel, accessed February 27, 2015 .
- ↑ The Pornographer. the daily newspaper (taz), accessed on February 27, 2015 .
- ↑ Award (IMDB) (English). IMDB, accessed February 27, 2015 .