Marguérite Duras (1914-Marguérite Duras (1914-1996)1996)

Alain Resnais (1922- )Alain Resnais (1922- )

Hiroshima mon Hiroshima mon Amour…Amour…

history, trauma, memory, love, art history, trauma, memory, love, art and renewaland renewal

19591959Scénario 1960Scénario 1960

Some Critical Issues… Some Critical Issues… • The place of Duras and Resnais in 20The place of Duras and Resnais in 20thth

century French culturecentury French culture• Duras’ and Resnais’ background and outputDuras’ and Resnais’ background and output• Hiroshima mon AmourHiroshima mon Amour – reception and – reception and

reputationreputation• A work of protest?A work of protest?• Memory, identity and the representation of Memory, identity and the representation of

the pastthe past• The nature of loveThe nature of love• Hiroshima mon Amour – Hiroshima mon Amour – aa technical technical

masterpiecemasterpiece

Duras, Resnais – artists Duras, Resnais – artists of their time…of their time…

• The ‘new wave’ and ‘films for The ‘new wave’ and ‘films for grandad’… some contradictionsgrandad’… some contradictions

• The personal and the historicalThe personal and the historical• Beyond documentary - art and Beyond documentary - art and

life - in the street or in the life - in the street or in the head?head?

Some representatives Some representatives of the ‘New Waveof the ‘New Wave’ of ’ of

directors…directors…• Claude Chabrol Claude Chabrol • Jean-Luc Godard Jean-Luc Godard • Jacques RivetteJacques Rivette• Eric RohmerEric Rohmer• Francois TruffautFrancois Truffaut• Roger Vadim…Roger Vadim…

……and of the ‘new and of the ‘new novel’…novel’…

• Alain Robbe-GrilletAlain Robbe-Grillet• Michel ButorMichel Butor• Marguerite DurasMarguerite Duras• Nathalie SarrauteNathalie Sarraute

Duras’ life and Duras’ life and backgroundbackground

• Prolific output…Prolific output… 1943-1989 – 1943-1989 – Le Le Marin de GibraltarMarin de Gibraltar (1952); (1952); Moderato Moderato CantabileCantabile (1958); (1958); Hiroshima mon Hiroshima mon AmourAmour (1958/1960); (1958/1960); Le Vice-ConsulLe Vice-Consul (1966); (1966); India SongIndia Song (1973/1975); (1973/1975); L’AmantL’Amant (1984)… (1984)…

• A perpetual exile…A perpetual exile…The colonial The colonial childhood - her departure for France childhood - her departure for France – marriage, loss and recognition – her – marriage, loss and recognition – her lasting reputation as a writer… lasting reputation as a writer…

Alain Resnais’ unique Alain Resnais’ unique career…career…

‘‘He marks the transition from a classic He marks the transition from a classic conception of the cinema towards its conception of the cinema towards its involvement with the ‘involvement with the ‘newnew novelnovel’ […] He ’ […] He is an inheritor of ‘is an inheritor of ‘poetic realismpoetic realism’ whilst ’ whilst being at the same time the initiator of a being at the same time the initiator of a spectacular new movement which spectacular new movement which believes in the believes in the all-powerful influenceall-powerful influence of of dreams and the creative imaginationdreams and the creative imagination’ ’ (Train 2002 – (Train 2002 – www.ecrannoirwww.ecrannoir ) )

Two directors representing Two directors representing the movement known as the movement known as

‘poetic realism’… ‘poetic realism’…

•Marcel CarneMarcel Carne

•Jean RenoirJean Renoir

Resnais - selected Resnais - selected masterpieces…masterpieces…

1956 1956 Nuit et BrouillardNuit et Brouillard

19591959 Hiroshima mon AmourHiroshima mon Amour

19611961 L’Annee derniere a L’Annee derniere a MarienbadMarienbad

19661966 La Guerre est finieLa Guerre est finie

19761976 ProvidenceProvidence

19801980 Mon Oncle d’AmeriqueMon Oncle d’Amerique

HiroshimaHiroshima mon Amour mon Amour - - critical responsescritical responses

• A controversial beginning – A controversial beginning – reception at Cannes Festival of reception at Cannes Festival of 1959…1959…

• Politics… the relationship between Politics… the relationship between text and image (‘text and image (‘un film litteraireun film litteraire…’) …’) … pretentious…… pretentious…

‘‘I think that some years from now, I think that some years from now, in ten, twenty or maybe thirty years, in ten, twenty or maybe thirty years, we shall know whether we shall know whether HiroshimaHiroshima is is the most important film since the the most important film since the war, the first truly modern film of war, the first truly modern film of the talking era, or whether it is the talking era, or whether it is perhaps less important than we perhaps less important than we believe it to be today. Today there believe it to be today. Today there can be no doubting its extreme can be no doubting its extreme importance as a film, but it may be importance as a film, but it may be judged more important still with judged more important still with the passage of time’ the passage of time’

Jacques Rivette ‘New Wave’ Jacques Rivette ‘New Wave’ DirectorDirector

Cahiers du Cinema Cahiers du Cinema (1959)(1959)

HiroshimaHiroshima – a work of – a work of protest? protest?

• The contemporary The contemporary culturalcultural contextcontext

• Art and Art and ‘engagement’‘engagement’• The problem of certaintyThe problem of certainty• Resnais and Duras – a shared Resnais and Duras – a shared

artistic perspective?artistic perspective?

Some references… a Some references… a genuine protest or a genuine protest or a deliberate charade?deliberate charade?

• ‘‘Impossible to talk about HIROSHIMA. Impossible to talk about HIROSHIMA. All one can do is talk about the All one can do is talk about the impossibility of talking about impossibility of talking about HIROSHIMA’ (9/10)HIROSHIMA’ (9/10)

• ‘‘An enlightening film about peace has just An enlightening film about peace has just been completed. Not at all a ridiculous been completed. Not at all a ridiculous film, but just ANOTHER film.’ (11/14)film, but just ANOTHER film.’ (11/14)

• ‘‘All HIROSHIMA will be there, as it All HIROSHIMA will be there, as it always is when the cause of Peace is at always is when the cause of Peace is at stake. In short, a stake. In short, a baroquebaroque parade…’ parade…’ (11/14)(11/14)

Protest as incantation…Protest as incantation…

‘‘Against whom the anger of entire cities? Against whom the anger of entire cities? The anger of entire cities, whether they The anger of entire cities, whether they like it or not, against the inequality set like it or not, against the inequality set forth as a principle by certain people forth as a principle by certain people against other people, against the against other people, against the inequality set forth as a principle by inequality set forth as a principle by certain races against other races, against certain races against other races, against the inequality set forth as a principle by the inequality set forth as a principle by certain classes against other classes’ certain classes against other classes’ (22/31) (22/31)

Beyond the Beyond the documentary…documentary…

‘‘This is one of the principal goals of the This is one of the principal goals of the film: to have done with the description film: to have done with the description of horror by horror, for that has been of horror by horror, for that has been done by the Japanese themselves, but to done by the Japanese themselves, but to make this horror rise again from these make this horror rise again from these ashes by making it indistinguishable ashes by making it indistinguishable from a love that will necessarily be from a love that will necessarily be special and capable of evoking special and capable of evoking “wonder”, one that will be more credible “wonder”, one that will be more credible than if it had occurred anywhere else in than if it had occurred anywhere else in the world, that is in a place that death the world, that is in a place that death had not had not preservedpreserved’ (9/11)’ (9/11)

Memory, forgetting and our Memory, forgetting and our relationship with the past – relationship with the past – some of the riddles of some of the riddles of Hiroshima…Hiroshima…• What is the link between the two love What is the link between the two love

affairs and the horrors of Hiroshima?affairs and the horrors of Hiroshima?• How can we understand what we have How can we understand what we have

not experienced ourselves?not experienced ourselves?• How can we forget what we do not How can we forget what we do not

wish to remember?wish to remember?• How can we bear to forget what we How can we bear to forget what we

havehave lived and lost yet want always to lived and lost yet want always to remember?remember?

Some references…Some references…

‘‘Oh it’s horrible. I’m beginning to Oh it’s horrible. I’m beginning to remember you less clearly […] I’m remember you less clearly […] I’m beginning to forget you. I tremble at the beginning to forget you. I tremble at the thought of having forgotten so much love’ thought of having forgotten so much love’ (64/99)(64/99)‘‘You think you know. And then no you You think you know. And then no you don’t. Learning the exact duration marked don’t. Learning the exact duration marked by time. Knowing how time, sometimes, by time. Knowing how time, sometimes, rushes forward then its slow, futile rushes forward then its slow, futile backward drift and that you have to carry backward drift and that you have to carry on just the same, no doubt that too is how on just the same, no doubt that too is how we acquire intelligence’ (79/109-10)we acquire intelligence’ (79/109-10)

TheThe nature of love… nature of love…intense, intense, life-affirming,life-affirming,transgressive,transgressive,violent,violent,non-conformist, non-conformist, identified with ill-doing, identified with ill-doing, ephemeral,ephemeral,painfulpainfulcarries with it its own mortalitycarries with it its own mortalityits death or suppression equated with the its death or suppression equated with the extermination of life… as at Hiroshimaextermination of life… as at Hiroshimahence the link between ‘hence the link between ‘la tontela tonte’ and the ’ and the nature of mass-crueltynature of mass-cruelty

‘‘Between two beings as totally distant Between two beings as totally distant from each other as it is possible to be: from each other as it is possible to be: geographically, philosophically, geographically, philosophically, historically, economically, racially historically, economically, racially etc., HIROSHIMA will be the common etc., HIROSHIMA will be the common ground (perhaps the only common ground (perhaps the only common ground in the world?) where the ground in the world?) where the universal properties of eroticism, love universal properties of eroticism, love and misfortune will appear in a and misfortune will appear in a merciless light’ (9/12) merciless light’ (9/12)

‘‘In a few years, when I’ve forgotten In a few years, when I’ve forgotten you and, through force of habit, have you and, through force of habit, have lived other experiences, like this one, I lived other experiences, like this one, I will think of you as I would of the will think of you as I would of the forgetfulness of love itself. I will think forgetfulness of love itself. I will think of this adventure as of the horror of this adventure as of the horror brought about by forgetfulness. I brought about by forgetfulness. I know this already.’ (68/105)know this already.’ (68/105)

Yet, despite its symbolic Yet, despite its symbolic density, density, Hiroshima Hiroshima is is psychologically - and psychologically - and literally - realistic…literally - realistic…

the love affair as therapythe love affair as therapy

The French woman’s hesitation The French woman’s hesitation regarding the outcome of the regarding the outcome of the affairaffair

the truth of their gestures and the truth of their gestures and expressions expressions

Hiroshima mon amour -Hiroshima mon amour - a a technical masterpiecetechnical masterpiece

• mise-en-scenemise-en-scene/framing and /framing and montagemontage/editing/editing

• receding perspective/receding perspective/lignes fuyantes, lignes fuyantes, close-ups/close-ups/gros plans gros plans and slow panning and slow panning shots/shots/travellingstravellings

• mixing of image, music and dialoguemixing of image, music and dialogue• the lyrical beauty of the languagethe lyrical beauty of the language• the quality of the actingthe quality of the acting

‘‘No exchange of vows. Not another No exchange of vows. Not another single gesture. All they will do is single gesture. All they will do is address each other once more by address each other once more by name. Which names? NEVERS, name. Which names? NEVERS, HIROSHIMA. For in each other’s HIROSHIMA. For in each other’s eyes, they are in fact no longer eyes, they are in fact no longer anyone. They are merely names of anyone. They are merely names of places, names which have lost their places, names which have lost their meaning as names. It is as though the meaning as names. It is as though the disaster of a shaven woman at disaster of a shaven woman at NEVERS and the disaster at NEVERS and the disaster at HIROSHIMA corresponded to each HIROSHIMA corresponded to each other EXACTLY’. (13/17)other EXACTLY’. (13/17)

‘‘une histoire de quatre une histoire de quatre sous’ sous’ …?…?

or a consummate or a consummate allegorical meditation on allegorical meditation on the relationship between the relationship between love, loss, personal trauma love, loss, personal trauma and the problems for and the problems for humankind of expiating humankind of expiating historical catastrophe…?historical catastrophe…?

or both…?or both…?