Since I'll want to make sure and let you get in a word edgewise tomorrow, I thought I'd better write down my thoughts now, or I will dominate the conversation! Watching And God Created Woman again tonight, I was very struck by the symetrical staging. It seems almost geometrical, the placing of the actors' bodies in the scenes in relation to each other. If one drew it on the ground, it would form triangles. The first scene has woman / man / woman, first with Carradine between Juliette and her host mother, then, when Juliette goes in to get dressed, we see woman / man / woman with a host father who spies on his charge from a window, and then is scolded by his wife. Then two men fight over a woman, etc. At the end, two men look on as the woman goes wild on the dance floor. Triangles, triangles, triangles! What do they mean?
Another really outrageous theme, of course, is the language of control and domination used in speaking about Juliette. Speak and repeat, seems to be the rule. Carradine says, "she is like a young animal. You have to dominate her." And Juliette repeats the same words back to men as well, "Il y a quelque chose en moi qui me pousse a faire des betises"--there's something in me that makes me do stupid things." She has no control over her body or her will. See what happens when people start playing music? ^_^
p.s. Speaking of relations--as in family--don't you think that the wedding night scene--when the family is eating in the living room, while Juliette "takes care" of Michel upstairs, is absolutely over-the-top? Epecially in 1956! Very interesting on food, carnal appetites.
Please excuse the typo in my article! I always confuse the French symétrie with the English symmetry.
ReplyDeleteAnd hommage (English) / homage (French).
Ahh. I see a pattern here!
Well, I guess I learned something tonight.