La belle noiseuse (1991)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Jacques Rivette

Writers:

Pascal Bonitzer (scenario) and
Christine Laurent (scenario) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 September 1991 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The former famous painter Frenhofer lives quietly with his wife on his countryside residence in the French Provence...

Plot Keywords:

Art | Artist | Painting | Creative Process | Model

Awards:

5 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Michel Piccoli	...	Edouard Frenhofer
Jane Birkin	...	Liz
Emmanuelle Béart	...	Marianne
Marianne Denicourt	...	Julienne
David Bursztein	...	Nicolas
Gilles Arbona	...	Porbus
Marie Belluc	...	Magali
Marie-Claude Roger	...	Françoise
Leïla Remili	...	La servante
Daphne Goodfellow	...	Deux touristes
Susan Robertson	...	Deux touristes
Bernard Dufour	...	La main du peintre

Directed by
Jacques Rivette

Writing credits
Pascal Bonitzer		(scenario) and
Christine Laurent		(scenario) and
Jacques Rivette		(scenario)
Honoré de Balzac		(inspired by novella "Le chef-d'oeuvre inconnu") (as Balzac)
Pascal Bonitzer		(dialogue) and
Christine Laurent		(dialogue)

Produced by
Martine Marignac	....	producer
Maurice Tinchant	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
William Lubtchansky

Film Editing by
Nicole Lubtchansky

Production Design by
Emmanuel de Chauvigny

Costume Design by
Laurence Struz

Makeup Department
Susan Robertson	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Olivier Guespin	....	assistant unit manager
Catherine Martin	....	assistant unit manager
Clément Sentilhes	....	assistant unit manager
Janou Shammas	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Anne Billiotte	....	second assistant director
Lorraine Groleau	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Denis Busson	....	assistant art director
Thomas Pitre	....	assistant art director
Valérie Segond	....	assistant art director (as Valérie Second)
Jean-Michel Simonet	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Florian Eidenbenz	....	sound
Brice Leboucq	....	sound assistant
Bernard Le Roux	....	sound mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Barry Davis	....	electrician
Laurent Duquesnoy	....	grip
Thierry Fonteny	....	grip
Philippe Gibier	....	electrician
Jim Howe	....	electrician
Moune Jamet	....	still photographer
Jean-Bernard Josko	....	grip
Laetitia Masson	....	assistant camera
Christophe Pollock	....	assistant camera
Stéphane Thiry	....	electrician

Editorial Department
Anne Mills	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Pierre Monteux	....	conductor: "Petrouchka"
Hans Rosbaud	....	conductor: "Agon"

Other crew
Danièle Gain	....	press agent (as Danielle Gain)
Odile Huhardeux	....	production secretary
Sylvie Magnac	....	production secretary
Lydie Mahias	....	script
Jean Talvat	....	production administrator

Production Companies

• Pierre Grise Productions (presents)
• George Reinhart Productions (presents)
• FR3 Films Production (co-production)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (participation)
• Canal+ (participation)
• Investimage 2 (participation) (as Investimage 2 et 3)
• Investimage 3 (participation) (as Investimage 2 et 3)
• Région Languedoc-Roussillon (support)

Distributors

• Pierre Grise Distribution (1991) (France) (theatrical)
• Arte Vidéo (2002) (France) (DVD)
• Arte Vidéo (2008) (France) (DVD) (special edition)
• Artificial Eye (1992) (UK) (theatrical)
• Golem Distribución (Spain) (theatrical)
• MK2 Diffusion (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Artificial Eye (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Prodimag (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Total Film Home Entertainment (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Agfa Gevaert  sound film stock
• Agnès B.  clothes
• Auditel  negative cutting
• Caméras Système Moviecam  camera equipment
• D.C. Audiovisuel  sound re-recording
• Euro-Titres  titles
• Key Grip System  grip equipment
• Les Auditoriums de Joinville  sound post-production
• Manu Décors  design studio (as Atelier Manu Décors)
• Multivolts  lighting
• Orchestre National de la RTF  orchestra: "Petrouchka"
• S.G.A.C. Bellan  insurance (as S.G.A.C.)
• Sinfonieorchester des Südwestfunks  orchestra: "Agon" (as Orchestre du Südwestfunk de Baden-Baden)

Runtime:

236 min | South Korea:93 min

Country:

France | Switzerland

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:6 | France:U | Australia:M | Finland:S | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:Btl | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Assas, Hérault, France

Company:

Pierre Grise Productions

Trivia:

Frenhofer mentions a sculptor, Rubek, and his model, Irene, who both died in Norway. This is a reference to a play by Henrik Ibsen, 'When We Dead Awake'.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Porbus, Nicolas and Marianne approach Frenhofer's house for the first time, as they cross the street their shadows are towards the camera, but when they walk up the stairs, their shadows are now in front of them - a turnaround of about 135 degrees.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kiss and Run (2002)

Soundtrack:

Petrouchka

Insightful Rivette! Marvelous performances from Michel Piccoli, Jane Birkin, and Emmanuelle Béart.

Having seen "Va Savoir" recently prompted me to rent Jacques Rivette's 1990 "La Belle Noiseuse," a daunting runtime of 240 minutes (though I noticed it was only 3 hr. 48 mins.) It's well worth the time and experience. An experience in painting - nude figure drawing to be precise. But it's not a film merely about lessons in nude figure modeling from the beautiful Emmanuelle Béart, or meticulous details of an artist's painting process from veteran actor Michel Piccoli, there is a Rivette storyline depicting multiple relationships, himself literally painting us psychological pictures/sketches. He's truly the French filmic master of human predicaments between man and woman. Rivette has such visions, skillful techniques, and superb craft in telling his story with thoughtful details - never misses a beat.

The beginning scenes put us in a comfortable rural setting outside of Paris - beautiful open views of the village town, captures of the villa architectural interiors, and tastes of the lovely airy gardens and shady greens exterior. Yes, there are plenty of dialogs, but the inclusion of real-time ambient and environmental sounds made "La Belle Noiseuse" experience whole. It has the most wonderful ordinary sound of the studio door with latch creak opens and closes - it comes so naturally. There's the pen nib scratching against the sketchpad paper, the chalk against the surface of a canvas, even the quick ruffling of sheets when Béart the model swivel-turned in defiance - such detailed little sounds simply add to the flavor and tone of the story. We see two pairs of relationship and then some: between the mature and weathered pair of Edouard Frenhofer the painter and Liz his wife (who used to be his favorite model) portrayed by Michel Piccoli and Jane Birkin; the younger set Marianne and Nicolas, yet to absorb the trials and zest of life, portrayed by Emmanuelle Béart and David Bursztein; then the twists of the mercurial commercial-minded Balthazar Porbus, the unrelenting insistent Nicolas' sister Julienne, with gentle relieving pauses from young Magali, daughter of housekeeper Francoise, not to forget Justine the Cat.

Other then an Igor Stravinsky piece used for the beginning/ending credit roll, and Magali's brief morning ballet exercise, there's really no background music used. The occasional church bell rings, sounds of cicada and rustling leaves provided serene accents. Much is said in the unsaid, and the ending portion sure makes one wonder and prompts reflections. Rivette has a flair for unsuspecting ending drama, almost philosophical, or could it be renewed beginnings?

The paintings/drawings were from the hands of Bernard Dufour. Cinematography by William Lubtchansky, especially inside the studio, captured the critical chiaroscuro (light and shadows) of drawing/modeling sessions. Michel Piccoli is a regular in Luis Bunuel films; "Belle de Jour" 1967, with Catherine Deneuve is one example. Jane Birkin has such a gentle yet fortified disposition; she's in Bertrand Tavernier's "Daddy Nostalgia" 1990, opposite Dirk Bogarde. I really enjoy Emmanuelle Béart's performance in Claude Sautet's "Nelly et Monsieur Arnaud" 1995, with Michel Serrault, who was equally brilliant.