esrosedotblog

SEQUEL

I did not mention one of the most fascinating aspects of La Nuit Américaine, yesterday's movie.

Because you are watching a crew of filmmakers in the process of shooting a film, you are treated to a continuous flow of 'how do they do that?' answers. There are all kinds of technical solutions being worked out while both stories unfold. Because Truffaut himself is cast as the director, we get to hear his thoughts and even see his dreams. We get to see him answer the hundreds of serious and silly questions that he is barraged with all day long.

Here, Truffaut works with Jacqueline Bisset to work out the proper light angles for a closeup with the wonderful Jean-Pierre Léaud.

In the story itself, we are treated by seeing how 'people problems' are dealt with: an aging actress with a drinking problem; a peter-pannish male lead (Léaud); a highly professional star (Bisset), who has had a nervous breakdown prior to this production; a cast member's unknown pregnancy, which will 'bloom' throughout the shooting to create a continuity problem of the worst kind; a crew member whose wife comes along with him to keep other women away (no chance); a famous screen lover (Jean-Peirre Aumont) who is preoccupied with his young male companion; and so on. None of these side visits sap the strength from the main plot; they are very brief, polished gems.

I feel as though all the participants in this film had a wonderful time showing how it is done and how the frustrations of such an enterprise are dealt with. It is an enormously generous film in that regard as in all others.