Movie: A Band Of Outsiders (Band A Parte)

in theory, the coming weeks should see a sharp uptick in posts which will directly correlate to the return of internet in my apartment. the minneapolis public wifi system is supposedly days away from going hot in my neighborhood and then i shall have the ability to post as frequently as i like, keeping the five people who read this up to date on the books i'm reading, movies i'm waiting, and music i'm hearing. because of generous friends, netflix, and the library, i'm knee deep in all of these things. my goal is to review one album and one movie per week and books whenever they are finished.

leading the way is A BAND OF OUTSIDERS, directed by jean-luc Godard in 1964 during the heart of the french new wave movement. i knew two things going in: it was supposedly a heist film and its influence was particularly strong on quentin tarantino (he even took the US title for his production company).

the plot touches on two friends, arthur and franz, who attempt to convince female student (and potential love interest) odile to aid them in stealing stolen money from her mother's companion. arthur and franz, while not serious students themselves, instead are well versed in pulp novels, b movies, and other US culture. the heist acts as a device to move the plot forward but the movie was more concerned with examining the relationships between arthur, franz, and odile.

all three are young, attractive, impulsive, and unsure. the film's aesthetic follows suit. the score is primarily upbeat jazz. the quick pace is established through quick cuts and overlaid dialogue. shots vary from deep focus close-ups of individual faces to handheld tracking shots done on location in paris. and like the characters who constantly reference pop culture, the film does too referencing other french films THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG and THE SOFT SKIN in addition to Chaplain classics THE IMMIGRANT and THE GOLD RUSH. it was easy to see how this comes down into tarantino's style.

while there was a lot to like, the film left me a little cold. i never got to a point where i cared about the relationships between the primary characters so, in spite of the intriguing techniques used to capture them, i found my attention waning instead of growing as the plot moved towards its climax. i liked this, but didn't connect with it enough to love it. both the contents and technique of the film are occupied with the younger generation finding their own way against tradition and the thrill found in both success and failure.

in this regard, it was a success and produced scenes of exhilarating whimsy. two struck me particularly. the first takes place at a cafe. after a conversation that goes nowhere, arthur suggests dancing. i'll admit i'm a sucker for coordinated dance, but it seemed to sum up the go-with-the-flow nature of the film and characters so well, coming completely out of the blue.

the second arrives at a time when the friends have time to kill before the heist is to take place. it is the three's response to hearing that an american from san francisco had visited the lourve in under 10 minutes.

these are what i'll remember.