Jacques Becker
Blu-Ray Review: Montparnasse 19
The portrait of a tortured artist is one which has inspired fascination and sometimes imitation for hundreds of years. Alcoholism and drug addiction can become romantic notions when they’re associated with the likes of Hemingway, van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Coleridge or Dickens. Indeed, these kinds of excesses have become synonymous with those who are considered creative …
Blu-Ray Review: Casque d’Or
Cinema loves a good romance. Even better when this includes a large slice of tragedy, murder, betrayal and melodrama. However, there’s nothing quite so compelling as a big screen love-triangle. Whether it’s in classics such as Casablanca, Jules et Jim or Gone with the Wind or more modern young adult films such as Twilight and …
Blu-Ray Review: Le Trou
When discussion turns to the greats of French film-making, the name Jacques Becker isn’t one which instantly springs to mind. Whilst Truffaut, Godard, Malle, Melville et al all attract swathes of devotees, Becker struggled to escape the shadow of his mentor, Jean Renoir. Whilst his peers established their own visual signatures, Becker preferred to focus …