L'argent (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

Bresson captures the truth through his silence of human emotions where the sensations triggered by futile motifs such as smiles, frowns, and other expressions of feelings are repressed. In the light of Jean-Luc Godard many could probably argue that there is still a lie present in Bresson's films, as Godard once stated, "Every edit is a lie". Nonetheless, the intentions of Bresson are sincere, as the actions on the screen are what he wanted the audience to observe, not the acted part, the extravagantly flamboyant expression of feelings that could cloud the viewer's perspective of the truth. All of the emotional aspects could be characteristics of an actor acting where the act itself becomes an intricate lie that tries to convince the audience to react through words disguised in emotions. Instead of showing the deceitfulness of expressive sentiments and reactions of the body and face Bresson strips down all scenes of emotions to only leave the audience with what truly counts - actions.Those who never had the pleasure to be initiated in Bresson's stylistic cinema, might find it awkward and obtuse. Yet, if reflection were to be provided a different perspective might arise, which could deepen the observers notions of what they would see in cinema and in life. Many of the critics considered Bresson an old spirit from old days of cinema when he released L'Argent while they ought to have considered him as a cinematic innovator that did not conform to traditional narratives. Despite his unconstructive critics, who actually helped him secure his place in time among the cinematic scholars, his final film provides an intriguing tale of guilt in L'Argent. He based L'Argent on a personal adaptation of Tolstoy's The Forged Coupon, which deals with the fate of forgery.Innocently, the teen Norbert asks for his monthly allowance while also trying to ask for a little more, but the father refuses to provide the extra money for his son. It is in this opening where the consequences of a horrific crime are about to take form, Norbert asks his friend Martial for financial backing. Martial has a forged 500 Francs bill, which they pass off in a small camera store where they buy a cheap frame. The owner of the store realizes later on that they have received a forged bill, and he also received two more at an earlier occasion. Instead of contacting the police the storeowner decides to pass the bills to someone else, and this unfortunate person happens to be Yvon Targe who gets paid with the forged bills for providing house oil. In the scenes where the money switches hands the camera dutifully studies the hand movements and the simplicity social destruction can be spread.Yvon is charged for trying to use the forged bills, and he brings the police to the camera store where he receievd the forged bills. The storeowner informs the police that he has never seen him before and his assistant Lucien supports his testimony. This unfortunate event causes Yvon to loose his job, which leads him into a desperate situation where he tries to raise money quickly to save his family form further financial misery. However, the situation backfires when he first does not share with his wife what he is about to do, and second, he gets arrested and sentenced to jail for being an accomplice to a bank robbery. Parallel to Yvon's story the audience gets to follow a true criminal, Lucien, the camera store assistant, who is fired and later robs his former employer. Lucien accumulates a large sum of money through several illegal activities. Through the illusion of wealth his arrogance grows, and his ignorance of consequence leads him to become a Robin Hood character who donates to the poor including his former boss. This is a mistake that eventually sends him to prison where he meets Yvon.The jail sentence becomes the beginning of a long downward spiraling journey for Yvon. When Lucien arrives to the jail they have a brief, but essential conversation at a Catholic mass. The irony that Bresson applies in this sequence is profound while Lucien declares to Yvon, "Neither of us is a killer. We alone have no one on our conscience." To this Yvon responds, "You have me on your conscience. You have to answer for that now." In the following scene Yvon wakes up to the alarm of Lucien's escape attempt. His cellmate comforts him and says that they will never have to see him again, as Lucien would be transferred to high security prison. "I will.", replies Yvon to his cellmate's effort to comfort him. Soon after Lucien's escape attempt Yvon finds himself a free man, but instead of a peaceful lifestyle he retorts with violent crimes.The crimes that Yvon commits seem to be thoughtless acts of violence. However, recalling the scene where he talked with Lucien presents the situation in a different light, even if it seems disturbing and callous. The open ended conclusion of the story leaves the audience with a cliff hanger where several thoughts might run through the mind. Initially, it might seem dark and gloomy, but it also leaves the audience with several options to consider that can steer the story in many possible directions. The ending also leaves the viewers with a number of ideas to ponder. One of these notions could possibly be the truth about absolute guilt. It also questions whether innocence of an act and pure ignorance could be a crime. These and many other issues are left for the audience to ponder and muse over while L'Argent slowly settles with an enigmatic vision of the truth.

Minimalist Bresson social commentary is impactful but a tad forced. The impact of a selfish action, the passing of counterfeit money, results in an explosion of violence (metaphorically as well as physically.). It was a stretch, I think, to show how a small moment turns our family man into a serial killer - a political comment that felt unearned. But, I love how Bresson hold shots after people leave the frame. I love how the rusting bars of prison are framed. I am drawn in by the use of non-actors and long takes, which creates meditative moments that distance us enough so we see clearly the web of injustice that smothers our lead dude.

I recently purchased L'Argent having read a few positive things about the movie. It is the story of greed run amuck. One spoiled brat passes a conferfeit French equivilent of a $100 bill and the misfortune that ensues affects many innocent people. The movie does an outstanding job of portraying the people involved and that has the effect of drawing both towards and away from the various characters. Some we will perceive as innocent and some as guilty as I think director Robert Bresson intended. This lesson in morality works well until Bresson takes a leap too far in making his point. Before we reach that extreme, however, we are convincingly reminded that innocence is not always rewared nor is guilt always punished. Bresson goes beyond that to such lessons as the poor being always at a disadvantage in court when challenging the rich and that love often doesn't conquer much of anything. Various characters end up in jail while other lose in other ways.In regards to the end, I will give nothing away (I hope) but I feel the need to complain about the excessive conclusion that Bresson seems to want us to end up with. An innocent victim suffers one setback after another and he has our sympathy. However, what gets passed along from his hands to others is in no way a logical next step as the director would have us believe. Maybe others might think so. However, for me this leap of logic ruined the film's message. To paraphrase Cornelius Ryan, this was a misfortune too far.

This is Bresson's greatest, and last, work. It is a work from a true cinematic auteur. No one made films like Bresson did, and I don't think anyone ever will. This film is based on a short story by Tolstoy entitled The Forged Coupon (aka The Forged Note), except Tolstoy's story is much different that Bresson's take here. It is about how a forged note of 500 francs passes from one hand to another, ruining the life of a fuel oil delivery man. Bresson made this film when he was 82, but you couldn't tell that it was made by a man that old. Quite often, critics assume that filmmakers (and artists in general) have nothing to say as they get older. On the contrary. They have even more to say. A real artist's vision deepens as they grow older. Kurosawa made Ran at 75, and Eastwood made Million Dollar Baby at 74. Those are their best films. Bresson is rather feisty and combative (which is a good thing) in the interviews presented here. He doesn't mince words, and he doesn't seem interested in doing the usual inane questions that featurettes on DVD's usually have from bubble headed reporters (even though these were shot for French TV, not Entertainment Tonight). He has something to say. This is my favorite film of his (even though Lancelot of the Lake and Au Hasard Balthazar are close behind). Sadly, he never made another one after this, but the 13 he did make are all brilliant. Not one bad one. Great film, great man...

It is indeed rare that such wooden acting can be excusable. In the case of L'Argent it is, because somehow, and don't ask me how, the film gets by without emotional performances. Indeed, it would be an entirely different film if the actors were any good. As it is they go through the motions in such an expressionless way, that I am convinced Bresson wanted it that way. Bad actors usually over act not under act. These are simply pawns in a game, moved from scene to scene by the director's invisible hand. It is a touch of genius if you ask me, because as the audience I found myself having to emote for the actors, to take their place so to speak. In Bresson's inimitable style, where each shot seems to take on a moral weight which is passed on to the next shot and the next and the next, and where it is clear he is not aiming for realism but more for a kind of sparse imitation of what is going on (see the scene in the cafe where Yvon pushes the waiter), the wooden acting works.I don't discount the possibility that Bresson simply couldn't get good acting performances out of his cast this time around. But even if that is the case, the film works. And how! It created in me a sensation I compare to that of being in the presence of a frigid and ungiving lover who is so beautiful, her presence alone is enough to sustain the relationship.

Le cadre extrêmement contraignant et cohérent que Robert Bresson s'est imposé, et qui définit son style absolument unique, étonne toujours autant.Ce qui interroge le spectateur, plus que l'interprétation atone de ses acteurs, c'est la diction: les dialogues sont comme récités, les argumentations sonnent faux."Au commencement était le verbe" dit le philosophe, et ce n'est visiblement pas le cas pour Robert Bresson, qui semble se moquer des verbiages et des raisonnements.Son cinéma à lui se concentre sur la réalité des corps et sur l'individualité bio-psychique.Il nous montre le lent anéantissement des capacités d'Yvon par un monde déboussolé par l'argent.Les rencontres qu'il fait, les évènements qu'il vit, sont autant d'étapes -marquées symboliquement par de très nombreux plans sur des portes, des grilles qui s'ouvrent ou se referment- qui conduisent sa personnalité au naufrage.Et lorqu'il rencontrera enfin une femme aimante et dévouée, il est trop tard; Robert Bresson nous renvoie à ses tragiques faits divers où des personnes soucieuses d'autrui se font assassiner par ceux-là mêmes, qu'elles voulaient aider.Un film austère, apre, unique et indispensable.

mes petits enfants ont aimé

Some consider this to a classic by the famous Robert Bresson, who specialised in minimalist films, but I found it to be too slow-moving and a bit boring. A delivery driver (Christian Patey) gets possession (unwittingly) of a forged banknote. Arrested for this, he is cleared by the court but loses his job.He then (unconvincingly for me) descends into a spiral of theft, imprisonment and finally murder. But his motivations are never fully explained and indeed he says very little throughout the film.

実写というのは画面に情報が多過ぎるくらいあふれ、「意味するものが多すぎて何も意味しない」ことが往々にしてある。情報を抑制した画面は普段観ることに受身であることに慣らされた私たちでも、自ずと背筋が伸びる。カットを割り、繋ぐこと。モンタージュとは映画特有の手法であるのだが、カットとカットの不可視の繋がりがこれほど強固に感じられる映画は見たことがない。その繋がりに出会うたびにうっとりとしてしまう程に。沈黙の中で音が反響する。教会に響くパイプオルガンの一音のように。画面の中で人物が自由に動き回り生きることを抑制し、拘束すること。それにより、人物が音がして振り向く、たったこれだけのこの瞬間、人物のみが動くのではなく映画そのものが躍動する瞬間になる。演出を抑えることで、逆説的に、映画が潜在的に本来的に持つ映画特有のフォルム、映画らしさが滲み出る。作り物はより一層作り物らしく潔く。ドキュメンタリではなく敢えてフィクション。その姿勢は真なるものの追求によるところの逆説。