Blue is the Warmest Colour

johnny_ultimate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2OLRrocn3s

Rarely has a film's reputation preceded it so dramatically! Since it picked up the Palme d'or all those months ago, the film's director Abdellatif Kechiche has been accused of putting his cast & crew through hell, with a heated battle of words breaking out between parties. The film's explicit sex scenes have rankled feminists, parents, the gay community and even the original book's author. And it's been at the centre of a ratings dispute in the US (one New York cinema boldly ignoring the restrictive NC-17 guideline).

Easy for the the film (which, fair warning, weighs in at over 180 minutes so plan your cinema trip accordingly) to get lost in all the chaos, but we finally get to find out if it's worth all the drama from Friday. It's been hailed as an incredibly intense and tender love story by some, a sad example of cinema's dominant male gaze by others, and a bit of both by others again. Looking forward to making up my own mind

poundapunnet

Definitely looking forward to seeing it, trying not to read too much about it because I don't want to get too bogged down in the hype. Have seen a couple of clips and the buzz around the performances (there's really no way to avoid double entendres sometimes...) seems like it could be justified. In terms of the male gaze, I'll reserve judgement until I've seen it, but lesbian desire and lesbian sex have never found a way to be properly visualised, it's an inherently problematic thing to represent, so I'm hoping this lives up to the hype even if it's just in that respect.

Mickeroo

This played as part of the cork film festival last week but I missed it unfortunately. Hadn't realised it was so controversial.

Fysh

I've read the original comic in French (well, as much so as my limited knowledge of French allows) and it's excellent - some really nice character stuff and use of a limited colour pallete. In the comic the sex never felt exploitative and it really did feel like it was there to help understand and flesh out the relationship at the core of the film.

Whether the film lives up to this or not remains to be seen. I'm hoping that it will be good, but having read comments that Julie Maroh has wanted to distance herself from the film (apparently over how the sex scenes are presented) I'm not sure how it'll play out.

pookiesboo

My boyfriend keeps asking is it on on the cinema yet, he must really like foreign films, never knew.

Instead of that Xbox i told him I was going to get him, i might get a boxset of artsy fartsy French films instead. I'd say he'll be delighted.

delbertgrady

If he likes lengthy French films, I recommend Jacques Rivette's La Belle Noiseuse.
It's 237 minutes long, even longer than Blue is the Warmest Colour.

Up The Bare Stairs

Useful advice for any single men eager to see this movie


http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/21/single-man-guide-blue-is-the-warmest-colour-lesbian-drama

Bowlardo

Fysh wrote: »

I've read the original comic in French .

what's the name of the comic?

Gamayun

Bowlardo wrote: »

what's the name of the comic?

La Vie d'Adèle - Chapitres 1 & 2

There's an English language translation titled Blue is the Warmest Color.

johnny_ultimate

So this is something of an age old tale - a first love / coming of age story that constantly hits familiar, almost inevitable beats. What sets it apart is its remarkable frankness and passion. Almost all scenes are allowed generous time to breathe. The film takes well over a half hour before Seydoux and Exarchopoulos speak, but the lengthy running time is justified by allowing moments, conversations and confrontations to play out in something approaching real-time. It leads to some remarkably intense and engrossing moments - Adele's school friends accusing her of being a lesbian, a 'first date' in a part, an angry argument between the two-lovers, a sort of reconciliation in a café. Adèle Exarchopoulos is present for I'm pretty sure every single scene, and as a result the film is rigidly focused and intimate, with barely a wasted scene. Her performance is pretty fantastic.

Kechiche's dominant visual decision is to shoot the film near exclusively in close-up. I'm not exaggerating when I say quarter hour stretches go by without seeing anyone's legs. It's a love letter to the capacity of simply filming faces, and it's a stylistic quirk that pays dividends. If the film's key goal is to paint a relationship in extraordinarily intimate detail, there couldn't have been a wiser aesthetic decision - it focuses on the characters' faces to the point where you can literally see the tears and snot pouring down their faces, but it's a perfect way to intensely capture the emotional rollercoaster that is the film's central relationship.

There is, as the English title suggests, a dominance of blue on the colour palette. But unlike, say, There's Something About Kevin which emphasised red to an almost farcical degree, Kechiche manages to achieve to dance the fine line between subtle and over-obvious: blue used sparingly as an indicator of just how much Adele's heart and mind have become clouded by her blue-haired lover.

Some scenes do fall flatter than others, and there's rarely the sense of new narrative ground being broken (it reminded me of a richer, more accomplished version of last year's Something in the Air). But Kechiche mostly rises above the familiarity, ensuring the love story plays out on a wider cultural and social canvas.

The male gaze? I'm not a feminist, woman or gay, so this is slightly murky territory, but there is perhaps a moment or two where the camera lingers a moment too long appreciating the female form (but then surely a lesbian director could have done the same?). But you know what? I think Kechiche gets away with it, and in a few scenes where characters discuss representations of females in art even seems to be exploring these issues himself. The undeniably explicit sex scene is a genuinely vital part of illustrating the pair's truly intense lust for each other, aside from maybe an overly porny shot or two (the candles weren't necessary). Some of the more lingering shots (and an overemphasis on Adele and Emma's fixation on nude art) could do with being more subtle, but also understandable given the film's need to explore Adele's sexual awakening and sensual & physical curiosities. Mostly the film's frank and intimate content is absolutely necessary to truly portray l'amour fou in all its messy glory.

jill_valentine

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

The male gaze? I'm not a feminist, woman or gay, so this is slightly murky territory, but there is perhaps a moment or two where the camera lingers a moment too long appreciating the female form (but then surely a lesbian director could have done the same?).

I haven't seen the film myself yet, fair warning, but there is a distinct difference in how lesbian directors or viewers objectify the female body and female sex on camera. One example is the tendency to gravitate around hands, almost entirely absent in male-directed love scenes. I remember during the filming of Bound, for instance, the directors had a woman on set who's job was basically just to keep that stuff grounded, and the sex scene is markedly different from many others as a result.

It's not instantly apparent, but it is something that gay girls do tend to detect, and on that score, I have actually heard a lot of misgivings from the, ahem, pros about Blue....

johnny_ultimate

Yes, there have definitely been a lot of negative comments from gay women concerning objectification here, including the graphic novel's author. As a straight man I of course can only comment from my own limited, inexperienced perspective, and so feel both unwilling and unable to say all that much on the subject. But I do think a graphic physicality is a central part of the tale being told (and would be necessary regardless of directorial gender or sexuality), although as I mentioned there are a few moments when there's no doubt a male behind the camera. It is still a more intense and welcome representation of raw sexuality than you're ever likely to see outside of dedicated queer cinema (although the fact that it leaves the possibility of Adele as a bisexual lingering is likely to further frustrate some commentators who will see that as a straight male director's influence, whether or not it originated in the original book). But there is something curious about the fact that it takes a male director and a Cannes award to get it a wide release.

Sad Professor

These “male gaze” and “unrealistic lesbian sex” criticisms are among the silliest I’ve ever heard. When is even heterosexual sex depicted realistically in films? And female directors are frequently more obsessed with the female body that their male counterparts. Think the opening shot of Lost in Translation. Imagine the outcry if a man had directed that.

But all of this is neither here nor there. The film is about love, not sex.

charlie_says

I haven't seen this yet but am keen to.

Also it's seems a bit daft, and that guardian article if it wasn't a joke in particular, that straight men should be ashamed/uncomfortable of seeing this or are just there for a perv.

Lesbians and straight men like the same thing - women. It's not exactly taboo that many men would be turned on by lesbian sex scenes. As for that article, does the author really care that much about what other people think in the cinema? I certainly don't. It's art after all.

I look forward to seeing it and hope the praise is well deserved.

Sleepy

I find the whole "male lens" a remarkably stupid point. People have sex in different ways. In fact, the same people will have very different sex with different partners (or even the same partner given different moods/environments). For every woman making an issue of this being a "male fantasy" version of lesbian sex, I'm guessing there's a lesbian going "huh? are you saying there's something wrong with me?". Human sexuality is far more complex than "straight sex", "bi sex", "gay sex" or "lesbian sex". I could continue with every possible "distinction" of sex that I can imagine, this post would be the length of a short novel and it would still be farcically simplistic.

johnny_ultimate

The male gaze is simply one of those phrases almost constantly tossed around in academic film analysis, or indeed cultural analysis of any sort. I do think it has received enough criticism from lesbian and feminist critics to at least acknowledge the film's portrayal of sexuality is questionable for them outside of mere controversy-baiting, and it's not fair to entirely dismiss their points. But as I said, with the exception of one or two moments that perhaps push things too far (and I can easily see how bits like the ecstatic ass-slapping could come across as silly to some viewers), the film's explicit content was far more raw and intimate than exploitative or titillating. I have to say the moment Kechiche chooses to cut to the lovemaking is one of the film's most affecting moments - a perfect contrast between their repressed public passions and their private release.

Kechiche makes an interesting point in his Sight & Sound interview that it's crazy to expect directors to not explore subject matter that's 'foreign' to them - it's no less acceptable for a male to make a lesbian love story as it is for a non-pilot to make a film about pilots. After all, several great female directors have worked wonders bringing an ahem 'female gaze' to portrayals of male characters. Claire Denis' Beau Travail is a good example, featuring a homoerotic tone and visual identity to a masculine, militaristic tale that would surely have been radically different from any other perspective. But it's that new perspective that makes the film so special and fascinating.

It's a shame that the discussion of the rest of the film proper is being drowned out amidst the various controversies.The sex is around ten minutes altogether. There's another 170 minutes of film there that every bit as interesting and provocative in their own distinctive way.

poundapunnet

Sad Professor wrote: »

These “male gaze” and “unrealistic lesbian sex” criticisms are among the silliest I’ve ever heard. When is even heterosexual sex depicted realistically in films? And female directors are frequently more obsessed with the female body that their male counterparts. Think the opening shot of Lost in Translation. Imagine the outcry if a man had directed that.

But all of this is neither here nor there. The film is about love, not sex.

Heterosexual sex is depicted realistically a hell of a lot more than lesbian sex I can guarantee you

The "male gaze" doesn't particularly have to be from a male director, it's the presumed male gaze of the audience, it's a way of filming women that's almost assumed as built in to mainstream narrative cinema at this stage, the gender of the director isn't the only thing at play. It is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot, and it's a term that probably isn't as relevant as it once was, but especially in big budget Hollywood films it's something that's still present to an extremely irritating degree. Yeah I know, marketing, it's mostly men who decide what to see at the cinema etc but still, I'm not going to stop being annoyed by it or accept dismissed as a silly shrew for being annoyed. Take the recent Star Trek. You've got Chris Pine, Benedict Cumberbatch and Zachary Quinto, all of whom have HUGE male, gay followings, and who gets stripped down to her underwear for literally no reason? The relatively unknown Alice Eve. I was glad to see the criticism of that though, at least.

Though, to be fair, there's a vicious type of visual pleasure taken in visiting violence on male bodies in film that just isn't possible to do to women in the same way these days.

If you put a ten minute explicit lesbian sex scene in your film, it's silly to expect people not to discuss it, and silly to expect some people won't be critical of it.

Amirani

I only got around to seeing this last night, but I've had some time to think about it now.

Firstly, the acting is superb. Adèle Exarchopoulos is excellent throughout. Her feelings and emotions are expressed so profoundly and so honestly, giving viewers a very deep look into her psyche. I felt I could relate to her insecurity, her inhibition, her pain and her regret. This is without doubt one of the most sincere character portrayals I've seen in recent years. Léa Seydoux is also excellent.

The pacing of the film was very good. Things moved along very deliberately, in a manner quite fitting for the content. There's some really excellent scenes in the film. Off hand I think of:

The scene in the lesbian bar - we get to see some major differences between the characters here. Adele reflects her nervous and insecure young self, Emma is altogether more composed and confident. Their conversation reflects this. It is one that is very true to life.

The difficult scene after Adele is dropped home - the emotion on display here incredibly authentic and incredibly touching. Both characters show genuine hurt and anger, and one can't but feel sympathy for each of them for their differing reasons.

The cafe scene - if I was picking a single scene to exemplify to themes of regret and tragedy that flow through this film then it would be this. It's masterfully acted and directed, and is very real. Adele pours her soul out in search of what she wants more than anything else.

Overall, it is a tragic but beautiful love story. I really liked the imagery, the music used and the cultural references that influenced the storylines and the actions of the characters. On the contraversial stuff:

I don't know if I really buy into the "male gaze" thing. There are times when perhaps the camera coukd be construed as having lingered too long, or in the wrong places but it's genuinely not something that was particularly obvious during the film. A huge percentage of the shots are exclusively facial scenes.

The sex scenes are obviously another big thing. In terms of the the actions they engaged in, I struggle to understand how people can say they're inaccurate depictions of lesbian sex. I know that I in no way would be able to describe a depiction of heterosexual sex as accurate. People engage in sex in a huge number of ways, and I'm completely certain that there are plenty of people who do engage in sex similar to how it's depicted. Just because it's not common or mainstream doesn't mean it's wrong. Same goes for the relationship in general or indeed the director’s interpretation. I think they for the most part fulfilled their role (though perhaps excessively), there's a clear and massive difference between the love making between Adele and Emma as compared to Adele's encounter with the boy near the start of the film.

I would be saddened to hear that such things tarnished people's enjoyment of the film. I went along with my girlfriend who despite being quite apprehensive about going given the reputation the film had earned, called it the best film she's seen this year. Criticisms like those I've talked about are very valid and worth talking about, and they obviously are more impactful on certain people. However, despite whatever flaws the film has in this regard, I hope people can look past them and towards an excellent piece of cinema.

adamski8

I agree with nearly all that has been said and thought this film was excellent. Acting superb.

Looper007

Well after months of wanting to see this highly acclaimed film, after reading the 5 star reviews and the award talk buzz, I finally got to see it and did it live up it's high praise? Yes but just about.

First, Adele Exarchopoulos is excellent as Adele, she should be given the Oscar right now for Best actress. I doubt any actress comes close this year. How her character changes from teenager to grown up from in love to heartbroken is seen all her in her expressive eyes and face. Although Lea Seydoux is great as Emma, Adele is the heart and soul of this film. The film should be discussed for it's performances.The movie owes so much of it's emotional power to its two fantastic actresses. They really bring it their all in this. I've never had doubts of these two performances, the characters felt like real people and you felt so much for their relationship. Their emotional hardships feel completely real. The character's flaws and insecurities feel so authentic because you actually believe them as real human beings. We never lose sight of their chemistry and devotion to one another, even in the most difficult of times. The two of them are like fireworks, waiting to explode out

But we know it's the sex scenes that cause the stir, I had no problem with them (yes a guy saying he had no problem with two hot girls naked and having simulated sex :P) but I agree with Mark Kermode in his review when he said that the sex scene (the first one between Emma and Adele) didn't need to go on for 12 minutes or so, it wouldn't have harmed the film if it was 5 minutes or so.

I'd think it lived up to the hype and director Abdellatif Kechiche deserves praise for his work too although I have to say I prefer the ending to Graphic novel better

Clementine (Adele in the film) we find out dies from heart problems bought on from a addiction to pills after been heartbroken after breaking up with Emma, they get back together in the novel. The story is told from Clementine's diary which Emma reads . Emma is at her bedside when she dies.

It's probably a bit Hollywood ending for some compared to the Films ending but I don't know I prefer it.

Blue is the Warmest Colour is certainly going to be one of those Foreign films people who don't like films with subtitles will love. It has it's flaws but it's not quite my film of the year but it's top 3 but still a Brilliant film.

LuckyLloyd

Is it still on in Dublin?

Edit: dumb question, google is my friend, IFI and The Screen.

e_e

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Is it still on in Dublin?

Edit: dumb question, google is my friend, IFI and The Screen.

Lighthouse too!

LuckyLloyd

e_e wrote: »

Lighthouse too!

I reckon I'll give The Screen the business and pop along some evening next week, see what all the fuss is about!

Gamayun

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

I reckon I'll give The Screen the business and pop along some evening next week, see what all the fuss is about!

Sure I might wander in! :pac:

e_e

I heard that people were coming from Gdansk to see the film here!

Bullseye1

Excellent if alittle on the long side. It could had done with better editing and a trimming of the three hour run time. It was however amazing to witness a beginning of a truly amazing actress. I found her performance when first infringed by her class mates to be incredible.

LuckyLloyd

That's as amazing a performance from an actress as I've seen. Towering ferocious acting. If it doesn't garner the Oscar...well the Academy is a joke.

I thought it was magnificent. The scene where they kiss passionately with the evening sun shining from behind them into the camera is beautiful. As JU says, the close up shots were spot on. As per the first line read in the classroom, this is firmly Adele's story and the film is ruthless in its focus to that end.

The sex? Well, the main scene could have been half the length and communicated the same thing. I'll be interested to hear what a Lesbian friend and her wife have to say about it. Ultimately, if people genuinely feel a piece of art exploits or misrepresents them you have to take that at face value. That said, some feminists will always cry 'objectification' and some lesbians baulk at the character that is proven bisexual in the end . For me, a central aspect of the movie is youth and physical exploration - that's life after all and the nudity is appropriate within that context.

Thoroughly recommended!

A P

*snip*

A P

A P wrote: »

*snip*

Or you could support the filmmakers and legally watch it rather than some compressed to hell rip.

A P

Saw it twice in the Lighthouse. Genuinely didn't realise Youtube was an illegal source. No offence intended.

IamtheWalrus

Just watched this. The Adele character was the best piece of acting I've seen in years. Great movie.