#jules and jim

[freeartzombie]

JULES ET JIM (François Truffaut, 1962)

— Via Mubi

[891movies]

Top 25 films (of the second 250 I watched for this project)

Around two years ago I posted a top 25 list of the first 250 films I watched for this project. Since I have now watched another 250 films and discovered many new favorites, the time has come for a second top 25!

Without further ado, I present them in chronological order (because if I actually had to rank them this list would never get out of the editing stage):

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938, dir. Michael Curtiz, William Keighley)

This movie is a storybook adventure come to life, charming, entertaining and beautiful to look at (I miss you, technicolor!). Errol Flynn has an unmatched energy as the titular character and Olivia de Havilland is the picture perfect leading lady, with the exact right mixture of grace and fire. This is may not be a particularly complex or groundbreaking film but it does what it does perfectly and taps into that childlike sense of wonder that few films manage so well.

A Matter of Life and Death (1946, dir. Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell)

One of my most delightful discoveries since starting this project have been the films of Powell and Pressburger - I'm not sure what other directors could boast releasing three of the greatest films of all time in three consecutive years (those being A Matter of Life and Death, Black Narcissus and The Red Shoes). This film mixes a deeply moving love story with a metaphysical court room drama to great success and this strange mixture is mirrored in the film's form, with some experimental but mostly conventional cinematography.

Ace in the Hole (1951, dir. Billy Wilder)

As grim and cynical as it is sharp, this movie plays out like a feverish nightmare. I was honestly shocked at how dark this movie got, considering the time and place in which it was made, but that is absolutely what the story needed and I'm glad Wilder got to tell it this way.

A Star Is Born (1954, dir. George Cukor)

Has there ever been another star to reach the heights of emotional intensity that Judy Garland did in her time? I was lucky enough to see this movie on the big screen and I can't imagine watching it at home, because Garland is so larger than life, I can't see how a smaller screen could contain her. That's not to take anything away from James Mason, who gives a tragic and intense performance for the ages.

Johnny Guitar (1954, dir. Nicholas Ray)

Joan Crawford in your butch black shirt save me! Save me, Joan Crawford in your butch black shirt!

Bigger Than Life (1956, dir. Nicholas Ray)

Surprise, it's another Nicholas Ray melodrama! Ray had this habit of creating highly emotional stories that hid some sharp social commentary, but the commentary is barely hidden this time and it is shockingly subversive. Mason gives another intense performance but here it tilts fully into unhinged territory and he is terrifying to watch. The ending feels a little slapped on but it also feels like the only way Ray could get away with everything that came before.

Mon Oncle (1958, dir. Jacques Tati)

This movie feels like a precursor to Playtime, one of my all-time favorite films (incredibly novel opinion, I know). The sets are meticulously designed and a delight to behold, and Tati's performance as Monsieur Hulot (the titular uncle) is charming as always. I especially adore the contrast between the traditional and modern Paris, as well as the unconventional sound mixing that refuses to privilege dialogue, leaning into cinema's strengths as a visual medium.

Jules and Jim (1962, dir. François Truffaut)

This is by far my most recent watch on this list and it's still kind of percolating in my head but I loved it when I watched it and my fondness for it has been growing daily. It has that charming, youthful irreverence that the French New Wave is so known for, as well as one of the most complex depictions of a female character I've seen in french cinema.

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962, dir. Robert Aldrich)

Bette Davis is one of my all time favorite actresses and this is one of my all time favorite performances. She puts everything into this role and the rest of the film compliments her perfectly; it's funny and dark, tragic and absolutely unhinged. And Joan Crawford is good too, I guess.

Tokyo Olympiad (1965, dir. Kon Ichikawa)

This blew my mind when I first watched it, seeing what incredible feats documentary filmmakers were capable of so early on in the genre's history. It is also the perfect counterpoint to Riefenstahl's earlier documentaries about the Olympic games; where she emphasized nationalism and feats of strength, Tokyo Olympiad focuses on the humanity of it and the power this event has to bring us together. Probably my favorite section of the film focuses on an athlete who was the sole representative of his newly independent country and who did not qualify for the finals in his field (unfortunately I don't remember the country or the sport). But just the fact that he made it to the Olympics, that he got to represent his country on the world stage, is an incredible feat in and of itself, and the film recognizes this.

The Wild Bunch (1969, dir. Sam Peckinpah)

This movie is everything a western should be - exciting, violent, and deeply critical of the ugly history it is depicting. The characters are not good people but they are compelling and incredibly fun to watch.

Woodstock (1970, dir. Michael Wadleigh)

Another mindblowing documentary that pushes the ability of the medium to its limits. It captures a unique moment in time, a spirit of rebellion and hope for the future that unfortunately feels worlds away from our current cultural landscape. It is also an incredible display of the emotional power of music. I cried during Janis Joplin's performance and it felt impossible to match, but then it is immediately followed by Jimi Hendrix and I could feel my soul descend to a higher plane of existence. It is my life's goal to see this film in the theater.

In the Realm of the Senses (1976, dir. Nagisa Ōshima)

Everything is sex, except sex, which is love and beauty and death all intertwined and impossible to separate.

Atlantic City (1980, dir. Louis Malle)

Rarely has a setting felt so integral to a film. Everything from the story, to themes, to the characters revolves around and is subservient to the setting of a declining Atlantic City whose glory days are far behind it. It is also a microcosm of American society at large, at least as people were experiencing it in 1980 (although it's pretty relevant today, I would say).

Gallipoli (1981, dir. Peter Weir)

This is the movie that definitively convinced me that anti-war films are indeed possible to make, just not in Hollywood (Come and See had me thinking this, but Gallipoli proved to me that it wasn't a unique feat of just one film). We barely see the war in this movie but it is all about the incredible tragedy of it.

Koyaanisqatsi (1982, dir. Godfrey Reggio)

I was completely expecting this movie to put me to sleep and instead, it was one of the most viscerally intense and haunting viewing experiences of my life. It is hypnotic in the very best way and somehow captures the ennui of modern life without a single word being spoken.

Paris, Texas (1984, dir. Wim Wenders)

This film is an intoxicating mixture of tenderness and brutality, and a deeply moving depiction of our longing to reach out and connect to one another. This is the other film on the list I got to see in the theater and the cinematography was absolutely breathtaking on the big screen.

Trust (1990, dir. Hal Hartley)

This is such a delightfully strange film, almost but not quite set in our reality. The strangeness makes the gentleness of the love story all the more touching; this is one of those movies that makes me happy to be alive.

Safe (1995, dir. Todd Haynes)

I have been kind of obsessed with this movie since I saw it, so much so that it will actually be a focal point in my master's thesis. Everything in the film, from the cinematography to the soundtrack to, especially, Julianne Moore's performance, builds to this overwhelming sense of anxiety and dread, and Haynes' refusal to give an easy answer (or any answers at all) makes it all the more unsettling.

Scream (1996, dir. Wes Craven)

I do like scary movies, yes. I especially like movies that are scary, funny, and feature a bloody final girl and (more than) a touch of homoeroticism.

The Blair Witch Project (1999, dir. Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez)

Look at that, another scary movie! I am probably more susceptible to this movie's attempts at scares than most viewers, because I've only very recently started to build any kind of tolerance for horror, but it got me so good. The simplicity just makes it better; it may only do one thing but it does it very, very well.

Dancer in the Dark (2000, dir. Lars von Trier)

I'm always kind of hoping when I watch a new Lars von Trier movie that maybe I won't like this one, because I don't know what it says about me that I enjoy his films so much but I know that it can't be good. But this movie belongs just as much to Björk, who gives an incredible acting performance and an all-time great vocal performance. I was left a sobbing wreck; to this day, just humming 'The next to last song' to myself brings a tear to my eye.

Volver (2006, dir. Pedro Almodóvar)

Penélope Cruz is a revolution in this movie, my god. She brings the emotional sincerity that the film needs to keep its elaborate plot grounded. As always, I appreciate Almodóvar's clear love for strong and complicated women, as well as the often messy relationships between them.

Phantom Thread (2017, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)

I love a good twisted love story and it is beautifully told here. Form also compliments function to a tee; a story about an obsessive compulsion to create perfect art is mirrored in the absolutely meticulous cinematography and costuming. Daniel Day-Lewis gives the performance of a lifetime here and while I do miss seeing him in the theater, what a film to end on!

Roma (2018, dir. Alfonso Cuarón)

This is one of those movies where nothing happens, in that there isn't a traditional plot (events still take place, obviously), because it's about life, man. It's a type of film that needs a deft hand and a filmmaker with something to say, and Cuarón has both in spades. Funnily enough, this movie reminds me a lot of Paris, Texas; it has that same mix of tenderness and harshness that compliment each other.

[lecineaste]

Jules and Jim by François Truffaut

[taigacryptid]

today in my history of film class, we watched and had a discussion on Jules and Jim (1962) so spoilers for that.

spoiler free: LOVED this movie. the cinematography, the characters, the metaphors and visual storytelling, augh perfect

with spoilers:

my classmates almost immediately started the discussion with attempts to diagnose Catherine, claiming she was bipolar and narcissistic or simply insane. which BAFFLED me. all the focus was on her possibly being mentally ill and trying to stick a label on her. there's def a discussion to be had about mental health, but it shouldn't be about saying Catherine's a bad person. she's good and bad, she's a faithful wife and a slut, she's devoted yet flippant, stubborn yet free-spirited. she wants to start a family with every man she loves, but she also wants to have risk and fun and adventure and be tied down to nothing.

that discussion point was also very reminiscent of how feminist women would be discredited by men who claimed those women were crazy and shouldn't be trusted with any political power like the right to vote. shit like that is still spewed by misogynists who think women would start wars when they have their periods. unwarranted focus on mental health is only used to strip others of their autonomy by putting their opposition in mental asylums or prisons.

before this, we watched In the Mood for Love (2000) and Madame Brouette (2002) and mental health was never brought up. Mrs. Chan and Mati were both championed as complex women with relatable motivations and feelings. Mrs.Chan was never called depressed, and Mati was never called bipolar or dangerous. my classmates never afforded Catherine any of the same understanding or sympathy, she was simply crazy.

people love to go "i wanna see complex female characters!" and then they can't handle Catherine from Jules and Jim, or Korra from Legend of Korra, or Katara or Toph from Avatar The Last Airbender, or Catherine from SOMA, or Himeno or Makima from Chainsaw Man, or Marcille from Dungeon Meshi, or Gwen from Spiderverse, or Mae from Night in the Woods, or Caroline from Portal 2

[francoistruffautarchive]

François Truffaut and Jeanne Moreau photographed by Raymond Cauchetier on the set of JULES AND JIM.

[finalgirlguy]

favorite first time watches of december 🌬️☕️💌

suicide club (2001) – really surprised by this one!!! it’s surreal and campy and fun but still there’s a lot of heart which i think is the perfect way to deal with a wave of suicidal teenagers raised by the internet. several moments where i just clapped with glee oh i need to watch more japanese horror

when the cat comes (1963) – it’s abt this small czech town and what happens when a cat shows up that shows if people are liars or cheaters or lovers. the practical effects are sooo gorgeous specially the stuff borrowed from circus craft. and it’s so sweet to see all of these idealistic children in love with the world protecting the cat you see the world through the children’s eyes it’s lovely

jules and jim (1962) – didn’t expect to like this so much!!! specially what it has to say abt freedom was very touching to me like the scene where she dresses as a man and runs and you feel like you can taste the liberty and the relief in your tongue

thoroughbreds (2017) – yayyyy complex relationships between teenage girls!!! it’s so intoxicating i was sucked in and truly i love movies about the violent ways teenage girls love each other this was great

saltburn (2023) – can i be completely honest with you. it’s kind of an empty movie. it’s a movie that gives the appearance of ‘having something to say’ but doesn’t say anything. nevertheless it’s gorgeous and sooo fun. it’s fun to see a guy psychosexually obsessed consuming bodily fluids with a great soundtrack

[byneddiedingo]

Jeanne Moreau, Henri Serre, and Oskar Werner in Jules and Jim (François Truffaut, 1962)

Cast: Jeanne Moreau, Oskar Werner, Henri Serre, Vanna Urbino, Serge Rezvani, Anny Nelsen, Sabine Haudepin, Marie Dubois, Michel Subor. Screenplay: François Truffaut, Jean Gruault, based on a novel by Henri-Pierre Roché. Cinematography: Raoul Coutard. Production design: Fred Capel. Film editing: Claudine Bouché. Music: Georges Delerue.

Catherine (Jeanne Moreau) is insane, and Jules (Oskar Werner) and Jim (Henri Serre) love each other more than either of them loves Catherine. That's obviously a reductive way of looking at the movies' most famous ménage à trois, but it's my takeaway from the most recent viewing of Truffaut's masterpiece. Why is Catherine insane? one should ask. Because she's a free spirit trapped in a woman's body when freedom for women can be glimpsed but not fully achieved. Note how liberated she becomes when she dresses as a man, smoking a stogie (pace Dr. Freud, but sometimes a cigar is more than just a cigar) and providing a light for a strange man outside of a pissoir. And at no time do Jules and Jim find her more sexually desirable, I think. Naturally, she marries Jules, the more repressed of the two, and finds further liberation by cheating on him rather than falling into the socially respectable roles of wife and mother. As for the "bromance" of Jules and Jim, that too skirts societal disapproval: The narrator tells us that their friendship was much talked about. Even separated by a war that puts them on opposing sides, each worries that he may find himself killing the other. But they survive, only to find Catherine testing their friendship. That it survives the test until Catherine kills one of them is the film's deepest irony. And Catherine is never able to find the freedom she seeks, even after death: Her desire to have her ashes scattered to the winds is thwarted by "the regulations," as the narrator (Michel Subor) tells us. It is, of course, one of the great films, made so by Moreau's tremendous performance, by Georges Delerue's score, and by Raoul Coutard's cinematography, but most of all by Truffaut's direction and (with Jean Gruault) endlessly fascinating script. Even Jules and Catherine's daughter, Sabine, is perfectly presented: Sabine Haudepin is one of the least affected, least annoying child performers ever to appear on screen.

[bellamysgriffin]

another poem i recently published inspired by my current truffaut interest. anyway jules and jim is the best movie ever

[justlikedylansmrjones]

first of all I love this photo of Paul bcs he looks beautiful but also its really giving lady who drew a moustache on herself

like it immediately reminded me of Catherine crossdressing in 'Jim et Jules'

[cinematicmasterpiece]

jules et jim (1962)

[optionalblue]

thinking about writing an angsty spookyface fic where we are quite literally just vessels for the blurryfaceish creatures to live in so they’d say things to eachother like “oh my fucking god spooky my vessel is so gay for your vessel we should make them kiss” and “blurry my vessel is rumbling what do I do” “spooky you need to eat. Force him to eat somebody”

[girliism]

i hate this take so much!!!! people who deprive themselves of watching older more “pretentious” movies are missing out on a lot of great media.

[891movies]

392 to go

Delicatessen (1991, dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro): I don't really have much to say about this movie. It was fun and charming but pretty forgettable, a quintessential 3/5 movie to me.

Get Carter (1971, dir. Mike Hodges): There's a certain base level of misogyny you have to get used to if you watch a lot of old movies but sometimes it becomes so overt, so violent that it completely ruins the viewing experience. Like yeah, Michael Caine is incredible and the cinematography and score are great. But every single female character in this movie exists to be sexualized, victimized and brutalized, sometimes all three, and it happens with such frequency that it becomes impossible to ignore or to enjoy the rest of the movie.

Marnie (1964, dir. Alfred Hitchcock): Speaking of violent misogyny haha. It's different here, though, because it's kind of the point - even if I don't think it was completely intended to be by Hitchcock. Tippi Hedren brings such an incredible energy to this role. The image of her standing in frozen in Sean Connery's arms, completely disassociating from her body as the inevitability of what's about to happen sets in, will haunt me forever, I think.

Jules and Jim (1962, dir. François Truffaut): For the first thirty minutes I was sure this movie would be an all time favorite for me but the rest of the film doesn't really live up to the first part set in 1910s Paris. But it's still great, make no mistake!

McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971, dir. Robert Altman): As always Altman is cynical as all hell but damn if he isn't good at it.

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979, dir. Werner Herzog): Figured I'd better knock this one out before seeing Eggers' version and I'm so happy I did. The vibes? Impeccable. This movie is slow, unsettling, and absolutely gorgeous to look at.

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986, dir. Woody Allen): I believe this is the last Allen movie I had left on the list and I am very relieved to have him out of the way. That said, I think I could have really loved this movie if I didn't know what I know about Woody Allen.

The Natural (1984, dir. Barry Levinson): God I was bored. On the upside, this movie gave us one of the best episodes of The Simpsons.

Up next: With this post, I have officially watched 500 movies from the list since starting this project. I did a top 25 list after my first 250 and I have been really looking forward to doing a second one, so look out for that! (I'm also gonna do a worst list but probably not until the project is finished.)

I also had the idea of watching one movie a year since the year I was born up to 2020 (the most recent year covered by the list), to sort of track the cinematic landscape as it has changed in my lifetime. I checked and I have at least one movie left in each year, so it's doable! Next movie will be from 1992, and it will probably be A Tale of Winter.

[lecineaste]

Jules and Jim by François Truffaut

[nghienrose]

Người pháp không nói: “Em sẽ không chủ động đi tìm anh trước.” Họ nói: “Notre rencontre n'aura de sens que si vous la souhaitez.” Tạm dịch: “Cuộc gặp gỡ giữa chúng ta chỉ có ý nghĩa khi anh cũng muốn gặp em.

nghienrose

[seelie-regent]

Steddie Psych AU

Steve is Shawn

Robin is Gus

Eddie is Jules

Not sure who Lassie would be

Hopper is Chief Vick

Edit: People have pointed out that Lassie would be Nancy and they're absolutely right.