Review of Day for Night (1973) by Blake P — 07 May 2013

People who love movies must see "La Nuit Américaine".  Let's face it-- most film buffs analyze what they're watching when it comes to anything that has to do with the French New Wave.  While this film may have premiered a bit after the legendary period, it's still François Truffaut, with aspects that you can't see in American films. Would it be the same if it wasn't French? I don't think so. This is artistic and meticulous filmmaking, and is successful in every direction it takes.

The whole premise of the film can be put simply-- it's a movie about making a movie. The film in progress is called "Meet Pamela", and right off the bat you can tell it's an overblown melodrama, and if that's not it, it's a star vehicle for the woman who plays Pamela, Julie Baker (Jacqueline Bisset). Julie is a big star, but has just suffered a nervous breakdown, so her reputation to the outside world is a big shaky. Once she starts filming though, her work ethic gets back to normal quickly. Everyone originally expects her to be the biggest problem during the shoot, but it goes the other way around.

At first look, the source of conflict is Séverine (Valentina Cortese), an aging icon that is still a good actress but has turned to the bottle as a source of pain relief. She forgets her lines just as soon as she remembers them, and her emotions are constantly in a tizzy. Meanwhile, Julie's immature co-star Alphonse (Jean-Pierre Léaud) annoys everybody with his relationship issues with the obviously selfish Liliane (Dani); and the male lead, Alexandre (Jean-Pierre Aumont) is well-respected by everyone but worries about the arrival of his girlfriend constantly. At the helm of "Meet Pamela" is director Ferrand (well-played by Truffaut), and everyones problems seem to be solved by his quick-witted assistant, Joelle (Nathalie Baye, a legend in one of her earliest film roles).

When most of us watch a movie, it's easy to just sit there and enjoy a scene, thinking about what's happening in the plot, which actor or actress we like, etc.  "La Nuit Américaine" makes digs deeper when it comes to the filmmaking process.  As we see scenes being shot multiple times, instantly there's a click that answers all of our complaints.  There are always movies that you wonder-- how did it go so wrong? Suddenly, if you've ever seen a film that's convoluted, slow-moving, or dumb, you know why.  Whether or not we get a peek at what it's like to write a script, edit everything quickly, whatever, "La Nuit Américaine", is thought-provoking.

But "Le Nuit Américane" isn't here to romanticize what it's like to make a movie.  There isn't flashy soap opera, dramatic affairs or breakdowns that feel like an attempt to win an Oscar.  It's gives us what feels to be an inside look that feels completely true, and if tragedy does happen, it doesn't feel out of place or manipulative.

And While Jean-Luc Godard and Truffaut are always the big kahunas of the French New Wave, I've always preferred the former.  Godard has always been able to paint a pretty picture on the screen, but never with a lot of substance.  Truffaut has always been able to do whatever Godard can, while still managing to write a good story and pull out terrific performances from his actors.  "Jules et Jim" may always be his calling card, but "La Nuit Américaine" shows another side that's even more appealing.

As for the actors, Cortese steals the show, as what appears to be a less-crazy but more alcohol dependent Norma Desmond.  She adores her past career, and it's increasingly hard to recapture the way she felt when making movies in her 20s.  Cortese reminds one of Rita Hayworth in her late career, a raging, talented beauty in her hey day but a forgetful boozer in the later years.  It's sad to see on screen, but Cortese is downright brilliant.

Jacqueline Bisset, meanwhile, is an actress of extraordinary beauty and talent, yet today she doesn't seem to be as well remembered as other sex symbols of the era, such as Brigitte Bardot or Claudia Cardinale.  It shouldn't be this way-- Bisset always manages to have a cool persona that looks as though she'd rather be smoking, all the while being easily likable, witty, and pretty to look at.  This film features what most likely is her best performance.  She speaks French like a professional, remains sympathetic, and draws our attention from the moment she enters a scene.  .

Every aspect of "La Nuit Américaine" is simply lovely. It's at once entertaining, funny, insightful, and interesting. Put simply, it's everything a movie should be in the first place. The fact that it's a movie about making a movie puts the irony in a perfect spot.