Review of L'Argent (1983) by Zack B — 25 Sep 2012

The first film that comes to my head when I think of what a perfect film is.

In the French master's last film, he gives us a demonstration of how society narrows us down to criminals, or narrows us down to BE criminals. It tells the story with multiple characters, but that is just to get around and expand on certain barriers in the story, but I certainly prefer it that way. It's style is one that became influential, and it certainly fits this film. If you don't understand why this is perfect, allow me to expand; the cinematography is constantly in affect and never skips a beat, it's construction around multiple characters is so simply done, but is so refreshing and is a reinvention of it (compared to "Nashville" (1975), let's say), and it's so bleak that it never catches itself off guard, but we still feel the full power of it. But, even though it is so evenly amazing in every aspect, a lot of what I'll remember will come from it's masterful cinematography. *Spoiler* Particularly the last scene where the camera follows the dog as he discovers the murders just a second before they occur. Wow, was that brilliant. Also the scene where it just shows the lighting from under the door, and the opening shot, and how we later figure out what it was. Well, anyway, while there is so much said and to be said about this perfect masterpiece, it barely says anything on the surface, and I think that is why I admire it so dearly.