settima

france

The Book of Life (Hal Hartley, 1998)

Dec

31

1999

The Book of Life (1998)

The “New York News” of December 31, 1999. The headline reads LAST DAY OF CENTURY BELIEVERS PRAY FOR END. DP: Jim Denault.

“It was the morning of December 31, 1999 when I returned, at last, to judge the living and the dead. Though still, and perhaps always, I had my doubts.”

Les abysses [The Depths] (Nikos Papatakis, 1963)

Dec

2

sister's birthday

Les abysses (1963)

Michèle and Marie-Louise (real-life sisters Francine and Colette Bergé) as the real-life Papin sisters in their shared bedroom. DP: Jean-Michel Boussaguet.

Sisters for [OP's] sister's birthday.

Belle (André Delvaux, 1973)

Nov

28

Belle (1973)

Belle (Adriana Bogdan) in front of her cabin on the moors. DPs: Ghislain Cloquet & Charles Van Damme.

Touche pas à la femme blanche [Don't Touch the White Woman!] (Marco Ferreri, 1974)

Nov

23

potato chips

Touche pas à la femme blanche (1974)

Two white Frenchmen – in a University of Columbia and a CIA sweatshirt respectively – comment on the “period piece” they're in. CIA man (Paolo Villaggio) stuffs his face with potato chips. DP: Étienne Becker.

“Whoever dies for the country hasn't lived in vain. I, on the contrary, will live for the country because I'm not that stupid.”

– George A. Custer

Mélodie en sous-sol [Any Number Can Win] (Henri Verneuil, 1963)

Nov

22

banquet

Mélodie en sous-sol (1963)

Backstage at the Cannes casino, stars and stagehands enjoy their well-deserved end-of-season banquet. Just walking in front of the showgirls is piano player Sam (Jimmy Davis). DP: Louis Page.

Compartiment tueurs [The Sleeping Car Murder] (Costa-Gavras, 1965)

Nov

8

Compartiment tueurs (1965)

Eliane Darrès (Simone Signoret) – comédienne, by herself – takes a long hard look at her table-set-for-two. DP: Jean Tournier.

La horse [Horse] (Pierre Granier-Deferre, 1970)

Aug

23

baguette

La horse (1970)

Auguste Maroilleur (Jean Gabin) at the head of a long table, covered in Good Things (wine, butter, coffee, and fresh milk). He cuts a baguette with his pocketknife. DP: Walter Wottitz.

Simone Barbès ou la vertu (Marie-Claude Treilhou, 1980)

Jun

19

pâté

Simone Barbès ou la vertu (1980)

Two female porn theatre ushers (Ingrid Bourgoin and Martine Simonet) looking bored. They sit under two large eye-shaped neon lights. Between them a small table with various half-consumed items, including part of a baguette with pâté. DP: Jean-Yves Escoffier.

– Ah, regarde, c'est Tati ! – Tati qui? – Tati, comme Mon Oncle.

Plein soleil [Purple Noon] (René Clément, 1960)

Jun

15

croissants

Plein soleil (1960)

Tom Ripley (Alain Delon) going though his passport over breakfast. Multiple passport photos, a fountain pen, and a magnifying glass take precedence over his fresh croissants. DP: Henri Decaë.

“Why bother having money when you can spend other people's?”

– Philippe Greenleaf

Série noire (Alain Corneau, 1979)

Apr

9

canned pilchards

Série noire (1979)

Franck Poupart (Patrick Dewaere) about to dig into a can of pilchards. A pile of French women's magazine “marie claire” is next to him on an otherwise bare coffee table. DP: Pierre-William Glenn.