The character of Catherine stood out to me most in this movie. This is mostly because I couldn’t stand her. But at the same time I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I was always watching for her next move. What would she do next that would be more unbelievable? She is impulsive and dies for attention at all times. This is apparent in the scene where she is talking about the wines and the 2 men are trying to have a serious conversation. I was thinking to myself, “SERIOUSLY? Shut up, woman. No one wants to hear what you have to say right now.” I guess I’m getting tired of all the weak, pathetic, evil, and now annoying females in the movies we watch. Not all women talk that much (although, I can’t say the same for myself). But what I originally expected out of Catherine was this strong, classy woman who couldn’t help but fall in love with 2 great men. Wrong. Those 2 men just happened to miraculously fall for the same unbearable woman.
The other part that stood out in the movie was the fact that Jules could just sit back and accept the fact that his wife was unfaithful to him. I felt so bad for the man, but at the same time he never tried to make the situation right. He never confronted Catherine about it, and even said he would allow Jim to marry Catherine so that he might have the chance to preserve whatever type of relationship he and Catherine still possessed. I would get so frustrated that he just let her walk all over him. Yes, I have feminist tendencies, but the guy needs to stand up for himself every once in a while. In the scene where Catherine randomly says “Catch me” and runs off in the middle of Jules and Jim’s conversation, I was hoping so much that the two men would continue their conversation and let Catherine run off and be bitterly disappointed when neither man tried to chase her down. Alas, Jules follows his heart, or his desire, and chases Catherine down. Actually, running seemed to be a common theme throughout. When the men first meet Catherine, they have a race on a bridge. Still, why can’t film noirs ever work out the way I want them to?
This is more French New Wave than noir.
ReplyDeleteCan't Jules get more credit though? He loves Catherine so much and yet doesn't know how to make him love her. And sure, maybe he actually just loves the idea of her and all that they once shared, but isn't that enough to hang onto hope for another joyous moment like so of the few they shared in their youth?