BSA106 La Jetee review

La Jetee (1962) is a French science fiction feature focusing on time travel by Chris Marker. Marker said that the film was influenced by Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo and La jetee itself is credited to have influenced films such as Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys (1995).

I appreciated the photography work, especially in relation to the lighting and how it was used to evoke emotion and create a mood but the film itself is quite difficult to watch especially when considering what we are used to with today's standards. To us, the film appears quite jumpy and disjointed. This sort of disrupts the story as it pulls attention away from the narrative at times.

The film could not work without the voice over describing the photographs, I believe. However, stylistically, the mysterious, sci-fi narrative, coupled with the black and white low-lit photography, creates a tension and suspense that continues to capture the viewers interest despite the unconventional filming techniques.

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BSA106 German Expressionism.

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