This weekend the Anthology Film Archives, a New York institution which preserves and exhibits "curiously strong cinema", celebrated its 35th anniversary by holding a festival featuring note-worthy films from their Essential Cinema Collection. The event was sponsored by Altoids (lots of yummy complimentary candies everywhere!) and each night the films were selected and hosted by a different celebrity guest.
Friday night Peter Bogdanovich, director of "The Last Picture Show" hosted Jean Renoir's "Rules of the Game" and Buster Keaton's "Neighbors." That was cool to go to. A reception was held beforehand. I had to race against swarms of badly dressed frumpy old ladies to the snack tables. I did make off with enough of what they couldn't pile onto their plates fifteen dozen different ways to make my little tummy happy. I was hungry after the long wait, actually the two waits, out in the cold.
First before 4:30 people were lined up just to get tickets for the show later on that night. Then we all had to go outside and wait to be let in again to be one of the first 75 people in at 6:30. If one was in this 75, that person got a year-long membership to the anthology. I, of course, got mine! Lots of black and white movies with subtitles are a guaranteed part of my future!
So seeing Rules of the Game was great to see again. I saw it once in my Intro to Film class way back in my MATC days. Now I got to see it hosted by Bogdanovich. It was the first time I've ever seen a big-time Hollywood director. The first time too, that I saw a decade's younger busty (extremely top-heavy) blonde Hollywood prize girlfriend. An example of this type of girlfriend walked past me at one point in the theatre, but I didn't know that was what she was until I spotted her again walking alongside Peter as he and his entourage left for the evening (he didn't seem to stick around for the movie he introduced). Wow - the things you never get to see when you live in the Midwest!
And amongst that never-seen was Patti Smith. Saturday night she came to introduce us to "au hasard Balthazar," a film by Robert Bresson about the lives of a donkey, a French-girl, and the sins of the world. I've never in my life ever thought anything of Patti Smith - just thought she wasn't up my alley. She wasn't the reason for me going to the movie. I was hanging out with a friend who thought this would be a good movie to see, and I couldn't argue, considering my brand new membership to the theatre allowed me free entry! But as we sat down, there she was. Ohmygod. I fell in love! If you look at some photos of her that I took during that evening, you may understand. She just seemed so.....ugh, I don't know how to say it. I don't want to say she's ugly. I'm going to say she has a lot of power in just being herself, which, to me is the ultimate in cool.
I sat amazed as she introduced the film and related to us how she came to love this movie. I guess she watched it about a hundred times when it came out, and later on she wrote poetry inspired by Gerard, a character in Balthazar who is a total jerk-ass with a rock-n-roll attitude. During this, my first viewing, Gerard's actions and misgivings incredibly vexed me. Everytime he did something, it was spiteful and mean - an act of an evil little brat in the body of an impetulant Frenchman trying to summon the spirit of Marlon Brando in the "Wild Ones" or maybe one of the "Road Warriors." Multiple viewings, however, must create some kind of symbioty between audience and foe. I can see how his lack of concern for others and rules may be understood and appreciated. He was a guy who did what he wanted, satiating his id at every turn - which is so rock-n-roll to do. His misdeeds (like making cars crash into each other and lighting donkey-tails on fire) inspire poetry.
Anyway, Patti was so cool. I was beside myself when the movie was over and it was time to go, and I saw Patti get prepared to go outside. She put on her boring looking winter jacket and her gloves. Then she put on her hat. It was just a regular stocking cap that she could have easily bought from Target or from one of those guys that litter every New York corner who peddle scarves and thermal underwear. I imagined her walking down the street just like anyone else would, wearing her hat and a book under her arm. No pretense at all. She just walks home, unlocks the front-door, feeds the cat, and then sits down and writes a poem or something. Sorry everyone if I'm beginning to sound stupid. I'll stop writing for now and just post pics!
This is an image of Marie and Balthazar as illustrated by great comic-book artist Seth.
