I know people consider this one of the greatest films ever made, but I had difficulty seeing that. It feels more like an experimental film than a narrative. That being said, it is a VERY interesting film. It is so big with using so little. With its long run-time, following Jeanne doing mundane housework and errands for three days, the static shots force you to focus in on not only what is there (like the kitchen’s wallpaper or the flashing light from outside during dinner), but what is also absent. Absence is something felt throughout the film whether it is decorations on the walls or the deceased father/husband (whom she may or may not have even really loved). This is also especially so with the relationship between her and her son. Jeanne treats everything in her life the same whether it is peeling potatoes or having sex with a john — it’s all imbued in the DNA of her daily life so it is neither interesting nor fun — it’s just something that needs to get done. Another smart thing about the film, is that it sets up expectations of individual scenes very well. Despite the low stakes, you feel compelled to see things through from beginning to end. For instance, when she peels the potatoes, the scene presents you four potatoes, so you know she needs to peel all four. This also helps once you realize she has made a mistake or has done something different like when she lifts up the pot. The film definitely causes you to think about all the little moments in your life that you are on autopilot for whether its vacuuming or driving to work or anything. It causes you, the voyeur, to think about what would it be like if my daily life was observed in this way. It also causes you to look at what happens when that autopilot life, order, and routine is disrupted, even slightly. There also is something interesting in the idea of, “if everything is interesting, then nothing is interesting,” and vice versa which the film plays with. This helps immensely as you never know what will be seen as important or what will suddenly disrupt and change the flow. I think I would have been more taken by it if I had seen it back in 1975 as I know there are a lot of feminist undertones (I see some, especially towards the end) that I am not picking up, mainly due to watching it for the first time 45 years after the fact. I also think if I were a woman I would be able to see deeper into those ideas.
