La Belle noiseuse

Really astonishing — I’m mad at myself for not capturing my thoughts in the moment. Length is far from ponderous; long takes filming the artist’s sketches are really hypnotic, and the many sequences in the studio build the intensity between artist & model perfectly. I don’t know what Rivette cut for his shortened Divertimento, but if it was these protracted ruminations on the artistic process I think that’s a shame, and can only guess it upsets the flow of the film. With nothing short of mastery Rivette weaves the lives, relationships and insecurities of a small cast of characters throughout this process, examining to what extent pain and sacrifice are necessary to great art, ending in some very moving choices. Never before have I seen Rivette tie up his loose ends with such precision: each character really ends with essential questions answered, and remaining questions guiding a path into their respective futures. And the idea of total communion between artist and subject is very cool, that only the model and not the artist can know when the painting is complete, because the model will recognize something in it of profound insight into her soul she alone can recognize but a great painter can perhaps unknowingly capture. And the fallout from such a recognition… Ahhh, I’ll say no more. Yes, despite its length it is absorbing and very exciting.