Pardon My French: Make it Your Way or Why Do it?

by Timothy Rhys | Published June 6, 2008

Ah, Paris in the springtime… the flowers, the mist, the music… the incredible American repertory movie programming?

Jessica and I just got back from two weeks in France (the occasion being our long-delayed honeymoon) and of all the amazing things we saw and did and ate in that country, one of my favorite memories will always be our first night in Paris, when we checked into our hotel, went up to our room, set down our bags and—romantic guy that I am—immediately left to go to the movies. A few moments earlier we had walked by the L’ Action Ecoles (“The Action School”) movie theater in the 5th Arrondissement and a double feature was about to start— Five Fingers with James Mason followed by Broken Arrow with Jimmy Stewart. And both films were in English! I could hardly believe my luck!

It was a rainy Sunday night and I expected we’d have this funky little place which was screening old American movies almost all to ourselves. How completely wrong I was! By the time the show began there wasn’t an empty seat in the house, and the patrons ranged from young couples and college students to senior citizens and singles of all ages. I don’t have to tell you that even in the most cinema-loving cities in the U.S., old movies on the big screen don’t get that show of support. And halfway through Five Fingers when I quietly reached into my pocket for a snack, what happened? The man behind me went “Shhhhhhhhhhh!” Was he serious? Oh, absolutely. The French are very serious about their cinema. (I later found out that there are two of these repertory houses in Paris, and that the city has 75 screens showing English-language movies each day. Seventy five!? How many New York City screens show French movies? One, if you count the French Institute Alliance Francaise’s weekly series).

At the Ecole I was literally at school, learning my lesson that the French are very comfortable with the notion that great cinema is great art, period. You wouldn’t eat peanuts at the opera, and you wouldn’t eat them at the movies, either. I have to tell you—I found this attitude way more refreshing than I found it annoying, even though I was starving at the time.

Though it pains me to say it, the French by and large appreciate cinema more than we do, and their perspective permeates the culture, from audiences to producers to government agencies. In a recent MovieMaker interview Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis) spoke about the French law that says the director must have final cut of his or her picture. (She said: “I don’t quite understand that in America… if the director doesn’t have final cut, who can? Either you make a movie you like or why do it?”) Over here we have guys who understand calculators better than they understand cinematic language calling the shots; over there it’s a LAW that a director’s movie gets seen the way the director wanted it seen.

I’d like to see a time when American studios and producers of all stripes truly respect directors. I don’t think that’s too much to hope for. One reason I don’t is because a guy named Robert Rodriguez still makes his movies in this country. If you read Brian O’Hare’s interview with the iconoclastic Austin auteur in MovieMaker issue #75">MovieMaker issue #75, Rodriguez has always made movies his way, and he always will, or he won’t make them. It doesn’t get any simpler than that, does it?

I’m a believer in the Rodriguez ecole of moviemaking. At the very least, it’s more fun that way. And if it’s not fun, why do it? 

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TAGS 5th arrondissement brian o’hare broken arrow five fingers iconoclastic austin auteur james mason jimmy stewart l’ action ecoles marjane satrapi paris persepolis robert rodriguez the action school

COMMENTS | POST A COMMENT

Comment by Mick Mihich on 6/11/08 at 2:46 pm

Hello Tim,

I found incredible that you mentioned the French audience’s commitment to watch a film exactly when I finished editing my short film, “The 100th Job”, which is my homage not only to film noir (the genre that used creativity to compensate for lack of money, as I tried to do with this very film) but to the “traditional” moviegoers like myself (and the French!) who consider moviegoing like “attending mass”.

As for the first, just watching the trailer will explain what I mean (kind of, the decisions I had to make regarding costs aren’t explicit, which was my intention) and as for the latter… Well, if I tell you it’ll ruin the movie (which I hope you watch some day).

If you’re interested, the trailer is on http://www.the100thjob.com.

Talking about myself, I’m Brazilian, 38, have worked for the industry (Lucasfilm, Universal, etc.) for 13 years and left it all (a secure job, a secure salary) because I was tired of releasing other people’s films (400 of them!) – it was time to make my own!

My excuse of being here in the US (NY) this time (it’s my 14th time!) is going to NYU for a Filmmaking Certificate (which I won’t get so soon since the money for the last class went to the film!) and there I got a lot of support from a couple of Professors who, upon reading my script, told me: “This is bigger than class! Shoot it on your own!”. And then we did (my incredibly supporting wife, myself and 6 credit cards)…

I am also a writer-journalist (have been published for 20 years now, member of the Foreign Press Center, US Department of State).

Good luck on your third film,

Micki Mihich

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Comment by Fx Fars on 9/11/08 at 4:18 am

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Yeah it’s an excellent approach.
With its, I think such a creative idea will congratulated by all.
Mick Mihich was right with his own experience.
However it’s an effective piece of writing.
Thanks.

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Comment by Educational Software on 10/26/08 at 9:02 am

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Comment by Life Insurance Cover on 11/11/08 at 7:20 am

Really great article.Thanks for your clear concept. Please continue it.

Comment by Life Insurance on 12/14/08 at 5:26 am

Nice article! Very informative. No doubt that Paris is a nice country also their hotel tourist area everything are fantastic.

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Comment by Find and Meet Couples on 12/23/08 at 7:48 am

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