La Petit Soldat (October 17th and 18th at the Cleveland Cinematheque)

[LE PETIT SOLDAT screens Thursday October 17th at 6:45 pm and Friday October 18th at 9:35 pm at the Cleveland Cinematheque.]

Review by Charles Cassady, Jr.

I could get to learn to like this Jean-Luc Godard person. I must confess, the first time I saw BREATHLESS, in the context of a college film class, when I was still young enough to be stupidly optimistic about things, my reaction was that of an unimpressed disciple of the Lucas/Spielberg generation. So this is the great Godard I've heard so much about? This is BREATHLESS that shook the film world? Security-camera-like BW cinematography? Ragged editing? No sound or crude audio in long bits? Little evident budget (Eiffel Tower in the background...so what? These guys lived there anyway). Godard's French New Wave masterpiece just left me cold. 

La Jetee and My Life to Live (September 22nd and 23rd at the Cleveland Cinematheque)

[ "La Jetee" and MY LIFE TO LIVE screen Saturday September 22nd at 5 pm and Sunday September 23rd at 8:50 pm at the Cleveland Cinematheque.]

Review by Charles Cassady, Jr.

The Cleveland Cinematheque has double-teamed these two French alt-cinema classics from 50 years ago, apparently to prove that, way back in 1962, avid moviegoers had much more to choose from than CGI-heavy-superhero-comic-book adaptations or CGI-heavy-horror-sequel-reboot-remakes. Oh, and offscreen there existed a widely admired President Kennedy, good jobs and a strong economy. Even in Cleveland. So I've been told. Strange concepts indeed.