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May 13, 2015:

MON HISTOIRE AVEC FRANCOIS TRUFFAUT

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I am feeling particularly French right now, having just watched Francois Truffaut’s film, L’Histoire d’Adele H. (The Story of Adele H.), which is in both French and English.  Before I talk about Adele H. perhaps I should talk about Francois T. and tell my history with him – or, in French, Mon Histoire avec Francois Truffaut.  I discovered Truffaut not because I was a fan of The 400 Blows, Shoot the Piano Player or Jules and Jim, none of which I’d seen, but because I’d seen the marvelous film That Man from Rio and was so taken with Francoise Dorleac.  So taken, in fact, that a few months after Rio opened, I saw a trailer for a new foreign film called The Soft Skin, which also starred Miss Dorleac.  And so I was there opening day for The Soft Skin and I continued being taken with the oh so beautiful Miss Dorleac and I was equally taken with the film, which I saw at least ten more times during its first run.  I became an instant fan of Truffaut, but at that point we didn’t have the Internet, we didn’t have real revival houses, and so I remained in the dark about his earlier films.  So, my next experience with Truffaut was when I was touring with a show in 1966 and was in Chicago for a couple of days.  A new movie had opened the day I arrived – Fahrenheit 451.  I knew who Ray Bradbury was but hadn’t actually read the book.  What drew me to the film was Truffaut and my happy memory of The Soft Skin.  At that point, I didn’t even know who’d done the score – if I had, that would have drawn me to it, as well.  And so, I arrived on opening day at noon at some movie palace in the Loop.  To say I loved the film would be an understatement.  I loved it large – I loved everything about it, including Oskar Werner, Julie Christie and especially Cyril Cusack.  I loved Truffaut’s direction and thought the last ten minutes of the film were incredibly moving.  And that score.  I’d been a Bernard Herrmann fan for years already, but Fahrenheit was a whole different Herrmann and it was just spectacularly beautiful.  The photography by Nicholas Roeg was also incredible as were the sets and costumes of someone who eventually would become a friend, Tony Walton.  I loved it so much that I just stayed for the next showing, which you could do in those days.  I loved it even more the second time.  Then I left the theater and did other things, ate dinner, and then decided to go back and see it again, loving it just as much as the first two times.

From that point on, I saw every Truffaut film as it was released.  The next one, The Mississippi Mermaid, I also adored.  After that, I didn’t love them all, but even the ones I didn’t love were always interesting in some way or another.  And I continued seeing every film into the 70s, loved Day for Night as everyone did.  But somehow I missed The Story of Adele H.  I can’t imagine why, other than it was 1975 and I was consumed with making The First Nudie Musical, editing it, and previewing it all over town to find a distributor.  It surprises me that I never saw it in the years subsequent to that – not a at a revival house, not on home video and not on any of the early cable stations.  No, it remained unseen until last evening, when I finally watched the new Twilight Time Blu and Ray.

Well, it was like being a teen again and discovering Truffaut all over again.  For me, it’s one of his great films, a story of a love so obsessive that it can only end badly.  Adele H. being the one obsessed – and the H standing for Hugo as in daughter of Victor.  Everything about it works, including all of the resurrected Maurice Jaubert music – usually I would condemn such a thing, but it works so perfectly that there’s no objection to be made.  Isabelle Adjani, who was twenty at the time, is not only ravishingly beautiful, her performance is one of the greats.  Thankfully, she was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, but lost to Louise Fletcher.  Not to take anything away from Miss Fletcher, who was wonderful in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, but Adjani really should have won.  The photography is stunning, the writing is succinct and the Truffaut storytelling sublime.  I thought the transfer was just great, with excellent color and sharpness and contrast throughout.  If you were like me and didn’t know the film, it’s time to rectify that situation immediately because this film and Blu-ray is highly recommended by the likes of me.

Yesterday was a day in which some nice things happened and irritants were avoided – please send more excellent vibes and xylophones for no annoyances today, too.  I got about nine hours of sleep, with some really peculiar dreams (not bad – just peculiar), I stayed in bed and then finally got up and took the day.  I did stuff on the computer, then went and had a turkey sandwich and a few onion rings for my meal o’ the day.  Then I picked up one package, then came back home.  I proofed packaging, got it where it needed to go for a once-over, and now it’s been sent in for approval.  I locked the song choices as soon as we finalized our last cast member, and sent the list of sheet music needed to the lady who gets that stuff for us.  Then I went to Gelson’s and got some low-fat low-cal ice cream and some fresh blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries – note the use of the Oxford Comma.  I had some of the ice cream for my snack and then settled in with Adele H.

Today, I have to get everyone their music, I’ll make a stab at a show order, and maybe even begin writing the commentary.  I’ll eat something light but amusing, hopefully pick up some packages, then decide on what sections I’ll read at the book signing.

Tomorrow I have a lunch in the Bank of Bur and we’re announcing our new title in the morning.  Friday I’m supping with Barry Pearl and his ever-lovin’ Cindy and then we’re all attending the opening of Doug Haverty and Adryan Russ’s new musical Love Again.  Saturday is our signing and I may be seeing a show that night – not sure yet.  Sunday is unknown to me at this time.  We also have to lock down where we’re doing the Sami workshop performance of Welcome to My World.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, get everyone music, do a show order, begin a commentary, eat, hopefully pick up packages, choose book selections and relax.  Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like.  So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have told Mon Histoire avec Francois Truffaut.  That’s French, you know.

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