Featuring a prologue written by Jean Cocteau which essentially celebrates the oddities and differences that define humanity and the asymmetrical beauty it creates, Francois Reichenbach's America As Seen By A Frenchman is an in-depth travelogue of the United States of America through the eyes of French director Francois Reichenbach. What jumps out about this film is the exuberance and curiosity which the filmmakers have in exploring the United States, not only documenting different regions of the United States, but attempting to understand the culture from a transitional standpoint, examining the American Way of life from early adolescence through adulthood. The filmmakers never show any judgement, only intent on experiencing America, not trying to understand it, and their fascination with the differences of everyday life is a major aspect of what makes America As Seen By A Frenchman such a charming travelogue. Featuring lots of breathtaking footage of 1960s America, the film is beautifully crafted, visually capturing the same sense of awe from the filmmakers routinely stated in the narration. While nonjudgmental, America As Seen By A Frenchman does provide a ton of fascinating insights into the American way of life, touching on the excessiveness of America where commerce itself fuels the creation of nearly everything. In what could be described as a time capsule of 1960s America, aspects of America As Seen By A Frenchman is captivating but also can border on depressing, especially the sequence of the film about adolescence. The filmmakers lament about how much of a child's time is spent outside playing with other kids in the neighborhood, a concept which unfortunately is a rarity at this point. America As Seen By A Frenchman also captures the clearly defined gender roles of the time period, where men were praised for their toughness and masculinity while woman were praised for being good caregivers. Some may wish America As Seen By A Frenchman brought a more critical eye to this observational study, but i'd argue that is exactly what makes the film so compelling, as it shows no judgement, only interesting in celebrating the cultural differences of a land the filmmakers aren't particularly familiar with. While Chris Marker's involvement in the project is a confusing at best, with some crediting him as a co-director while others simply as a writer, America As Seen By A Frenchman is a film that would truly be appreciated by any fans of the prolific French filmmaker, being a charming, captivating, and most importantly nonjudgmental look at America from an outsiders' perspective.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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