L'Immortelle
Encyclopedia
L'Immortelle is a 1963 French-Turkish drama film
directed by Alain Robbe-Grillet
. It was entered into the 13th Berlin International Film Festival
. The film won the Prix Louis Delluc at the Berlin Festival.
L'Immortelle is set in Istanbul
. The narrative does not run strict in chronological order, but rather uses extensive flashbacks, "memory editing," and dreamlike fantasy sequences which border on the surreal to tell its story. The characters are Turkish apart from the Man, who does not understand the native language. Thus, only the French dialogue is translated in the English subtitles for the film; the Turkish dialogue remains a mystery to western audiences, and to the Man, as well.
Robbe-Grillet, who was one of the most successful screenwriters of the French New Wave
, longed to direct a feature film, but no offers of backing were forthcoming. At length, a Belgian producer agreed to let Robbe-Grillet direct a film from his own screenplay on the condition that the film be shot in Turkey, using "blocked funds" (profits from an earlier film that could not be taken out of the country) owed to Cocinor, the French production company. Robbe-Grillet complied, and in his first feature film as a director, created a dreamlike, erotic fantasy.
Robbe-Grillet wrote a very detailed plan for the shooting and wanted it followed in every detail. Both Brion and Doniol-Valcroze were friends of the director; though he had written the scenario with other actors in mind he decided on them instead.
The film has never been legally available on DVD, and at present circulates only in bootlegs, and in 35mm prints circulated by the French Cultural Ministry, which loans the film to museums and colleges from time to time. Thus, the film is almost impossible to see. Dino de Laurentiis
acquired the Italian distribution rights after production, and officially, in the film's credits, L'Immortelle is listed as French/Italian co-production, although it was shot entirely in and around Istanbul, with a mostly Turkish crew.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Alain Robbe-Grillet
Alain Robbe-Grillet
Alain Robbe-Grillet , was a French writer and filmmaker. He was, along with Nathalie Sarraute, Michel Butor and Claude Simon, one of the figures most associated with the Nouveau Roman trend. Alain Robbe-Grillet was elected a member of the Académie française on March 25, 2004, succeeding Maurice...
. It was entered into the 13th Berlin International Film Festival
13th Berlin International Film Festival
The 13th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 21 June to 2 July 1963.-Jury:* Wendy Toye * Harry R. Sokal* Fernando Ayala* Jean-Pierre Melville* B. R...
. The film won the Prix Louis Delluc at the Berlin Festival.
L'Immortelle is set in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. The narrative does not run strict in chronological order, but rather uses extensive flashbacks, "memory editing," and dreamlike fantasy sequences which border on the surreal to tell its story. The characters are Turkish apart from the Man, who does not understand the native language. Thus, only the French dialogue is translated in the English subtitles for the film; the Turkish dialogue remains a mystery to western audiences, and to the Man, as well.
Robbe-Grillet, who was one of the most successful screenwriters of the French New Wave
French New Wave
The New Wave was a blanket term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s, influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema. Although never a formally organized movement, the New Wave filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of...
, longed to direct a feature film, but no offers of backing were forthcoming. At length, a Belgian producer agreed to let Robbe-Grillet direct a film from his own screenplay on the condition that the film be shot in Turkey, using "blocked funds" (profits from an earlier film that could not be taken out of the country) owed to Cocinor, the French production company. Robbe-Grillet complied, and in his first feature film as a director, created a dreamlike, erotic fantasy.
Robbe-Grillet wrote a very detailed plan for the shooting and wanted it followed in every detail. Both Brion and Doniol-Valcroze were friends of the director; though he had written the scenario with other actors in mind he decided on them instead.
The film has never been legally available on DVD, and at present circulates only in bootlegs, and in 35mm prints circulated by the French Cultural Ministry, which loans the film to museums and colleges from time to time. Thus, the film is almost impossible to see. Dino de Laurentiis
Dino De Laurentiis
Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis was an Italian film producer.-Early life:He was born at Torre Annunziata in the province of Naples, and grew up selling spaghetti produced by his father...
acquired the Italian distribution rights after production, and officially, in the film's credits, L'Immortelle is listed as French/Italian co-production, although it was shot entirely in and around Istanbul, with a mostly Turkish crew.
Cast
- Françoise BrionFrançoise BrionFrançoise Brion is a French film actress. She has appeared in 75 films since 1957. She starred in the 1963 film L'Immortelle, which was entered into the 13th Berlin International Film Festival...
- L, the Woman - Jacques Doniol-ValcrozeJacques Doniol-ValcrozeJacques Doniol-Valcroze was a French actor, critic, screenwriter, and director...
- N, the Man - Guido CelanoGuido CelanoGuido Celano was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 120 films between 1931 and 1988.He was born in Francavilla a Mare, Italy and died in Rome, Italy.-Selected filmography:*Rotaie, directed by Mario Camerini...
- M, the Stranger - Sezer Sezin - Turkish woman
- Ulvi UrazUlvi UrazUlvi Uraz was a Turkish theater and film actor and director.-External links:*...
- Antique dealer - Belkis Mutlu - Servant
- Catherine Blisson
- Catherine Robbe-GrilletCatherine Robbe-GrilletCatherine Robbe-Grillet is a French theatre and cinema actress and photographer who has published BDSM-related writings under the pseudonyms Jean de Berg and Jeanne de Berg.-Biography:...
- Catherine Sarayan
Other sources
- Robbe-Grillet, Alain (1970) L'Immortelle: ciné-roman. Paris: Minuit
- Robbe-Grillet, Alain (1972) The Immortal One; translated by A. M. Sheridan-Smith. London: Calder & Boyars