Lost Potential

Film: L’Atalante
Format: DVDs from NetFlix on kick-ass portable DVD player.

There have been many careers in the arts that have been tragically cut short, but perhaps none so much as that of Jean Vigo. Dead of tuberculosis at the tender age of 29, Vigo directed two documentary shorts, one other short film (Zero de Conduite), and L’Atalante. Thus his first full-length feature was also his last. One wonders he might have produced if only he had lived a little longer, since this one feature shows a real depth of understanding of the film medium as well as some prescience; L’Atalante might well presage La Nouvelle Vague in certain ways.

The story is a simple one. Jean (Jean Daste), the captain of a river barge called L’Atalante, is married to Juliette (Dita Parlo). Their honeymoon is essentially a trip to Paris by way of La Havre. It’s an unromantic boat journey since the ship is also carrying cargo. It’s also not a very pleasant trip, as Jean proves himself to be the insanely jealous type. When he finds Juliette speaking in the ship’s cabin with the old and mildly foul Pere Jules (Michel Simon), he goes completely berserk. Jules, though, while evidently a bit infatuated with Juliette, certainly has no designs on her.