chmrker_mngrafic

8/11/2019 ChMrker_Mngrafic

1/20


2/20

The

crow

d

l

ooks up: A Grin

Wi

tho

ut

a Cat

Who is Chri s Marker? Bett

er to

us k

How

many Chris Markers hMe

th

ere

hcenT' Ever sin

ce th

e nmne Chris.

Murk er (thut do patiently wHiting

for it

s

mm fi

rs

t appeared

in

th

e late FOJ1ies,

th

e

mUl hol'll

Christian

r a l l ~ o i

Douche

Vi llencuve has dcvelopl:d into whut

H

OI

\'unl Hampton deserihes in the

fol

low

in

g pages as

th

e most uncla

ss

ifi

uhle of direct

or

s. Moving IXlck a

nd

fOl1h

hetween hook and film. wo

nl

and imugc ,

past ilTlIl prese

nt

, he

re

lInd

th

ere,

Mnrk

cr

is an evc

r-

evoll'iHg hyblid. That idc

ntit

y

(;

on cealing dot was left off SOmc tim c

NEXT ISSUE :

J. Hoberman on Description of a

Struggle,

Min Lee on

Marker s

post

May '

88

collaborations with SLOM,

Paul

Arthur on the filmmak

n

rela

tionshlp with

Soviet

Cinema, Olat

Moller on Marker and Japan Kent

Jones s look

at

Marker s

IMIOM

Immemory, Andre

Bazin s seminal

essay on Marker s Letter from

Siberia translated for the first time ,

Sam Dllorio and Mlchael Chalken on

Marker s writings and a definHlve

fully

annotated blblla-filmography.

a

go

as Mu rker 1C(;

ulll

e cinem,,'s

CO

li

summate

di ve rs

i

fi

e

r:

wo

rl

d tm\'eler, fil m

css;lyis

t,

w

rit

er,

pholO'JI'dph

e

r,

pol

iticull y

cnguge


3/20

~

~ L ~ ' Y U 4 < a

1

v o L f - f < Y h j ~ j f

Defining {llIuliticl' ofIh., Ik'ripiwml vis ion

my: obli{IUi ly. tlHH1C s l

y.

thoughtfulness.

hUllIo . (,fi lical ~ ' n g u g f ' l l l . rpt rospec-

th'c

oppreciuliulI

(If

f .

I lis pe

r.

l"lle

li('.

:t.

igt;.ag mind

1111\,\

1;; 011 (what ('Ise?)

{ ( I t feet. s

idlill

g Iluuugh

( I1

I\\ ls

of

'pfuget -

l

ike iJlJ4,'\:.'>. Mching-plol

) ( ~ 1 t :

('011)1"

fiorn

cv

('

ry

\\

'her

e

M

os

(

ow. Tok

yo. Puris.

Il uvutlu. Okin

awu.

ClIlM' V(,rlle, ' C r 1 i g o ' ~

San F

nmci:;(o.

'I

urko\'sk{>;

So/un':;.

cyhf.r

spuec. Ouija ' ( l w ~ Is. (I kf'Cp

for

ge

tt in

g:

Is

hi

Je/lre the urchail' pn,"lluellO 12 ~ - e y s

or

th

l'

l ' i C I I C (

~ - f i > l i l 1 l Sf tIUf'IIO

.All/m?)

'1'1\(',0;(: sh

ad

ow l 'ouri

e l

S

('tiny normuli('

gcogmphics

wit

h them. imprinlc(1 IlkI'

hlltoo

S:

the

map

heenmes

Ill(' I f 'mlor

y: '

insclihillg the p r l e j i ' o l Illtitud('s

1111(1 lo

n

gitudf's of

lIIlSpokf

:

11

lives.

hid(If'Jl (;011-

uudictiolls.teU lali' t n K ~ 11:111111. llIeasurn:1

voi

ec makes ilst

l

f II-'al11 aho\'f' Ihe w

hi tf'

noise of wm-:-;. 1)lIlilical

Sl.l\'1lgf'ry.

imptOftCfI

f('\oluliotls. 11 lraws liS in will, Illeeonfi

df' lIliul. dmu l(

':-;

I

int-'

lotlf'

of l '

t

in )' ad

sliplX l.I illlo Ill('

P

rl11v/a 1

X"Wlnals

: lueid

ale,1I1c,;s sceks

lik

e-minded ('ompanio n

ship. lI'ilh eye

10ll'ard

('se-aping glohal

nigh

tlllu re

of kamikazt'

id

tol

ogi

Cli. nOA

utopi

as.

dOlllim,li

on I,y ('onsllmptioll.

Thr

oughout a ilNpenl ine

journey

into-tUlll oul ~ pa

st.

Clu'i

s Marker

has been IIH' mosl unel .lssi

ri

ab le of

directors: a

wh im

sit'lIl-my"t ( , < l l - d i ~ l l e e

lic'ul link belw':I:

1I

Zen

1111(1

Murx? A

Zone p

oel

stlllking tl,c inllN life of hi. rI".lI,1

aloud

10

absent or deceased

fr

ie

tlll

s

(Tarkovsky. Alexander Mc

tl

vedkin. you

or

111t'

).

Mi

;;sil"('S

("omposed

of

so

mar,

),

1

1X S

of

foollt ge Ihal

a

re

Ihen se

nl gCllll

y I'in

hailing hack inlo Ihe \\Orlll. ill a lun

gUlt gf'

Ih

11i'S as puh i\' as a polilieal

demnn

sl l'Ul iOIl.

redusin' as u

St..'(

I {

'1

ife.

and intimal('

liS

a

love

song.

For

ill

slnnee. "Only

I.o

l'e Can Hrl'

uk

Your

IleUlf'--exe('pl

Ihal

Markt/ sult

s

lilul('S

Ilislol)' us

th

e source ofall ,10I)fl1t'l1

anl

nr. lI s th

e sultry air-ruid sin11 iI(duc

in

g and ahandoning gel1crul io

ll

s of the

UJl\\llI)'

1lJIt.

IUlU"ff[Uit('(l

:

us

wnin

mi

g

ht

h

ave

said. you call't mak e a

rc

\'olulioll withoul

breaking a

few

hearts. 1101 10 menlion

wills.

(S

lalin ex

pedit("{1

Ih

c

'AA:('SS:

a

bullf'1 Ihrough Ihe hf'ad

was

a quil:ker

II'lIy

FILMCO'\IM F.N T

:\:I


4/20

of

I ( , ; . ( l i H /

Ih

f'

IIII.-'

SS

' I;.(I. ) A Crill

F

ithout

(j

Cat

(

77)

lIIay IK' MUl'k""',,

1110

,:1

n m l l ~ h . ,:ys lt: mutie f'xp lu l'atiull of"llu'

I r i c k ~

thal

hi

slury pla

ys

"

011

us, h

ut

nit

Imll1ol

./JI I 'ik

(9J)

tml'en;;es a IUnll"\',ll

k'

of : t ~ h f ' ; ; frO Ill it steclwr. more c l o ~ ( '

01ISfnwl l

1t1glc.

Ins tc

a(1

of

ti le dO\I

'

ll wanl

Six

li(

'" arf' of i . tvxicatctl itlealism theif

:. of lhe C1Hm.\1 lI'ith

ils

>.

maU Quick'lime virlw

loo

p;;

irl tJl\'

Cill

ema

Z(J11( ' , amllhe I ( ) ( ' ~ l i t l " h (

and

lags

thal gil't' Ihl' ust'r no opti

olt

but

In

r

r:r\

'

ip:ale

s

lowl

y 1Ilul palipnll ),.

Markt'r hirmwlf offp.

",; an

I'xplana tiol1

ofsueh

l"Ol

llrwies: his 110tio

ll

of "nail'e

iltul "

mali

c:s. "

H,' ,'ompares hi s cr

ea li

ve

ll; .;{'

of

tligil

lll

a

ml

l:O

mpUll'r lools

10

Ihe

II"llt"k

of

2Oth-l:Cll llllYpri milil'(' pairltf'rs lik, ' H

C:llri

R

OllsseiILl, ,11',,('ri

bing himsl.'lf as a

"SUl

t

da

),

p l 1 J

l n l \ '

a ptnlleman :

mrall

'llrof

th(' digilal em

11110

Il'jr.elf

a

,.

il \'

ie\\cr

or u

:"e

l'

IIf

M

arker

'"

work >.. whip]1

manifesls

il

self

a \ \ k w a n l

C l > . ~ illld embmTa,.s ment, a (Iis

local ion

of my len

s('

of

h

Oll

' su

ch

o"lc n

si

bl

y cuttil1g-edge works

oughllo

app('ur.

I i

ma WJI('

my 11"('li vp 1l1e1ll0l

)' allt

\'i::: ibl e image erm;l:l l.

TI

lt' :::oumltmek uf


13/20

,.

.

Ghost s within and wi thout

machin

es : evel

ive

above)

and

Sans soleil

below and inset)

,


14/20

The

new

Bible

wil l

be the eternal magnetic tape of a t ime that

the

fi

lm

consish

;

in pm1

of spoken recol

lec

ti

ons. but th

t S{'

l'f>,l(h us

hy

al1e;.u;l l

wu

I ( ' m o w

,Jrt'

allrihutf'd

10 a

fic

tiolluJ ('UIlIf"

IIII,

I lamed

Samlor

Kras

lla.

a ntri;::vability

of

the

pas t. Ille l l U I U 1 of

lllf'mol

Y

wo;

selective.

tramiff)]11laliw. an(l 1"1 '1"11 aeslhetic rep

re

se

nta

li

on.

:md th

f'

fact that. by v

il

1u('

of Ille nov(>IIN'llIlolo

gy

adoptt d. mf'lllO

lies are alwa

ys

fonllcd in llnd

for

the pre

se

nt.

Prinw(1 by such insigllls.

Leve

l r

'it-c

n g a g e . ~

('yberspacc as Ihe Jllf'diutll

fu

r a

con

ce lkd hi

storic

al

inquilY in

lo th

e Bal

tIe ofOkinaw;l . the lasl conl'enlionallmt

tIe of

W\I:

tt. It ('nfol ds

11

dOCUlllf'llt ary

investigation of Ih

;::

hllll+.; and

its

tragic ('()II-

sequen('f' Ih(' (leS

II1JC

l

ion of

onc

Ihi rll

of the l a n d ' c iv

ili

an population a

ll

tl

the

ma

ss

;;

uif'idcs

111

,

11

followed tlw (lcfeal

ofthe

l apane;;". army-w ithin a

fie

l iollul

al1lwitm' thall"l"'imagin t"S Ihe l1alll(' as all

unfinisllf'd ('ompul

er

game who

se

c re

ator

ha

s (lied in mysterious cilT'ullIstanc

cs

.

leavi ng his lo ver. Laura. with tIle ta.sk of

compl

din

g it. l...auras hi ;:.loril'ul fl.-'l;t':arch

in

to

Ihe hallle is enlirely

rciiml

l oll

lh

e

inli

lite reSOllrt'eS of Optional World Link

(0\\"1.). all altef ego of Ihe World Wi{le WeL

that is ahll' 10 S

OUI\

.

C

infol1llat

ion

flU

lI

levely

existi ng and p

os

s ihl e datalmse 011 tile

plunel. wht'lhl' r pasl. pr

es

en t. or future.

The game il

S("

lf is progmmmed II ilh

th

e

moml COIt"('i;'I)(-C

Ih

':

II refuses

to

allow

l

...atulI

to

play

th", An

gel

of I-l

islory a lld a

lt

er

11

the OlItwlUc of the ],a1l11' to

plU(lucc

a mon

palatable 'e;

u1t;

instead

il fOrd

fl her to

{."(I l l -

fro

nt

dn:

:udful

te

stimOllies to

Ilw full

hor

ror of th e baIt le mid its deadly aftNlllalll.

Markf' r's

ill

s istent use of WW tech

nologi

es us {.'()

Itluits

of human

n'k'lllory wl

d

hi

storica l

re

prese ntation

ofTf'I

'i archaic wi lhin II\(" ('1'.'

l l I I ~ l J g i ( ~

d

~ ' a r k e " '

recent

wurks

.

13

111

' x l w r i , m

, ' ~ difolmpl the ord('rly tempo

Il.lI it y ,,r

x i . ~ t i n g

ill what Ik-njlllllin wOll

l.,

Il(\v ' Ill4Jllght of as the "myt hical"' pr-e

:

WII

I. wh il -

I ii'

("pr1a in of it" 01'.'11 identity

in

' [ u t

( f l l l n

pai'

anu

f

ul

wl'.

and wh

en'

p r o ~ ..

'

s:1:'1"

cepli\C'ly

r n ~ l

Le

1 )1i mOl

is nol ci lr

ema

l'c

l'

ilf-. il is ('ill("

f O INil(': Ll ot

1I

cinemll

of

In.rth. bu' OI

l(" tll; Il

),iug to gain ils

iude [)CnJem'

f' after ml/I"('

th

nn

1

00

y"

ars

of Fr

e nch ('olo ll i?a l io n.

Thf'

film

lak f'S

plac

e (

luring

"I

he

fir,.1

pringtirn(' of

[lellce

:

I

hat

is.

anN

Ill('

ig

llillg

of

the

c

ea

sefi re

a('m

rds on Man'lr 19

Illl

l

l"lI'fur

e

th

e offic ial rf'fer

en(lunl

f

or

illd

ept'

n

([

f'nce

Oil

J uly

I. It ;;

importa

nl 10

[H)i

ul

ou' Ilwl violf' n

f'f'"

corlliull\'d de spill' till'

Man

.::h

(:

easc

fiw. D

win

g tll('

mo

n

,h of

May.

tell

10 50 i\ l

g

erian

Ciliz('ns lI"ere

killl'd

el t

:,

ry da y by p

m-Frc tl

("h

11'I"1"O ..

isls.

Alg(,l

iu

's s low

and

painful

;:

lllIggl. for

ind

ep e

lltlc

ll("c Ih

r

ew

Fr;u

H"('

inlo a

,W

V

'

r

f'

I'

r is is

of

eonseif'nee. l'I(';; ila

ll

l Iu "f'f'

the cnd

uf

a

profilable

('olollial e

mpi r ( ' n

1955 and 1%5: "PJlotograpll Y i" lik('

hUlltillg. il'

,.

Ihe

I i l l d

of

tIl

e Ilulll

11

ith

out tilt' ,II '"irf' to kill.

[ t';;

tilt' hunt of

angels ... Ollt' ;; talks. aims,

; h o o t

utl,l

('Ii"k Hal[wrlltall ki[lil l

gSO IllI.'

Ol

l,,

Hta

ke tllt'1Il d e rulll."tt is illto

lhitmain

s

a s triking film. for

the

br illi;.rnf'(' of

Hesuai

,,

's call1era.the

r l O l i l 1 ( ' ~ 1

irony of

Markl '

j"

s

('UIllIl1('nlal

; '.

;tIlt

Ihl' ;;uppl .

soph i;; tif'atio ll of tll" c,li ting. It is , as

Markc ' r d

es

crilw;; it in COlllmt'l//oirC5 /.

all

('x

;llllple of U"JxIlllphlet-fillll" and ils

ban'ly wiled

1 ~ 1 1 1 ' l I l i f ' a l

th nl"t lI'a

,.

not

lIli ;;St;'(1 by slate ('("n."ttr;:; who I ,(,

,;'

,l

s the s impll'

rt'jlf'(1o

ire of l"",hbueklllasl

lftll 'Wan.l

amI

in

whi

ch tillt( i",

IIl1d

('fShH)(1

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