‘Mouchette’: The Robert Bresson movie Kathryn Bigelow calls “pure poetry”
The directorial style of Kathryn Bigelow has left quite an impression on the movie industry ever since the release of The Loveless, her debut feature, back in 1981. Following up with the thriller films Near Dark, Blue Steel and Point Break increased the profile of the California-born filmmaker, but the most significant recognition lay just around the corner.
In 2008, Bigelow made history by becoming the first woman to ever win the Academy Award for ‘Best Director’ for her work on the war drama The Hurt Locker. The accolade added to an already sterling career and made Bigelow one of the most respected directors on the Hollywood circuit.
When it comes to Bigelow, though, it’s indeed difficult to remove the artist from the art, particularly from her iconic action movie Point Break, starring Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey and Patrick Swayze. The surf-cop crime film remains a true staple of the action movie and of 1990s cinema in general.
In an interview with DGA, Bigelow was asked about the kind of masculinity that arises in Point Break in terms of characters being the most alive when they are the closest to death and danger. “That’s been a thematic thread that kept appearing for sure,” Bigelow responded. “And exactly as you describe it. In other words, you reaffirm your humanness by threatening it.”
Discussing the “maleness” of Point Break led Bigelow to talk about her influences, notably the masculinity of Sam Peckinpah, noting, “I’d have to probably be better adept at psychoanalyzing them and my intentions. I mean, my affinity for [Sam] Peckinpah is certainly no secret or surprise.” In the same breath, though, Bigelow admitted that her influences starkly vary in theme and tone.
“But also my affinity for [Robert] Bresson,” the director added. “I feel like my influences oscillate from one to another.” In bringing up Bresson, Bigelow revealed her deep admiration for the French filmmaker and spoke of her favourite film of his in the process. “The content is anything but still,” she said.
“Like Mouchette, ah, it’s just magnificent, it’s pure poetry,” Bigelow continued. Mouchette is Bresson’s 1967 starring Nadine Nortier and Jean-Claude Guilbert, based on the novel of the same name by Georges Gernanos. The coming-of-age story focuses on the daughter of a mean alcoholic father and a sick mother and is set in a rural village in France. It’s typical of Bresson’s minimalism and is considered one of his best movies.
Check out the trailer for Mouchette below.
