La Jete, 1962

Figure 1.

Directed by Chris Marker, 'La Jete' tells the tale of a man forced to travel in time during the aftermath of World War II. Displayed in the form of 'cin-roman' a montage of still photographs, the film is unusual as well as influential. Beginning on the viewing deck at the French airport, Orly, a young boy observes a woman at the end of the pier and a mysterious man who falls dead at her feet. The boy from the memory becomes the slave forced to time-travel, to find a solution for the world's problems as it lies on the brink of world war III. 'La Jete' is a fictionalized account of a post-World War III Paris, where underground commanders run time experiments on prisoners. The entire film is a series of black-and-white still photos (except for one brief series of images) that help narrate one prisoner's fate. (Curiel, 2003)

'La Jete' provides a different cinematic experience. Unlike many films, it lacks an immersive quality due to the style of construction still imagery and a narrator providing most of the dialogue. Although this would usually distance the audience from the emotions of the characters, the short burst of moving imagery does

add depth to the story. The simple yet powerful plot enables the story to be conveyed through the images. Overall the style of the film is truly memorable and 'La Jete' has been discribed as a 'masterpiece'.

Figure 2.

The bittersweet music, the narrator's steady voice that sounds like a scientist's, the museum-quality photos, and the gripping plot all make "La Jete" an inimitable experience. This is Marker's masterpiece. (Curiel, 2003)

Figure 3. Dispite the time travel nature and sci-fi genre, it has an almost documentary feel. Mainly due to the image construction and narrator, audiences could be forgiven for thinking they are watching a factual short about World War II, of course this is far from reality. La Jete may be at once the simplest and most complicated

of time-travel movies because although the plot is deceptively simple, Chris Marker doesnt get mired in the complicated science of how time travel might work. Instead, its a stirring, emotional film about the unique hold memories have over peoples lives and how experiences themselves are fleeting. (Melin, 2012) An explanation of the time travel is unimportant to the audience, due to the focus on the single character's memories and emotions.

If you are familiar with the film, you will know that the people of the future are presented in a stark, minimalist manner that is far more disturbing than an elaborate burst of futuristic production design. (Hall, 2011)

A key theme is the power of memories and this could be a reason for the director choosing the 'cin-roman' style. Memories are often built up of strong images that stick out in our minds, building a sequence of events rather than running like a film, especially in the case of memories from early childhood.

The soundtrack's texture is similarly sparse, and the fluid montage leads the viewer into the sensation of watching moving images. Until, that is, an extraordinary epiphany when an image genuinely does move: the man's sleeping lover opens her eyes. (Andrew, 2006)

Figure 4.

Illustration List
Figure 1. La Jete film poster At: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f7/La_Jetee_Poster.jpg Accessed 02.02.13 Figure 2. Still from La Jete 1962 At: http://static.guim.co.uk/sysimages/Film/Pix/pictures/2009/3/27/1238174723232/Scene-from-La-Jetee-1962-001.jpg Figure 3. Still from La Jete 1962 At: http://allfordeadtime.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/fetch.jpg Figure 4. Still from La Jete 1962 At: http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lq80vfHaVd1qav6j8o1_1280.jpg

Bibliography
Curiel, J FILM CLIPS / Also opening today 2003 At: http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/FILM-CLIPSAlso-opening-today-2548335.php#ixzz2JxNBGJ7U Melin, E Te Criterion Collection La Jete Sans Soleil Blu-ray (2012) Review 2012 At: http://www.scenestealers.com/columns/overlooked-movie-monday/la-jetee-sans-soliel-blu-ray-review/ Hall, P Te Bootleg Files - La Jete 2011 At: http://www.filmthreat.com/features/34818/#ixzz2JxMm19Tu Andrew, G La Jete review 2006 At: http://www.timeout.com/london/film/la-jetee