Cannes Diary: The past and future of cinema from "Napoleon" to VR

Once again, I have the privilege of sharing my experiences at the Cannes Film Festival here on The Film Experience with a daily diary of impressions and reviews from the Croisette.

by Elisa Giudici

Today we delve into both the rich history and the uncertain future of cinema. Some foresee a fate entwined with AI and irrelevance, while others celebrate the enduring vitality of an art form that blazed its trail over a century ago. This year’s Cannes opening reflects on the industry's past glories and its current challenges, not shying away from the unease about what lies ahead, evoking the dizzying excitement of days gone by...

Cannes Immersive Selection

In 2024, Cannes formally acknowledges the immersive cinema trend by establishing a competitive section dedicated to it. Attending the press presentation, one could sense the pioneering spirit: section heads delivering intros, jittery PR reps ushering in the select few, technicians grappling with logistics like reservations and queues.

I recall a similar event in Venice some years ago, marking the inception of this section—a festival that first embraced this technology and its cinematic potential. Six years later, immersive cinema has indeed matured, though perhaps not to the extent initially envisioned.

I sampled all several offerings, including contenders vying for the coveted Palme. Yet, experiences like "Notes on Blindness" and "Spheres" failed to shake off the impression that VR merely elevates certain multimedia content found in interactive museum exhibits.

Evolver

More compelling was "Battlescar" by Martin Allais and Nico Casavecchia, plunging viewers into a punk odyssey through the alleys of Alphabet City. The standout project, however, is the documentary series "Missing Picture," where directors recount unrealized projects. At Cannes, Naomi Kawase’s episode sees her chatting with us amidst a forest, narrating a tale of acceptance and bullying in contemporary Japan—a film never brought to fruition.

One intriguing trend at Cannes 2024 is the prevalence of Hollywood stars lending their voices to these immersive experiences—Rosario Dawson in "Battlescar," Jessica Chastain, Patty Smith, and Millie Bobby Brown in "Spheres," and notably, Cate Blanchett in "Evolver." Picture yourself reclined on a plush cushion in the dim light, listening through headphones as Cate whispers, narrating the evolution of a cell within an organism—the closest to ASMR one might experience at Cannes.

Napoleon by Abel Gance

A still from Napoleon © Cinémathèque française

Screening a four-hour silent film from 1927, painstakingly restored over decades, amidst fervent French admirers shedding tears during the rendition of the Marseillaise—such moments are quintessentially festival experiences. The experience was a daring plunge into cinematic history, reserved for the first day without hindering journalistic obligations.

I embraced this challenge, captivated by the contrast between the pioneering days of Gance's exploration of cinema over a century ago and today's frontier of VR. His portrayal of Napoleon, oscillating between religious mysticism and military prowess, still resonates with cinematic vigor, eclipsing recent attempts like Ridley Scott’s.

It's remarkable how Gance’s narrative choices in depicting the leader's body and mind inadvertently echo those of modern filmmakers like Denis Villeneuve's Dune films.

The Second Act by Quentin Dupieux

Le Deuxieme Acte © Chi-Fou-Mi / Arte France Cinéma

In Le deuxième acte, reminiscent of Venice's Daaaaaalí!, we witness a director enticing some of France’s finest stars —Léa Seydoux, Louis Garrel, Vincent Lindon, and promising newcomer Raphaël Quenard—into a surreal meta-film, only to veer off into aimless meandering after a promising start.

This film, aptly chosen to open the festival, serves as a meta-cinematic reflection on the state of the industry. The four protagonists navigate through the production of a romantic comedy while confronting present neuroses and future fears within the industry: cancel culture, artificial intelligence, and the allure of Anglophone cinema.

Dupieux masterfully balances surreal humor with a critique of the current industry landscape, as evidenced by the film’s opening—a pair of extended tracking shots that underscore its self-referential nature. The irony of its title, The Second Act, is not lost on us, marking precisely when the film's narrative drive begins to wane.

more to come from Cannes!

Comments

[McGill]

Thank you Elisa, for writing about the festivals again this year! I used what you wrote last year to help me decide what films to choose at TIFF (you were right).

I’ve seen the Abel Gance “Napoleon” (with a live orchestra, very exciting). What shocked me was seeing the actor/ writer/ icon Antonin Artaud in the film (he plays Marat?). I had always assumed he looked like the actor playing Napoleon, Albert Dieudonne, someone fierce with high cheekbones and a hawk nose etc.

But Artaud was so sensitive and vulnerable. He reminded me of the actor John Cazale (“The Godfather”). I had to reassess my interpretation of Artaud’s “theatre of cruelty”. For an actor who looks like he’s all exposed nerve endings, giving his all to a part would be very hard on him.

[thevoid99]

Napoleon is a film that I want to see as I hope it would get a proper 4K Blu-Ray release.

[Cláudio Alves]

Watching the NAPOLEON restoration on the big screen must have been one hell of an experience. Love the way you relate to the pioneering efforts of today in VR. Also, I'm not jealous at all - oh, what a bald-faced lie.

McGill -- "All exposed nerve endings" is a fantastic description of Artaud. Having studied and admired his writing and theory in Theater School, it's always been fascinating to see his few big screen appearances. He's such an arresting presence in this and THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC.