Observations on "La Jetée", by Chris Marker
I watched "La Jetée" on Google Video, an interesting short work by Chris Marker, and undertook to write about my reactions to it.
My first reaction is that this is a lovely piece of work! It has an original and interesting story with lots of depth, and is told using a very limited, yet evocative, set of audio visual techniques. The technique complements and enhances the story very well.
The film is made using only a succession of black & white still photographs (there is a small segment of motion towards the end), with a voice-over narration. This apparent constraint actually opens up many creative possibilities. I have found this to be true in general - that constraints (either imposed or chosen) encourage creativity.
By limiting himself to photographs, the director is able to put a seamless mix of historical images (for example, the ruins of a bombed city, standing in for a future Paris) with photographs shot for the film, and have them appear consistent.
The use of still photographs limits the ability to convey information through camera moves, yet the creative use of pans and zooms gives a powerful sensation of motion.
Moreover, this format works well with the story: the memories of a time traveller. The use of monochromatic stills leads to a "distance" from the subject that makes it very much like a distant memory. This also creates a sense of nostalgia, of longing for a long-gone past (our present!).
That said, the montage of photos is very skillfully edited as a *film* - the duration of shots, the pace of edting, and the focus on specific parts of the image shows the hand of a skilled film director at work.
The soundtrack is equally restrained, limted to the narrator's voiceover, and a moody choral score.
Finally, the length of the work is worth commenting on: it is only 26 minutes long, yet manages to tell a complex and engaging story. It is possible that the highly constrained form has led the director to put together something where every second counts... not unlike the life of the protagonist and the enigmatic woman in his life.