Saute ma ville

Starring: Chantal Akerman
Directed by: Chantal Akerman
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Short, Drama
Length: 13 minutes
1971

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A woman shuts herself in her apartment and engages in increasingly erratic behavior.

Review:

Tim: I always find it fascinating to watch the first films of acclaimed directors. Saute ma ville (which translates as "Blow Up My Town") is the first film ever made by Chantal Akerman. It's important to remember she crafted this film at 18 years old. Whenever I watch movies like this, I'm interested in the product itself, but even more intrigued to see if I can spot glimpses of the filmmaker they would become.

Saute ma ville is certainly interesting. It's a rough film- an 18 year-old making her first movie isn't going to deliver a perfectly polished piece of cinema. But, I did find it intriguing. We see a girl enter her apartment (played by Akerman herself) and start doing random things. At first, it seems like she's fairly normal, performing regular activities. Maybe she's a little starry-eyed or distant. But quickly, her behavior becomes more erratic. It's offputting and a bit jarring to watch. I think we can hear her internal monologue, which is mostly just those nonsense noises people make on occasion. At first, it seemed to me like she was just messing around, but it soon seems like something is wrong her with her. Is it a calculated rebellion against her life? Is it madness? Akerman doesn't specifically tell us, so what we're watching is a little confusing and quite bizarre. It builds until the climax, which is certainly memorable.

The film itself is solid, but what's really interesting is trying to analyze it afterward. What was Akerman trying to say? Is it commentary about the role of women in general? How society almost demands they spend their lives on chore after chore, and people can only take so much of that subjugation before they snap? Is it just a story of one girl cracking up? It seems fascinating to me that an 18 year-old would craft a story like this, especially when you believe it's a commentary on the role of women as prisoners in today's society.

To really take this to the next level, it's worth comparing this with Akerman's most famous work, Jeanne Dielman, 23, quasi du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles. The parallels between the films are obvious. Both are hyper-focused on individual women caught up in a domestic prison (potentially of their own making, but absolutely influenced heavily by society's expectations). Both feature women doing tasks around the house in their own idiosyncratic ways. Both build to a crescendo, a shocking moment that causes you to rethink what you've seen before. To better understand Jeanne Dielman and Akerman as a director, this short film is worth seeing.

I'm glad I watched Saute ma ville. It's a roughly made movie by an inexperienced director, but there are flashes of brilliance here. It's incredible to think only four years after this film was released, Akerman would deliver her masterpiece, a classic of world cinema. Big things often come from small beginnings. I'm glad I was able to see the beginning of this incredible director's career.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Jeanne Dielman, 23, quasi du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles; L'enfant aime ou je joue a etre une femme mariee