Hiroshima Mon Amour

Starring: Emmanuelle Riva, Eija Okada, Bernard Fresson
Directed by: Alain Resnais
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama, Romance
1960

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A French actress (Emmanuelle Riva) and a Japanese architect (Eija Okada) have a brief affair where they talk about their lives and how the destruction of Hiroshima impacted them.

Review:

Tim: Hiroshima Mon Amour is one of the best examples of the French New Wave movement. Now, I'm not a movie historian expert (surprising for someone who has seen over 4,300 movies maybe) so I don't know if I fully grasp what that was- but my understanding is that it was a rejection of traditional cinematic conventions, for much more experimentation in how films were presented. In that lens, this film absolutely takes big chances with how the story unfolds. It certainly feels different than what came before. As a film, I enjoyed Hiroshima Mon Amour and I appreciated some of its unique qualities. I wouldn't say the narrative truly grabbed me. It feels like more of an "important" movie than an especially "great" one.

The story is certainly intriguing. We meet a French actress, in Hiroshima, Japan for a brief time for work. She connects with a Japanese architect and they start a brief but intense affair. During their time, they have many lengthy discussions. Alain Resnais' film is not especially concerned with momentum. This movie is absolutely a slow boil- whether it's a lingering shot of them laying together, prolonged conversations, meandering walks. Nothing narratively is in a hurry. This is certainly an interesting artistic decision. It does make the film feel less like a piece of cinema and more authentic, believable. It feels like Resnais has captured something true about the world- real life looks a lot more like this than most films. Is that a good thing or not, depends on your perspective. I'm always impressed when a movie is able to simulate real life believably. However, I also love movies as an escape from the real world. If I really wanted to watch authentic drama for two hours, I could find real people to talk to. So, while this feels like a wonderful attempt at experimentation, it doesn't exactly deliver a powerhouse film. I have no doubt this film was exceedingly influential. I'm sure that's what most critics would hook into- how important the film is. And yes, it is. However, is this a "great" movie? I don't think it gets especially close to that.

The cast is good. I wasn't familiar with Emmanuelle Riva or Eija Okada before this film. They both give stripped down performances, filled with emotion. They're both believable in these roles. Their authenticity is heightened by many of the filmmaking innovations Resnais used. While I liked getting to know these characters, I can't say I actually liked them. I felt no deep emotional connection with either of them. They were interesting, but not especially likable and far away from lovable. That hurts the movie- to feature two characters that hit the head, but not our hearts. Even in the more emotional sequences- the flashbacks for Riva's character, for example, never fully hit home at a deep emotional level. Their performances are always good, though- they convey a lot of emotional realistically.

One of the filmmaking innovations I want to highlight is the use of very quick flashbacks- truly leaning into the "flash" aspect. These brief flashbacks were a highlight of the film and they conveyed realism in a way I hadn't seen before. Most of our memories aren't long, drawn out affairs. They are quick snapshots of the past that pop into our heads for a brief moment of time. That's how they often appear in this film and it's beautiful and brilliant. That was one of the highlights of this film, from my perspective.

This film did receive 1 Academy Award nomination- for Best Original Screenplay. For a French film to break into this category is impressive! The Academy obviously appreciated the writing. What is bizarre to me is that the film didn't even receive a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. Maybe the film's subject matter had something to do with this, but I don't quite buy that, as it did receive the writing nomination. Maybe the film isn't quite as great as some people suggest?

In the end, I liked Hiroshima Mon Amour. It was fun seeing the filmmaking innovations that Resnais used in the movie, especially the brief flashbacks. I really appreciated watching this film because it did give me new insight into the French New Wave movement. However, this is the kind of film whose importance exceeds it's own quality. It's good and it's no doubt influential, but in the long list of great world cinema classics, I wouldn't include this. I don't think there's an issue with this- films can be more influential than they are outstanding, and this is one such case.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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