Watch Le Joli Mai

Le Joli Mai is a French documentary film from 1963 directed by Chris Marker and Pierre Lhomme. The movie is set in May 1962 during the first spring of peace after the end of the Algerian War. It has been described as a poetic portrait of Paris featuring interviews with various Parisians, ranging from artists and workers to poets and politicians, reflecting on their hopes and dreams for this new era of prosperity and growth.

The film is presented in the form of a collage, blending together footage of the streets of Paris with interviews with its inhabitants. The filmmakers ask open-ended questions, and the people they meet talk about everything from love and happiness to politics and social change. They express their hope for a better future, but also their disillusionment with the present.

Le Joli Mai is not a traditional documentary featuring a single narrative or theme. Instead, it presents a kaleidoscopic view of Paris and its people, revealing the diversity of experiences and perspectives in the city. The film also explores the nature of documentary filmmaking itself, using innovative techniques such as split-screen and voiceover to layer different perspectives and create a sense of depth and complexity.

One of the most striking features of Le Joli Mai is its visual style. The filmmakers use a mixture of black and white and color footage, often combining different film stocks and textures to create a visually rich and fascinating tapestry of Paris. The photography is breathtaking, capturing the light and ambiance of the city in a way that is both realistic and poetic.

The music is also an important element of the film, with a haunting original score by Michel Legrand that alternates between lush romanticism and sparse minimalism. The music adds another layer to the emotional impact of the images and interviews, creating a sense of nostalgia and longing for a time that is gone but not forgotten.

The film features a number of prominent French cultural figures, such as Yves Montand and Simone Signoret, who give interviews about their visions for the future of France. But the real stars of the film are the ordinary people who make up the fabric of Parisian life. We meet a working-class couple who dream of owning a house with a garden, a young woman who talks about the difficulties of finding love in the modern city, and a group of factory workers who discuss the frustrations of their jobs.

Le Joli Mai is a film that captures a moment in time, but its themes are universal. The film's exploration of hope and despair, love and alienation, and the individual and the collective, are as relevant today as they were in 1963. While the film may be seen as a document of a specific moment in French history, it is really a meditation on the human condition, and the enduring power of art to capture our deepest emotions and thoughts.

Overall, Le Joli Mai is a movie that offers an immersive and captivating portrait of Paris and its people. It is a film that rewards careful viewing, with layers of meaning and significance that reveal themselves on repeated viewings. It is a must-see for anyone interested in documentary filmmaking, French culture, or the power of cinema to capture the essence of humanity.

Le Joli Mai is a 1963 documentary with a runtime of 2 hours and 26 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.9.