Want to share a movie experience that many consider among their most treasured? Try taking an excursion, then, on the river barge L’Atalante. There’s a couple of newlyweds on board as well as a salty old first-mate, a cabin boy, and at least six cats. We’ll find someplace to squeeze you in. And at the end of the river, we’ll dock in Paris.

Historical Background: Jean Vigo is a bit like the talented young athlete who dies too young, leaving us all to wonder just how great he or she could have been. Except, of course, Vigo was a filmmaker, not a jock. Vigo’s entire cinematic output totals under 200 minutes, consisting of two very short films, one short feature, Zero for Conduct (1933), and the critically acclaimed L’Atalante (1934). L’Atalante was filmed mostly on location during the cold winter months and Vigo was so ill with tuberculosis that he had to direct some of the scenes from a stretcher. Vigo died just weeks after completing the filming of L’Atalante and, in fact, did not remain healthy long enough to complete the editing process. Therein lies one of the controversies surrounding this film. After Vigo became too ill, the task was taken over by the production studio, Gaumont-Franco (now shortened to Gaumont). The producers were so displeased with the product, however, that they demanded further cuts that butchered the film from its original 89 minutes down to just 65. Even so, the film was very poorly received and closed after only a few weeks. Until 1990, the film circulated exclusively in that pared down version, called the Le Chaland qui passé version. It is a testament to the power of Vigo’s vision that the film was adored by critics even in that chopped up form.

The first restoration of the film, in 1990, carried out by Henri Langlois and Cinematheque Francais, with the full cooperation of Gaumont Studios, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, at a length of 89 minutes. This version was issued in America on video by New Yorker video. A second restoration was performed in 2001 which omits a small amount of footage and modifies other scenes a bit. This version was also released by New Yorker, but on DVD. Both restorations were guided by an effort to be faithful to the “intentions” of Vigo, and since those intentions are not definitely known, viewers can decide for themselves which version is ideal. Either restoration is greatly preferable to the old 65 minute version. The new DVD provides the best image quality and would be my personal recommendation.

Vigo was the son of a militant anarchist who died in prison as a consequence. Vigo shared his father’s anarchistic inclinations, though without the militant manifestations that would have run him afoul with the authorities. The production company actually exhibited a fair amount of courage in selecting Vigo to direct this project, since his previous film, Zero for Conduct, had been banned immediately because of its seeming endorsement of insurrection against authority (in the setting of a boy’s boarding school). For his part, Vigo was less than enthused, initially, with the rather simple-minded romantic scenario. Yet it is precisely the contradiction between the rather naïve and conservative narrative and Vigo’s anarchistic sensibility that makes L’Atalante a film that is revered today. The film has a daring, fresh, and erotic vision applied to a conventional love story.

The Story: The story is not different in kind that a billion stories that have taken place between young married couples all over the world. How many young couples have discovered in their initial weeks and months together that living together is a great deal more difficult than dating or falling in love? There are all those annoying little differences in habits and preferences that have to be tolerated or resolved. How many times has a newlywed thought to himself or herself, while looking at the tube of toothpaste squeezed in the “wrong” way, “What have I gotten myself into?” This is the thematic territory of L’Atalante.

The film opens at the tail end of a wedding ceremony. The groom, Jean (Jean Dasté), and the bride, Juliette (Dita Parlo), are leading the wedding party, in what looks more like a funeral procession, to a river barge called “L’Atalante” of which Jean is the captain. Juliette, still in her bridal gown, is swung unceremoniously on board via a boom. This ship is to be her new home. Within moments, Jean has slipped into his work clothes and the marriage celebration is apparently over.

Juliette quickly meets her new roommates. Besides Jean, the crew of the barge consists of a salty old seadog, the first-mate Pere Jules (Michel Simon) and a simple-minded cabin boy (Louis Lefebvre). They refer to Juliette as “boss-lady.” She, however, is initially somewhat awkward as she moves about the close quarters of the boat. She soon discovers that she is now living in something of a bachelor’s hell-hole. Jean leaves his dirty clothes strewn about and seldom does laundry. Jules loves cats and the boat is swarming with them. One, in fact, has just had kittens on Juliette’s wedding bed! Juliette declares that “Things are going to change” around here. Between moments of passion and whispering sweet nothin’s in each other’s ear, the newlyweds bicker. Jules mutters, that they’re either “kissin’ or fightin’ all day.”

Life on a river barge is tedium. Juliette begins to be disillusioned, picturing an endless life of prosaic boredom. Jean, by contrast, is fully contented with his small world and ensures Juliette that on the L’Atalante she will see the world. Juliette mutters, yeah, “River banks.” Since the L’Atalante only travels the Seine, from Le Havre to Paris, her version of things is closer to the truth than his. Juliette picks up a broadcast on the radio from Paris and yearns to see the magic city. Jean reluctantly agrees to show her around the city when they get there.

Juliette becomes more acquainted with the crusty old Jules. Jules is not used to having a pretty young woman around and is smitten, flirting with her comically. In his room, he shows off his tattoos and his prowess with a sewing machine. Juliette makes him “model” a dress she is working on by holding it up against his frame. Jules shows Juliette one of his most intimate “possessions” – a pair of pickled human hands that are all that’s left of a former best friend. Jean bursts in on this innocent love-fest and is furious, breaking into a jealous rage.

When they arrive at Paris, Juliette is flush with anticipation. Jules takes off first, however, and Jean and Juliette must await his return as the barge cannot be left unattended. Jules’s foray turns out to be prolonged as he meets up with a combination fortune teller and prostitute. He returns fully soused. Juliette finally gets her trip into Paris and is enchanted by the shops and vibrant atmosphere. When a charming street vendor flirts shamelessly with Juliette, Jean’s jealous streak resurfaces and he demands they return to the barge.

Juliette acquiesces, but is so painfully disappointed that she slips back into Paris on her own as soon as Jean falls asleep. Jean awakens to find that Juliette has stolen off to Paris and, in a rage and over the objections of Jules, he lifts anchor and shoves off, deserting Juliette. The two lovers, now separated, each suffer excruciatingly. Juliette, initially delighted with Paris, has her purse stolen and encounters uncouth men who make lewd suggestions to her. On board the L’Atalante, Jean is inconsolable, wanders about dazed, and desperately hugs a block of ice. Vigo cuts back and forth between the two suffering lovers. Jean recalls Juliette telling him that you can see your true love in water. “I saw you before I met you,” she had told him. Jean desperately shoves his head into a bucket of water and, when that fails, plunges into the icy canal, searching for her. Swimming frantically, he sees a vision of his beloved in her wedding dress, just out of reach, receding as he tries desperately to reach her. It is a haunting angelic vision – for Jean and for viewers alike.

POSSIBLE SPOILER. SKIP TO THEMES IF YOU PLAN TO SEE THIS MOVIE AND PREFER TO RETAIN THE UNCERTAINTY OF OUTCOME.

Jean and Juliette find themselves spending their first night apart – she in a Paris hotel room and he somewhere down the Seine on L’Atalante. Both sleep restlessly, furtively, feverishly consumed by longing for one another. In a spectacularly erotic montage, Vigo cuts back and forth between the two. She strokes her collar bone, Jean kisses himself on the arm. They move heatedly, bury their faces in their pillows, and seem to share an orgasmic release across space. Acutely aware of his skipper's misery, old Jules takes it upon himself to set things right.

Themes: The obvious theme of L’Atalante is the difficulties of adjusting to married life. Those who have experienced that adjustment or, even, simply learning to live with a roommate will fully appreciate the challenge. In fact, any such viewers will fully understand that the difficulties portrayed in this film for the young couple will not be their last difficulties. Adjustments to marriage are recurrent. Each party changes necessitating readjustments along the way.

A second, less obvious theme of L’Atalante is a kind of gender-bender view of roles in human interactions. It is evident in so many ways, in this film, that Vigo’s vision has been sometimes referred to as “pansexual anarchy.” Vigo, himself, was said to be bisexual. Here’s a few of the many examples. In the wedding parade, rather than the party being composed exclusively of heterosexual couples, we see some same sex pairs walking along together. Jules, in fact, is holding hands with the cabin boy. Later, Jean begins to be “civilized” and “softened” as a man by Juliette’s feminine influence, making him more appealing to her. Jules also wins Juliette’s affection and friendship by exhibiting his “feminine” side – his skill with a sewing machine and modeling the dress she is making. For her part, Juliette wins the respect of Jules as she becomes more useful as a “seaman” by learning how to operate the riggings. Although no one of these elements by itself provides unambiguous evidence of a pansexual orientation, together they add up to a pretty convincing case.

Production Values: The black-and-white cinematography of L’Atalante, provided by Boris Kaufman, is very appealing, and much more so in the restored versions. Most of the shooting took place on the well-chosen locations. Like some of his French contemporaries, Vigo’s sense of framing is meticulous. The soundtrack includes some enchanting songs provided by Maurice Jaubert.

Dita Parlo, a famous actress born in Berlin, made over twenty films, mostly in the 1930’s. She had a marvelous role in Renoir’s 1937 masterpiece Grand Illusion. She is brilliant here in L’Atalante as well. That she was something of a sex-goddess is attested to by the fact that Madonna had her initials (D.P.) imprinted on one of her gold teeth! Jean Dasté effectively portrays the charmingly smitten Jean. His resume includes Bondu Saved from Drowning (1932), Zero for Conduct (1933), Muriel (1963), La Guerre est Finie (1966), and The Green Room (1978). Michel Simon, as the first-mate, sometimes almost steals his scenes. He was less than forty when the film was made but manages to look much older and weather-beaten. He had credits in La Chienne (1931), Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932), Le Quai des Brumes (1938), The Train (1965), and The Two of Us (1967).

Bottom-Line: Vigo died at just 29 years of age. Beginning in 1951, an award called the Prix Jean Vigo was implemented and has been bestowed each year to acknowledge a filmmaker, for either a short or feature film, exhibiting potential and promise (not necessarily polished accomplishment). This is as it should be because Jean Vigo died at a time when his potential and promise were unlimited.

L’Atalante is a classic film treasure that has influenced many filmmakers since. It achieves a lot but speaks even more to what its creator could have achieved but for the tragic intervention of tuberculosis. I highly recommend this film to all movie lovers. Be sure to seek out one of the restored versions. L’Atalante is in French with English subtitles and has a running time of 89 minutes in the restored form.

Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older