Pierrot le fou (1965)

Second viewing, first in color. First viewing, in black and white, was on May 20, 2002.

A married man runs away with the babysitter. They commit a series of crimes and run out of money. She suggests they go to the South of France where she says her brother, a criminal, is.

A playful comedy, much of which owes a great debt to Marx Brothers films and Warner Brothers cartoons. Here, however, literary references are an important part. The extensive use of non-sequitur generates an unusual sort of comicity. The film starts in an angry mood, then switches to a gay one, which is then dissolved in graphic violence and betrayal. References to the Vietnam war seem to be neither here nor there. Very little of the film strikes me as particularly brilliant. The cinematography is remarkable.

Rating: 51 (up from 47)