FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2006 --
Here is my dilemma: Houston is the latest stop in the revival tour of the most inscrutable French film from the Sixties (not directed by Godard) "Last Year at Marienbad" (France, 1961) -- in a 35mm Cinemascope print! I have never seen this classic conundrum of a film, directed by the great Alain Resnais. The trouble is, I'm leaving on a 10-day vacation on the Thursday before the second of three consecutive Friday screenings, so I can only go to the May 9th showing.
May 9th also happens to be my last chance to see Houston Grand Opera's production of Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd, the first of HGO's multi-year retrospective of Britten's work. I have a new appreciation for Britten's operas after listening to several performances of the Met's recent production of Peter Grimes on SIRIUS, plus I'm a sucker for a good seafaring yarn.
Two must-see productions: one night. What's a foreignfilmguy to do????
The answer will surprise you.
Against all expectations (for the subject of this blog, anyway) I went to the opera. That's why this post ends here. [I've waited this long ... I can always catch Marienbad at another art house venue in the future.]
You made the right decision, for the right reasons. The film will be there again -- a live performance won't. Now, on a different matter, we saw the new Indiana Jones today (a tired franchise, that). One of the previews was for a new Brad Pitt vehicle, "Benjamin Britton" or something like that. Looks stupid, but the music was familiar. I knew it was lifted from another film, but couldn't remember which one. After a few hours of running the score through my head, it came to me -- "Days of Heaven"! I hope Ennio Morricone gets his props!!
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