As far as I know, most of the films of late, great, obstinate French director Jean Eustache have never been seen in Chicago, and the retrospective at Siskel picks up every last stitch of his autobiographical weave. Every six or seven years, I wind up getting to see 1973’s “The Mother and the Whore” (May 24, 28), Eustache’s astonishing, coruscating, relentless Jean Pierre Leaud-starring four-hour 16mm-shot black-and-white post-1968 sexual-politics talkfest, and it’s always a waterfall of conflicting notions. (More about it next week.) Not available on DVD in the US, the most recent subtitling job added sped-up captions for its verbiage, replacing the older set that included the words “untranslatable pun” several times. It’s the sort of smart, immediate, immersive experience that demands to be seen on the big screen, as I imagine the other films to be as well, including his follow-up, “My Little Loves,” a look at childhood. Also this week: a biographical doc paired with “The Pig,” his 1970 documentary that follows a swine from farmyard to sausage grinder. (Ray Pride)
Ray Pride is Newcity’s Senior Editor and Film Critic. He is a contributing editor of Filmmaker magazine.
Ray’s history of Chicago Ghost Signs is planned for publication next year. Previews of the project are on Twitter and on Instagram. More photography on Instagram.
Talking Screens, September 2-8, 2022: $3 Movies, For A Day | 10 Remarkable Films | Ozon Makes Fassbinder Lite National Cinema Day. In Chicago: "The Creepshow: A Stephen King Film Festival"; ten remarkable films in "The Story of Film: A New Generation—A Film Series"; Chicago Film Society presents "Foolish Wives"; and a five-picture run for Pier Paolo Pasolini begins with "Mamma Roma." Plus, a pair of female-led Mexican wrestling movies. New films this week: "Peter Von Kant," "The Good…
