The French Director who Inspired Call me By Your Name

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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:10 Rohmer Films are Paintings
0:40 Mesmerizing Mundanity
1:16 Simplicity
2:15 Setting
3:05 Beauty in Realism
4:07 Beauty in The In-between
6:29 Youth & Loneliness
7:38 Men & Women
8:19 Conclusion

Thank you for all your support!!!

Featured films:
- Four adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle
- A summer's tale
- My night at Mauds
- L'ami de mon amie
- A winter's tale
- La collectionneuse
- The green ray
- Claire's knee
- Pauline at the beach

SOURCES:

CLIPS + Other essays from great writers:

I've decided to launch a Patreon for those who would like to show even more support to the channel. I don't make any money from YouTube so this financial support would allow me to keep making videos for you all! 😄

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commenting, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

[grantous]

Great video. I once saw The Bakery Girl of Monceau and knew right away this director was for me

[kimsvensson]

Rex, your videos are phenomenally captivating. I personally didn’t know much about Rohmer’s films before, but after watching your video essays, I’m eager to explore them and bask in the nuanced beauty you highlight. Keep up the great work (as I enjoy watching your videos while getting ready🫡)

[davekellino]

Brilliant video. A Rohmer movie is about finding comfort in the world, a world where intellectual conversation and beauty are valued more than violence or vulgarity. Each one is a tiny little parcel of almost perfection, not total perfection, because that would be oppressive. Rohmer brings contentment to a mad world.

[pinkkerbs]

This was great, really appreciated the discussion, particularly the "beauty in-between" focus. Rohmer's balance of conversation and silence throughout his films and playing with how those two aspects of cinematic language work in tandem and tension with each other, is brilliant.

[JaRu-jc]

I was so glad when I discovered Rohmer. The Green Ray is one of my all-time favourite films!! And watching his films remind me so much of Before trilogy which is my fave too. And these movies are why France has a special place in my heart. It feels like I’ve explored it several times already. On our last eurotrip, we did Before Sunrise and Before Sunset tour and being in & going outside of Paris feels like I’m in a Rohmer film 😆 I also love the colours of his films. Makes sense because of how they were inspired by paintings too. Ugh. I love art and films 😭 Thank you for this video!!!

[alisha_]

I’ve known about Rohmer for a while and I’ve always put off watching his stuff precisely because of the mundanity of it, but maybe I’ll give one a try soon. The bit about finding beauty in transitory stages really stuck with me because that’s something I find myself thinking a lot in my own head. Some of the most peaceful moments I look back on are moments like those. Great video.

[babylonian.captivity]

He's probably my favorite director, in the end. Yes to everything you say.
And I'm struck by the quote you select, on the theme of loneliness and alienation:

"I feel that everyone's alive around me but me."

I never consciously made this connection before but that's the same as Travis Bickle's "I just want to be a person, like other people."

[OuterGalaxyLounge]

Rohmer's best kept secret, and that of much of Euro cinema, is that if you populate your movies with beautiful people, audiences will stay for the slow burn. You don't see average or "ugly" people in these so-called realistic films. Would audiences sit still for them if they did? I never see critics mentioning this.
Yes, I love Rohmer's films, but let's get real.

[Slowdive]

Phenomenal video!! I would kill to hear your in depth thoughts on the “tales of four season” movies. Keep up the great work

[tinaadass]

If you read "eight white nights" by Andre Aciman, the author of cmbyn, he mentions Eric Rohmer's movies... !!!!