Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
Last weekend, LACMA screened the new print of Chantal Akerman’s riveting portrait of life as a series of imprisoning rituals, Jeanne Dielman: 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975), a film that charts the actions of a matronly widow (Delphine Seyrig)–and covert prostitute–as she performs house chores and errands over a three day period. Comprised of lingering, static shots of Dielman in her apartment and around town, and clocking in well over three hours, its uncompromising and provocative vision has long been an inspiration to those lucky enough to see it. It’s never been released on video in the US, …
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