Remembrance of Things to Come

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Remembrance of Things to Come" or "Le souvenir d'un avenir" )

directed by Yannick Bellon and Chris Marker
France 2003

Both the title and the witty, urbane narration delivered by Alexandra Stewart are quintessential Chris Marker, yet this 42-minute essay (2001) about the work of photographer Denise Bellon is in fact a collaboration between Marker and Bellon's sister Yannick, a director in her own right who has been making films since 1947. Most of the Denise Bellon photography on-screen comes from France in the late 30s, and the sense of history is as sharp and inflected with literary irony as in Marker's other films.

Excerpt of review from Jonathan Rosenbaum located HERE

Theatrical Release: May 28th, 2003 (New York)

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DVD Review: Icarus Films - Region 0 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Icarus Films Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	41:20
Video	1.66:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.49 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles	None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Icarus Films Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.66:1 Edition Details: • Colette by Yannick Bellon (26:00) DVD Release Date: September 2nd, 2008 Keep Case Chapters 10

Comments

While I wasn't as taken with "Remembrance of Things to Come" as I have been by most of Marker's other works, the film itself is another worthy entry into his oeuvre. As the above review states, the film tells the story of the life and work of Denise Bellon. Bellon, a highly talented photographer, graced the world with her art, and the film is almost entirely composed of her images. They often make for a compelling aesthetic, and Marker wisely keeps the film to a scant running time.

Unfortunately, like the other Marker titles from Icarus Films, this one too is interlaced with clear instances of combing. Otherwise, the image can range from acceptably sharp to rather soft from shot to shot. On the plus side, since this is a recent film, there is very little damage. Again, we're given a choice between English and French narration, and English subtitles. The mono Dolby track seemed perfectly acceptable to me. Also included is a short film from co-director, and sister of the film's subject, Yannick Bellon.

While far from ideal, Marker fans will likely find it acceptable. Recommended.

- Brian Montgomery

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