Volume 18
La Piscine by Jacques Deray — L’Étranger by Albert Camus — Untitled (Glass on body Imprints) by Ana Mendieta
Happy Sunday and welcome back to Giselle daydreams! Today is my birthday so if you’re reading this, it would make me really happy if you like today’s volume and share it with like-minded people.
In this volume, I’m writing about La Piscine a visually aesthetically pleasing and daydreaming French film starring Romy Schneider, Alain Delon and Jane Birkin. I’m also discussing one of Albert Camus’ most famous work L’Étranger, and I’m ending with a note on photography sharing the work of Cuban-American artist Ana Mendieta. Enjoy!
As Summer is approaching, I am in the mood to watch or rewatch films portraying a daydreaming summer. South of France, Italy, Spain or Greece epitomise what a perfect summer looks like to me, and despite being in London while writing this, my mind is somewhere in a Mediterranean fantasy.
La Piscine (1969), directed by Jacques Deray, is a French psychological thriller that combines elements of suspense, drama, and romance, set against the sun-drenched backdrop of the French Riviera. The film is notable for its atmospheric tension and the compelling performances of its lead actors.
The story revolves around a love triangle set against the backdrop of a luxurious villa with a swimming pool in the South of France. Jean-Paul (played by Alain Delon) and Marianne (played by Romy Schneider) are a couple on vacation. Their idyllic holiday is disrupted by the arrival of Marianne's former lover, Harry (Maurice Ronet), and his teenage daughter, Penelope (Jane Birkin). The dynamics between the characters become increasingly strained, leading to jealousy, seduction, and ultimately, tragedy.
La Piscine (The Swimming Pool) delves into themes of jealousy, desire, and the complexities of human relationships. The film is renowned for its slow-burn tension and the psychological depth of its characters. The luxurious setting contrasts with the dark undercurrents of the story, creating a sense of unease that builds throughout the film. Jacques Deray's direction, coupled with the stylish cinematography, captures both the beauty of the locale and the intensity of the interpersonal drama.
Jealousy is at the heart of La Piscine. The arrival of Harry and Penelope disrupts the tranquillity of Jean-Paul and Marianne's holiday, bringing underlying tensions to the surface. Jean-Paul's jealousy is particularly pronounced as he perceives Harry as a threat to his relationship with Marianne. This jealousy is not merely about romantic rivalry but also about power and control within personal relationships. Jean-Paul's sense of possession over Marianne becomes more evident as Harry's presence exacerbates his insecurities.
Desire is a driving force in the film, manifesting in both overt and subtle ways. Desire permeates the interactions between the characters. The film explores both overt and latent sexual tensions, particularly between Jean-Paul and Penelope, and the rekindled attraction between Marianne and Harry. The pool serves as a central symbol of temptation and seduction, where boundaries blur, and repressed desires surface. The seduction is not just physical but also emotional, as characters manipulate each other's affections and loyalties.
The idyllic setting of the villa and the serene pool contrast sharply with the underlying emotional turmoil of the characters. This juxtaposition creates a sense of unease, as the beautiful exterior masks the characters' inner conflicts and moral ambiguities. The peacefulness of the location becomes a facade, hiding the simmering tensions that eventually erupt into violence.
La Piscine intricately portrays the complexities of human relationships, particularly focusing on themes of trust, betrayal, and loyalty. The characters' past connections and present interactions create a web of conflicting emotions and motivations. The film delves into how past relationships influence current dynamics and how trust can be easily shattered by suspicion and deceit.
The characters in La Piscine are haunted by their past decisions and relationships. Marianne and Harry's past affair lingers over their current interactions, influencing their behaviour and decisions. The passage of time brings with it regret and unresolved emotions, which resurface and affect the characters' present lives. The film explores how the past continuously shapes the present, often leading to a cycle of unresolved tensions.
The characters' idle lifestyle, filled with leisure and luxury, leads to a dangerous ennui. The lack of purposeful activity and the constant proximity within the villa create a breeding ground for jealousy, suspicion, and emotional volatility. The film suggests that idleness can lead to destructive behaviours as characters seek to alleviate their boredom through manipulation and confrontation.
Jacques Deray's direction, combined with the cinematography by Jean-Jacques Tarbès, plays a crucial role in building the film's atmosphere. The use of the swimming pool as a central visual motif reflects the fluid and often murky nature of the characters' interactions. The cinematography captures the seductive beauty of the setting, while the framing and pacing contribute to the film's slow-burning tension.
The swimming pool is a potent symbol in the film, representing both the allure and danger of desire. It is a place of relaxation and pleasure but also becomes a site of conflict and confrontation, mirroring the duality present in the relationships. The pool's clear, inviting waters contrast with the murky emotional depths of the character’s emotions and secrets, symbolising the deceptive nature of appearances.
The luxurious villa signifies a seemingly perfect world that hides imperfections and brewing conflicts. It represents a microcosm where the characters' true natures and hidden emotions are gradually revealed.
Upon its release, La Piscine received mixed reviews but has since been reevaluated and is now considered a classic of French cinema. The film's exploration of character and mood, along with the iconic performances of Delon and Schneider, have been particularly praised. The chemistry between the lead actors, who were romantically involved in real life at one point, adds an extra layer of intrigue to their on-screen relationship.
La Piscine is a masterful exploration of human emotions and relationships, set against a deceptively serene backdrop. Its themes of jealousy, desire, and the fragile nature of tranquillity are skillfully woven into the narrative and visual style, and resonate with universal human experiences, providing a deep and engaging viewing experience.
La Piscine has had a lasting impact on the thriller genre and has inspired several other works, including the 2015 film A Bigger Splash directed by Luca Guadagnino, which is a loose remake of Deray's film. The film remains a notable example of 1960s French cinema and continues to be appreciated for its stylistic elegance and narrative depth.
Literature
L’Étranger by Albert Camus (1942)
As you probably noticed if you have been reading me for a while, I enjoy reading French novels a lot. There’s something about reading in your mother tongue that hits differently, and despite enjoying reading many books in English, I am also drowned in the idea of reading in French. I read L’Étranger a decade ago after discussing it with some friends at university. Ironically, I am still surprised it did not feature in my high school curriculum otherwise, I would have read it way earlier.
L'Étranger (often translated as The Stranger or The Outsider) is a novel by French author Albert Camus. Published in 1942, it is one of Camus's most famous works and a prime example of his philosophy of absurdism. The novel is divided into two parts, focusing on the life and internal world of the protagonist, Meursault.
The novel begins with the famous line, "Aujourd'hui, maman est morte" ("Today, mother died"). Meursault, a French Algerian, receives a telegram informing him of his mother's death. He travels to the nursing home where she lived, attends the funeral with apparent indifference, and returns to Algiers. His emotional detachment and lack of traditional mourning behaviour are evident throughout.
Back in Algiers, Meursault resumes his everyday life. He begins a romantic relationship with Marie, a former co-worker, and befriends his neighbour Raymond, who is involved in questionable activities. Meursault's passive nature leads him to become entangled in Raymond's conflicts, which culminates in a confrontation on the beach where Meursault, disoriented by the sun's glare and heat, shoots and kills an Arab man.
The second part of the novel deals with Meursault's arrest, imprisonment, and trial. Throughout the process, his lack of emotional response and detachment from societal norms become focal points for the judicial system. The prosecutor and defence lawyer focus on his character and morality rather than the facts of the case. During the trial, Meursault's atheism and failure to adhere to societal expectations, such as not crying at his mother's funeral, are used against him. The court portrays him as a moral monster, and he is ultimately sentenced to death. In the final scenes, Meursault reflects on his life and the absurdity of existence. He finds peace in accepting the randomness of the universe and the inevitability of death, embracing the indifference of the world.
The novel explores Camus's philosophy of the absurd, the conflict between humans' desire to find meaning in life and the indifferent universe that offers none. Meursault lives in an indifferent universe that lacks inherent meaning. His lack of emotion and detachment reflect a worldview where human efforts to find meaning are ultimately futile. His detached reaction to events, such as his mother's death, underscores the absurdity of seeking rational explanations in an irrational world. His murder of the Arab and his indifferent response to the crime and its consequences underscore this theme. Camus illustrates the absurdity of life through Meursault’s experiences, leading to the protagonist's acceptance of the world's meaningless nature by the novel's end.
Meursault's character is marked by a profound sense of alienation and isolation. Meursault's emotional indifference isolates him from society. His inability to conform to social expectations, such as mourning his mother or expressing conventional emotions, alienates him from others. He is emotionally detached from those around him, including his mother, lover, and friends. His lack of conventional emotional responses, such as his indifference to his mother's death and his unemotional approach to life, sets him apart from society. This theme is evident in his relationships and interactions, portraying a man who is a stranger to the world and to himself.
Throughout the novel, Meursault is depicted as an outsider. His relationships are shallow and utilitarian, and he struggles to connect with others on a deeper emotional level. This isolation becomes starkly evident during his trial.
Meursault embodies the existentialist emphasis on individual experience. His life is defined by personal sensations and perceptions rather than societal norms or moral codes. He exercises free will but also faces the consequences of his actions, highlighting existentialist themes of freedom and responsibility. His choice to shoot the Arab man is a pivotal moment demonstrating his exercise of free will, though it's driven by irrational and momentary impulses.
Meursault's trial serves as a critique of how society judges individuals based on their adherence to social norms rather than their actions. The court is more interested in Meursault’s character and his failure to conform to societal expectations than in the actual facts of the case. This theme highlights the tension between the individual's inner world and society's external judgments and expectations. Meursault's character becomes a lens through which Camus examines the ways in which society imposes meaning and morality on individuals, often unjustly.
Meursault's emotional indifference is a central characteristic that drives much of the novel's thematic content. His lack of emotional response to societal expectations such as – showing grief at his mother's funeral or his own impending execution, as well as adhering to traditional romantic and moral behaviours – illustrates his rejection of these conventions as arbitrary and devoid of true significance. It also exemplifies a deeper existential disconnection. This indifference underscores the novel's absurdist philosophy, suggesting that emotions and societal expectations are ultimately irrelevant in the face of an indifferent universe. The novel critiques how society imposes meaning and order, often punishing those who do not conform.
Throughout the novel, Meursault's journey can be seen as a quest for authenticity. By rejecting societal norms and confronting the absurdity of existence, he strives to live an authentic life, true to his own nature and perceptions. His final realisation and acceptance of the absurdity of life represent his ultimate embrace of authenticity.
Meursault's atheism is a critical aspect of his character. He rejects religious comfort and the notion of an afterlife, as seen in his interactions with the chaplain. This atheistic perspective reinforces the novel's existential and absurdist themes. Camus uses Meursault’s atheism and rejection of religious norms to critique the societal expectation of faith and morality. During the trial, Meursault's atheism is portrayed as a moral failing, used against him by the prosecution to paint him as a monster. His interactions with the chaplain in prison further highlight his rejection of religious comfort and his acceptance of the absurdity of life without divine meaning.
The novel questions traditional morality. Meursault’s actions, such as his crime and his behaviour at his mother’s funeral, are judged by societal standards, but the narrative itself refrains from moral judgement, presenting Meursault's life as a series of events without inherent moral significance.
Death is a pervasive theme in L'Étranger. The novel opens with the death of Meursault's mother, and it closes with Meursault's acceptance of his own impending execution. Through Meursault's indifferent reactions to death and his ultimate acceptance of it, Camus explores the inevitability and finality of death, emphasising that it is the one absolute certainty in an absurd and meaningless world.
Camus’s writing style is characterised by its simplicity and clarity. The straightforward prose mirrors Meursault’s straightforward, unembellished view of the world. Despite its simplicity, the novel is rich in symbolism. The sun, for instance, is a recurring symbol that represents the oppressive and indifferent forces of the universe, playing a crucial role in the pivotal scene of the murder.
While not the primary focus, the novel's setting in French Algeria provides a backdrop that invites discussions about colonialism, racial tensions, and the clash of cultures. The cultural and racial tensions between the French colonisers and the native Algerians add layers to Meursault's alienation. His crime against an Arab man and the subsequent trial can be interpreted within the broader context of colonial power dynamics and racial prejudice. The justice system's focus on Meursault's character rather than the crime itself reflects the colonial society's moral and ethical framework, where the outsider's life is scrutinised through a lens of cultural superiority.
L'Étranger by Camus is a profound exploration of existential and absurdist themes. Through the character of Meursault, Camus examines the nature of existence, the meaninglessness of social conventions, and the inevitability of death. The novel challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths about the human condition and the search for meaning in an indifferent universe, making it a seminal work in existential literature. Camus's writing style, characterised by its simplicity and clarity, enhances the philosophical depth of the novel.
Photography
Untitled (Glass on body Imprints) by Ana Mendieta (1972)
I was compelled by this series when I first viewed it during an art history lecture, and I remember how intrigued I was to find out the iconography behind this series. Also, I feel like women artists are underrepresented in my newsletter as I only wrote about Cindy Sherman (LINK) in volume 3, and this needs to change! Little spoiler, in volume 19 I will also cover another great woman artist.
Ana Mendieta's work Untitled (Glass on Body Imprints) is a compelling series created in the late 1970s within her broader oeuvre, showcasing her exploration of identity, displacement, and the connection between the body and nature.
Mendieta was a Cuban-American artist known for her performance art, earth-body works, and sculpture. Her work often dealt with themes of exile, feminism, and the body as a site of political and social discourse. Mendieta's Untitled (Glass on Body Imprints) series is a significant part of her exploration of the human form and its interaction with natural elements.
Mendieta’s personal history of displacement profoundly informs her work. As a Cuban exile who moved to the United States as a child, her art often grapples with feelings of dislocation and the search for identity. The primary technique in Untitled (Glass on Body Imprints) series, involves Mendieta pressing her body against a pane of glass, creating physical imprints and distortions that were subsequently photographed. This method captures the transient, ephemeral nature of human existence, as the body’s marks on the glass are temporary and changeable. The distortions highlight the malleability of the human form and the impact of external forces on the body as well as the physical presence of the artist. The use of her body as a canvas and medium underscores her personal connection to these themes. This technique also combines performance art with photography, capturing the moment of interaction between the body and the glass.
The glass serves as both a physical and symbolic barrier, representing the boundaries that exist within human relationships and personal identity. The pressing of her body against glass can symbolise the tension and pressure of navigating multiple identities and the feeling of being trapped between cultures. It can be seen as a metaphor for the constraints and limitations imposed by society, gender roles, and personal history. This theme is explored through the physical distortion of the body, suggesting the ways in which external pressures shape and sometimes contort our self-perception and identity. The imprints left on the glass can be seen as representations of the lasting impact of displacement on personal identity. The tension and distortion in the images reflect the struggle to maintain a sense of self in the face of cultural and geographical dislocation.
Mendieta’s use of her own body in creating the imprints is an act of self-expression and a reflection of the intimate relationship between the artist and her art. This process-oriented approach highlights the importance of the artist's physical presence and personal involvement in the creation of art. It also emphasises the body as both a subject and an instrument of artistic expression, blurring the lines between performance, documentation, and visual art.
Mendieta’s use of her own body in her art is a powerful feminist statement, which emphasises the female body as a site of both personal and political significance. The series challenges traditional objectifications of women's bodies in art by presenting them in a raw and unfiltered manner. By imprinting her body against glass, she challenges the traditional objectification of the female form in art. The distortions created by the glass pressing against her skin emphasise the resilience and vulnerability of the female body, confronting societal norms and expectations regarding femininity and the portrayal of women in art. It also confronts the viewers with the physical and psychological impacts of living in a patriarchal society.
Throughout her career, Mendieta sought to reconnect with the natural world, often integrating natural elements into her work. While Untitled (Glass on Body Imprints) might initially appear disconnected from her more overtly nature-based works, the series still reflects a deep engagement with natural processes and materials. The glass can be seen as a metaphor and acts as a symbolic barrier, yet thin veil, between humanity and nature, while the imprints made by the body suggest an intrinsic and indelible link to the natural world. This connection underscores the idea that human identity and existence are fundamentally intertwined with the earth.
The minimalist approach in these works, with the stark contrast between the body and the glass, draws the viewer’s focus to the essential elements of the human form and its interaction with materials. The simplicity of the presentation highlights the raw, unmediated connection between the artist’s body and the glass surface.
Photography plays a crucial role in this series, as the imprints and distortions are documented through the camera lens. The photographs capture a moment in time, preserving the ephemeral interaction between body and glass. This act of documentation emphasises the transient nature of the body’s imprints and the fleeting moment of contact, reinforcing themes of impermanence and memory.
The images produced in this series are stark and impactful. The glass distorts Mendieta's body, highlighting its elasticity and vulnerability. The close-up nature of the photographs draws attention to the textures and shapes formed by the body pressing against the glass, creating a visceral and intimate portrayal of the human form.
The transient imprints left by her body on the glass underscore the fleeting nature of human existence. The series captures a moment in time, emphasising the impermanence of life and the temporary nature of our physical forms. This theme is reflected in the documentation of the imprints through photography, preserving a moment that is otherwise ephemeral, and highlighting the passage of time and the inevitability of change. This theme of ephemerality is a recurring motif in Mendieta's work, reflecting on the temporary yet impactful nature of human life.
Mendieta’s work often explores themes of memory and the traces we leave behind. The imprints on the glass act as a physical manifestation of memory, capturing a momentary presence and leaving a lasting mark. This reflects broader questions about how we are remembered and the ways in which our actions and experiences leave an imprint on the world and on others.
Untitled (Glass on Body Imprints) is significant for its innovative technique and profound thematic content. By merging performance art with photography, Mendieta creates a powerful visual and conceptual dialogue. The series challenges viewers to reflect on themes of identity, displacement, the female body, feminism, memory, the ephemeral nature of existence, the human connection to nature, and the boundaries that shape our lives. It can be seen as a meditation on the fragility and resilience of the human body and spirit. The series invites viewers to contemplate the ways in which we are shaped by our environments and experiences, and how we leave our marks on the world, however transient they may be.
Untitled (Glass on Body Imprints) is a striking and thought-provoking multifaceted series that delves into complex themes through a unique artistic approach. The interplay between the body and the glass, captured through photography, creates a powerful commentary on the pressures and imprints of human existence.Mendieta’s work continues to resonate, offering profound insights into the nature of identity, memory, and the human condition.
I hope you enjoyed the eighteenth edition of Giselle daydreams.
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Giselle xx
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