Synopsis
In Jean Vigo’s hands, an unassuming tale of conjugal love becomes an achingly romantic reverie of desire and hope. Jean (Jean Dasté), a barge captain, marries Juliette (Dita Parlo), an innocent country girl, and the two climb aboard Jean’s boat, the L’ATALANTE—otherwise populated by an earthy first mate (Michel Simon) and a multitude of mangy cats—and embark on their new life together. Both a surprisingly erotic idyll and a clear-eyed meditation on love, L’ATALANTE, Vigo’s only feature-length work, is a film like no other.
Included in
David Chase’s Adventures in Moviegoing
Position 1
Included in
French Poetic Realism
Position 6
Included in
All You Need Is Love
Position 3
Included in
Sight and Sound’s Greatest Films of All Time: Directors’ Poll
Position 4
Included in
Sight and Sound’s Greatest Films of All Time: Critics’ Poll
Position 7
Credits
Crew
DirectorJean Vigo
WriterJean Guinée, Jean Vigo, Albert Riéra
CinematographerBoris Kaufman
ComposerMaurice Jaubert
EditorLouis Chavance
ProducerJacques-Louis Nounez
