nef. Cama Cbeera 2, Falt 197%, pp iF-123 Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles by Chantal Akerman Jeane Dimon, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Braxles is fly that Seems absolutely clear on one viewing. ln thie hous al 20 mites me observe thie days inthe life f+ middlecas Belgian widow, played by Delphine Seyi, who liven small apament with he 16 yea ald som, Most of her day isspen aloe inch apaement caryng out an unending sees of housekeeping asks which iocudes, each fterabon, prostitution Unlike the mote metaphorically organized fis of Ywonoe Rainer sad Jacke Raynal in which che uie sequencing ote unit shot consaction allo for a eartangemene of unten one's ehinkng ofthe i, here the fil’s sense depends very much onthe sri, chronlogcal progres son of ts events. One tak and its habitual movements followed By the ‘nex ina rouine which lead falar by the second day~ the cha es and efceney of Jeanne’ geste, te nea silence whith pert us 'o tecognize the sound of her high heels she walks back and fora the parent, the sound of eh water running i the sink, of cabinet doors ‘pening and dosing” The linear succesioa of evens iss tgily dese ‘ach tp inthe preparation of morning coffee, or example each step In the production ofa dione, fiom grey shopping though wating the dishes and replacing them in their drawer and cupboudsthat when Jeanne doesn’ ecm her hair with hes tal exces afc the second days int hs lef isgiis shat her oder hasbeen duped ‘Then she finds the potatoes burned. A gal accleraton of uncon ws slips atthe level of gett follows unt che tid afer, by Uthich cme Jeanne i ately able ro acknowledge he routine, We sc Bs ally allowed to wines the ‘toi scene’ a Bd vey shor of Jane's oncorted face, het body coveted bythe nan’. When it oer, wah ‘tracers sence and economy, she sabe him with pai of ison, The ial shots held for log tme—Jeanae siting athe ding tom lable in silence and eatdaskness, the ihe fom ouide flickering wet the room which sEamliar own vey deal The economy ofthe enuition of images matches cat of Jeanne’ ‘movements and the sparenes ofthe soundtrack. The camera alinst tays ata medium distance from is characet. The shots ae long it ‘tation, frontal, and womoving. These ae very few carers sevape for the whole film. The face chat each of the sparmen’s ew toms hase or three places fom which the eamers invariably looks guaranees stable, medium field-che spare of toom and is objetsough ‘which the actors move. The gssures which thee views enable ue to see ‘ake he place of conventional arative evens, Whea one rethinks Jeanne a116. Dielman, the fact of prostiuton, and the visualization ofthe muse, in some respects, evens ont to equal signance withthe many conve ‘ally les imporans inages: Janne peeling potatoe; Jeane koeading {aw hamnbusgr ito xmeatoat. These images ty ahigh degre of ana fy 2 de fon proceeds. Each tak lke an eocloed yer snorhly Tinked nara unt which represent ancbresively precise feaderig, in ration and detail of ts eatualisic equivalent. The face that we see these movement in thei actual duration gradually increases our ate ti their comtection and te sgnieance. These te che events which te normaly elided, or ake place in the background i fms. There ate lips, but the ate diplaced wit repurd othe dominant cinema. Por ‘rample, meget staighsforead, medium shot of Jeanne washing he. Sain the bathub (a foal thor of the tu, a profile shoe of het), Iteneands me don't see her ueping out and srgling at he clothes “The image eaumes when she i aleady pasty dese in her sip and. Sku Theft ewo prostitution nes are clded; wesc only deo open ing snd dosing. And, a8 Cla Joheson has pointed out, the piroal tsencwhich decries the cure ofthe ion is elided, both spatially san diegecally “The tempraton ico eel dhe plot ep by sep asf the ay of the succession of geste and clions cated wit tan understanding of the film's sength and its importance for feminisefimmaking es nts Br the fact tha a woman's gestures, andthe Lind usualy considered {ad tendered) undramacc and uninetesing, are the unexpected fous (fatenton sha makes eomae Diliman an posta fim. Ineed, what ‘des it mean ove chi exacting atenion to + woman whois almost wo tally role-defined and seleffacing? Jeanne, constantly present in the [inage, has vitally wien heel ou of hee daly activites which eal pediormed fr her 00, forthe symbol: place ofthe male, che athe; the protcutson gives ber lens the place, sracturally and eeonaacaly of her dead husband. “The cena problem in ferini film nd erry works now isch: isi posible lor he woman eo express er own desis? Who speaks when she thesis? In Rainer’ Fle About A Woman Who... foe example, the oman’ thoughts are spoken by ama voiceover aston. The woman epuated ftom her own language. She quite literally spokea by men In Jeanne Dielman the problem is expesed through diegecc sence ‘Although the repeeion ofthe woman's voice is naturalized by the fi ‘onr—mos of Jeanne ime is spent aloe, and she and er son need ew ‘rds to sustain ther elauonship-—the duration, both ofthe shos and Ur the ition, and the lack of vations the enuaciation of images work to denatualize chi represion. (The sume can be suid for Jean's ‘in seinctivel’ presse movements. They are aautlzed by the Fiction, de atralized by the duration) The sound ofthe filmmakers voici lo sbsene, unlike Gdad'sshapig whisper in Tuo or Thee Things Kwow ‘Abou Her, for one instructive example, and unlike Aketnan's choice ‘these for Je, Tu, le and News Prom Home. The contoling discourse isconstucted of looks, aot vies. A dake opertes between the one locking (camets decor) and what i Being looked a (charcer’ actions, characte space) Unlike the nework of oaks in os fils whichis mediated predominandy by eye-ine matches nd other kinds of match-cuting the loi of vewer viewed in thi film by-pass the fiction. The stem of subjective shoei cliinated and teat ie logic of spatial catches tthonaled by de iveret of various Characters. The loge ofthe organization of shows reverts wo the eames adits masked cone, fem filmmaker There i pli here berween character and director, two discourses, mo ‘modes ofthe Feminine: the feminine mengade acclerated unde ptr ticy and the feminis who actively loking at he abject condions ther oppression —her place nthe family. Iw the sbene ofthe eevee shor which guarantees the separateness of the logics. The camera Took an’ be conse asthe view of any character. Ts ingest extends be ord the ition. The camera presents sli ts eveanes and predict biliy, a equal to Jeanoe's precision. Ye the camera comin logic throughout Janne’ onde is dsupred, and wich the autder the text comes os logial end since Janne then ops aogethe, Jeanne has, Symbol, desuojed the pals, 1s order still remains wile all ound bet ‘One mighe object that knowledge of the play beeween dicoe aad urate es ouside the Hlneat How would one know frm the film itself thats controling eye was feminist? But could one afd o ignue {hacitisthe vous of de maker nacaing in Tuo or Three Ting, [Numero Den, in et Ailleus? Thisknowledge is pt ofthe text ‘Another ind af answer would point to reseatch aom beng dave in an asiemprodesrbe the eementsand contestual cao of 3 specially Feminut dicoue. Dacoure, sit is uoed here, doesnot rele to speech nly (cisnot equivalent the dialogue of che female chatacers) but wo 4 logic af actions, 0 princpls of coherence and pons of rp theovgh which audiences make Sease of fio. Whether ot not we ean be spe Fe about ‘nho speak’ sma tet, the voice of patchy or the vice of Feminism, whedher the Teminin’ i biological ot cosa, che terms of the presear investigation, dhoughcoatoveial and sl largely iui, ‘leat go beyond thematic slic anal of women wits ad fil. ‘makes. Nora women pea (ac) a woman's douse. One fhe prob uyLie tems esis tha her hae ben for wk rad by women who thee the socal onmanuanes of feminism and who ate sec 3 {eins teak wth be dominant fms of expres. “umn Dielmen ings dca of woes oaks ugh womans viewpoint, Ich quay aad ite of the onlin ook Thar matejetene Delmon sand ut formally Tem od aca) arcana fan, uch ate abn ofthe rv so othe {Ron le: Tat his dcoane relied in sence ads oi Gee Who knows yer hat aa unalcaed feminine langage would ‘tid lie? We tow hat fone Dima was made Teme “Nomen the decor, emai ae ames, the ew al eo. en soma ha Jeanne het spce am hee aks io complete er ons. Abs mania teal woo shot tha flo so cing the nam no» heed pe a ung the eo une Paka eget a Tepe het space et an er eur within Vetta ob ‘Finis mcs a eames er movements one Det the Image ofthe oh evel ace, with cian Za joan do eden Janet Bereta forthe Camere Obscra Collective Chast Akerman onJeawse Dielman [cept froma interrewath Camera Obscure, November 1976 1a think is omnis ln bai ge pace o hing which wee ve mot ees sma inte wo, He he dl gems of [ihn Thoy ac lowe inh thy a fi age Aso eat eome higher and dont nk thas an ace Ts ec ‘Tce womc! pure they ome Thon seca those fl "Burma than he coment, see ofthe ag you oso shows woman's pests pce rs eae ve tem sme wevjou rope hose ee te slenys ben deed aed i Morea th tee ple ih wns i aly a 0 tha odo id he ote Ih ht ay men ely ave co fidence enough tocar hough on thei feelings. lstead the content is 119 the mos simple and obvious thing. They dal wich that and fang to ook for formal ways to express what hey ate and whac they ma thet ‘mn hythms, their own way of looking a chings. A loc of Women have unconscious contempe for cei felings, But don't thnk Ido. T have ‘nouh confidence in myself So that's the other reason why I thik its a feminist flm—not just what ie says but whet i shown and how is shown, {ida'c have any doubts abou any ofthe shots. Iwas very sue of where to put he carers and when and why. the fis tine {hed eh fog soscongly ‘You énow who is looking; you slays know what the point of view all the ime I'salways he sare. Burst, twa locking with a lee des of ‘Mencion andthe atenton was'tdstued. Ir was not eta lk that doesn'cexst anyhow. Forme, the way Locked xt what was pig o8| ‘asa look of love and respect. Maybe at's dficltwo undertatd bot | seal think that's. Ly bet live er le inthe mile of the fame. 1 did’ go in oo close, but | was nt ery far ay. et er be i het sce. I's not uncoowoled. But the camera was ot voyeur i the ‘commercial may because you always knew where Iwas. You know, ‘asn'tshor though the keyhole [e-waste only nay to shoot that see and to shoot that flm—t avoid ‘ting the woman ino s hundred pice. avoid oti the action ia ‘hundred places, to lok carefully and tobe rspetul The faring was meant to respect che spe, her, ad he gests with ie ‘We didn’c hae alot of choice abou whete top the camera because didn't wancangle shows. I wanted hem allo be sight, 8 much pos sible Delphine suid, Why do you se such alow angle?” 1 said, “That's my sie” She sid, “Is beter from lise higher up.” And I said. "Noy L don’t wane odo hat. Thar’ not how Ise the wold” Iwas never shot from the point of view ofthe sa o anyone ele. I's always me, Bec {he otber may s manipulation. The son sno the casera, the sn het son. Ifthe son looks ats mother is because you asked him to doi So you shoul look atthe soa looking atthe mnther, and no have the ‘mera in place ofthe son ooking tthe mother (CO: There ae 0 subjective shoe in any of you ls.120. CA; Just one ine, TH, Bl, when ook at che back of his neck. That sate looking Enfant aid on jejoue 3 ae ume femme marie. owns 2 vey ba Gm beccedidn'tundertand something Iwas wing duration fora mood, potas prosene. And the aoa wete improvising Iwas imposible Tehad the same subjece at Jeanne Dielman. wanted w show a Mine Bovay. My poin of view was that in fact dhis was her one strength, the pate she had kepe for heel. The fac that she was fii was almos a proveson atthe one place where she was noe alienated. I's supposed ro be che o- pie, but I eal think Wat ifs0 many women ate fogid i's because they fel deep inside that chat wil be de st pone of alienation. So, if Longs happened with that mun, s Beas sbe had weakened e's the tual and he routine tat had kee her going. You sce? Fist the Tia imposed oo you, And alerts the rita that beeps you going be- Chuve theese. You know what I mean? So, i facts having that ‘Steam that the fs ate manga. Aad then it's series of ates man “fuovaier that because se eno sang enough to Keep up those bates fetwcen here and her unconscious anymore. When se ask hes so vo Come home euler than usual, for a0 afternoon snack, is because she's feud vo have it happen agai, And then she may be thinking that she aa kill dhe effec by killing the cause Buc i fact the ease shell because somehow she lex the thing happen. Bu i's not consis, not premedited In movies the most important images, the mos elective and powerful ter ate climes, ca cies, te, Nota woman sown fom the back doing {fthes, Buc that dat sshown onthe ame evel as the muds. fact think i's much more drama {realy tink that whea she bangs the ilason the able and you chink the mile igh spl cats as dramatic as the murder ‘Burch mdr waste logical hing to have happen dere, To me, he bad only two solutions: ithe kill heel or kill someone ese. OF foutse thefe some at fein dhe film and I would ave killed some tne ese Cerain people ate this murder and ay "You have be mote pure ifyou show s woman doing the dishes, you shouldn't show a mor ‘ie But I don’ chink that's rue The steageh of the ding ito show them both inthe sare fi, And i didn’ end wath the murder. Tere ‘cc ceven ally vee song minutes fer th. “Alo of people sid that it was «pty to ave that murder Because the film would have been so much mare novel without it don’ think oat all I there had or been tha murder, there would have been a sn ‘mentality abou the eod. Ad that’s what didn't wane When you wite toneting where the nd ie the same athe begining i's realy boring. ‘That's very clichéd, to have o ending. And ao think that, ia reference {ere itty of imager, you can match images ha ate supped 0 be ‘ery low in he hicearhy with images hat argh ii Its relly a hard problem wo ry co ay what diferentes woman’ hy: thon in film becuse a man can use those sae forms of expresion. ‘dn’ koow fe have the words, they ext yet. dont think we know ‘enough about women's films even 0 ln’ espeak ina general, shores! way all Is think the fnally ‘cached the ight point, meaning thal agrc with what Ido e's ot ike el one way and any work expeses something ee Bu cat define ny anote dota We speak of women's shythm’, but it inc neces ‘any the same forall momen Talo chink tat Hellywood doesn’ expres ‘man's hye eather, but the yt of epitalis or fascism. Men are hened by ito. ‘Bury know, some theais say iis Because we experienc pleasure ia another way than men do. Sexual pleasure I valy chink that it moves ies ight there. When Law Hoel Monterey again this moenig, I raly ‘houghs mar an erotic, [fle that way —lejouinance dor ‘We would ike thank Chrisina Creveling for he help a all stages of his interview. Alo papain i the interview wete Linda Atl, Cha Hak Kyung. Jacquelyn Soe, and Saran Walt m1