2012 French Arthouse Film Explores Cinema and Identity

On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.

First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick—something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.

When talking about the state of arthouse movies in the 2020s, I often think about something I call “The ‘Titane’ Phenomenon.” Julia Ducournau’s Palme d’Or winner is a wildly layered piece of art about trauma, gender, bodily autonomy, and revenge. Yet to many, its cultural relevance boils down to the startling scene where its star has sex with a Cadillac. Such is the life for challenging cinema in a saturated media climate.

Arthouse films often need a shocking element to capture a broader audience, and those that stand the test of time are frequently marketed with campaigns that scream: “You won’t BELIEVE how WEIRD this is!!”

Leos Carax’s “Holy Motors” has endured a similar case of oversimplification. Released in 2012 to critical acclaim, the fantasy drama stars Denis Lavant as an actor who drives around in a limousine, donning various personas for different bizarre appointments. Sometimes he’s an elderly woman begging on the streets; other times, he’s filming CGI sex scenes or faking his own death. The film delves deeper into the mindset required to be a performer, examining the waning interest in abstract performances and questioning whether such dedication is ultimately fruitless. Despite its nuanced layers, many remember the film primarily for the iconic sequence where limousines exhibit human traits and converse with each other.

Though Carax’s film amounts to far more than its most bizarre scenes, there’s a certain appropriateness to its legacy being tied to its shock value. Cinephiles can debate the intricate details of each sequence, but the overarching message is a eulogy for traditional cinema. Carax seems to be confronting his own emotions about the all-consuming love that drives filmmakers to continue creating in an increasingly unforgiving industry. The film’s final acting sequence poignantly underscores the irrational sacrifices artists endure to sustain the art form that captivates so many.

Lavant’s Mr. Oscar cannot fully articulate why he persists in his craft, but he continues because he knows no other way. This embodies the essence of why people make movies and why audiences strive to preserve them. Discussions on whether a film qualifies as highbrow arthouse cinema or a transgressive midnight movie can feel irrelevant. As long as progress is made toward attracting viewers, the distinctions matter little. While market forces might suggest that challenging cinema is becoming rarer, the unyielding passion reminiscent of Mr. Oscar gives hope that such art will endure.

Those brave enough can stream “Holy Motors” for free on Tubi.

Source: IndieWire