CELINE AND JULIE GO BOATING

Released ouT Now! 1974 | 12 | blu-ray Director Jacques rivette Cast Juliet berto, dominique labourier, Philippe clévenot, barbet schroeder

Jacques Rivette’s freewheeling blend of comedy and fantasy is also an extended metaphor for the joys of narrative – consuming it and creating it. A little French helps: idiomatically, to “aller en bateau” means to get caught up in a story.

That’s what happens to BFFs Céline (Juliet Berto) and Julie (Dominique Labourier) on exploring the mystery of an old mansion. Each time one visits, they emerge with no memory of what occurred inside, but by sucking on a boiled sweet (!) or mixing a potion they’re able to recall snatches of events from the house’s history, stepping into the past to witness events – and, eventually, altering them.

As frustrating as it is quirky, the film feels like the results of an experimental theatre group’s improvisations. The duo’s behaviour is often charming, but sometimes irritating. And watching fragments of period melodrama replayed over and over tests the viewer’s patience, particularly once the film enters its third hour. When Celine declares, “Always the same thing – I’m bored!” you may find yourself sighing in solidarity.

Extras Expert commentary; a critical appreciation (19 minutes); two related shorts. One of those, Alain Resnais’s Tout La Mémoire Du Monde – a documentary on the French national library – is captivatingly beautiful. Ian Berriman