"Leper Ball Event Attended by Marguerite Duras: India Song"
The A Posteriori Cinema series pays homage to classic films by revisiting cinematic masterpieces marking significant anniversaries. One such film that sends shivers down your spine is Marguerite Duras' opus, India Song. This mind-bending film captivated audiences at Cannes 50 years ago and remains as captivating as ever.
A fleeting sun vanishes into a fluid horizon, as the movie leaps between shots of an abandoned estate and a vacant ballroom. A woman's voice whispers a creepy monologue: "This light, the monsoon... This dust, Calcutta Central... Can you smell flowers? Leprosy... Where are we? The French Embassy, in India... This murmur, the Ganges." So begins India Song, a film by Marguerite Duras that sent shockwaves through Cannes and continues to intrigue viewers.
Inspired by her play and subsequent novel, The Vice-Consul, this was Duras' sixth film but her first to gain real popularity.
A faint echo of nostalgia, India Song is based in the 1930s and centers around a mysterious woman, Anne-Marie Stretter (Delphine Seyrig), who was the object of the French vice-consul's infatuation in Lahore. Though the scene of his declaration of love is not shown, its impact resonates throughout the film.
Duras employed an innovative storytelling technique, making the actors' lips motionless while voiceovers carry all dialogues and monologues. This disorienting approach builds a distance that mirrors the ethereal nature of memory and reported speech.
Francine Dugast-Portes, in her essay Marguerite Duras. Trajectories of a Writing, notes: "The blend of voiceovers, music, and displaced dialogues is extraordinary. On the same level as Blow Up by Antonioni, it is fascinating – a hypothetical murder, unidentifiable images, enigmatic characters, displaced sound, gaps, hiatus..."
Similarly, Dominique Noguez adds: "It's even better than silent cinema – often in silent cinema, actors move their mouths as if speaking, whereas here we have a form of symbolization. It's, I think, a stroke of genius – the equivalent of the vacant eyes of ancient statues, that is, an artistic effect, a magnificent stylization."
India Song is one of Duras' paradoxical masterpieces, characterized by multiple breaches of cinematographic representation rules. According to Jean Cléder, this desire to disrupt the filmmaking apparatus includes disassociation of voice and bodies, discord between text and images, and other artistic innovations[1].
Some Moments of Genius in India Song stem from Duras' refusal to be confined by traditional filmmaking constraints. Michael Lonsdale, the actor who played the French vice-consul, recalls one iconic scene: "Marguerite often adapted to what was already there... that work on the 'in and out' of the character who is both seen from behind in the foreground and from the front in the mirror... she liked that kind of situation very much."
The filming locations include the Rothschild castle, in a state of ruin, for exterior scenes, and various properties for interior scenes. Despite the modest budget of 60,000 dollars, the film appears lavish, thanks to spectacular camerawork by Bruno Nuytten, who went on to have a brilliant career[2].
The elegance of Anne-Marie Stretter, played by Delphine Seyrig, cannot be matched. Though she had previously collaborated with Seyrig in "La musica," Duras first offered the role to Dominique Sanda, who turned it down[3].
In May 1975 at Cannes, several publications petitioned for the film to receive the Palme d'Or. While it was presented out of competition and therefore not eligible, it won the prize of the French Association of Art and Essay Films at the festival.
India Song is an ode to the senses, a "temporary world" suspended in time, as Duras would eventually describe it[3]. She would always be moved to tears upon hearing Carlos d'Alessio's waltz and the vice-consul's declaration of love. Duras admitted to foregoing rewatching the film out of fear and modesty, acknowledging that what is staged in India Song is a reflection of herself[4].
India Song represents a unique experimentation in cinema that would stand the test of time, exploring themes of colonialism, gendered desire, and emotional decay. The film's intricate use of sound, fragmented narrative, and defiance of cinematographic norms make it a captivating endeavor and a testament to Duras' groundbreaking vision[1].
Watch India Song on the Criterion Channel today for an unforgettable cinematic experience.
To watch: India Song (1975) by Marguerite Duras. Strap in for a gripping exploration of colonialism, identity, and existential ennui set within an eerie, dreamlike world.
- The A Posteriori Cinema series has recognized the enduring impact of Marguerite Duras' film, India Song, which captivated audiences at Cannes 50 years ago and continues to intrigue viewers today.
- Francine Dugast-Portes, in her essay Trajectories of a Writing, lauds the extraordinary blend of voiceovers, music, and displaced dialogues in India Song, comparing it to Antonioioni's Blow Up.
- Dominique Noguez, in his critique, describes India Song as even better than silent cinema, appreciating the symbolic approach of the actors' motionless lips and the artistic stylization.
- Centuries after its release, India Song remains a paradoxical masterpiece, defying traditional filmmaking conventions through multiple breaches of cinematographic representation rules.
