![The Pornographer [2001] [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91qoQMhjxSL.jpg)
Product Description New Wave acting legend Jean-Pierre Léaud stars as Jacques Laurent, a famed pornographic filmmaker from the 1970s who comes out of retirement to make a new film and pay off some debts. Working in a large country house, Jacques starts shooting scenes for the film but soon comes into conflict with his producer over the way he is handling the material. It seems that Jacques' old school style might be out of touch with the more brutalised approach common at the start of the new millennium. .co.uk Review An art house movie that asks questions about the morality of art both on and off screen, The Pornographer is a hard-hitting yet strangely unmoving film. Very much a product of the French school of intellectual cinema, the filmmaker of the title is Jacques Laurent (played by Jean Pierre Leaud), a one-time director of adult films who, finding himself down on his luck, is forced to return to his old medium. Far from being a gaudy Boogie Nights style exposé of an unknown world, the film focuses on Laurent's inner turmoil and his rapidly disintegrating relationship with his wife, as well as his restored one with his son Joseph (Jeremie Renier). Director Betrend Bonello handles this material well, if overdoing the art house clichés a little, but the problem with the film (or for some its strong point) comes with the fairly hardcore sex scenes, presented as part of Laurent's movie. While intended to reflect the emptiness of the character's soul, it is hard to see past them as just an attention-grabbing device. Then again, can a film about pornography legitimately not feature sex? One suspects that this debate will run and run and, in its way, The Pornographer has much to say on the subject. On the DVD: The Pornographer's intended release fell foul of the BBFC, who objected to one particularly explicit scene, a continuing argument that provides much of the material for the DVD's extra features. There is a reproduction of the BFFC ruling, a statement in reply from Bonello (which demonstrate the similarities he shares with his fictional counterpart, certainly when it comes to a vision of erotica) and an excellent essay from critic Pierre Perrene. In addition there are biographies, the cinematic trailer and an option to view the film with or without English subtitles. Whatever the moral questions involved, Bonello's film is a visual treat and his stylish eye is well represented by this format. --Phil Udell
K**A
Sorry for such a delay. Everything is more than ...
Sorry for such a delay. Everything is more than OK with the seller and the movie itself :-) you have my honest recommendation :-)
T**N
Strange and trite
Can't make up my mind if this is atmospheric or simply a beaten soufflé. Still can't make up my mind.
J**0
Most boring film ever made?
This film is unbelievably tedious. Alright - there is a sex scene - but (by design) it's sterile and lifeless. That was to demonstrate the hero's disenchantment with porn. But the rest of the film is sterile and lifeless too. It's impossible to warm to Jeanne-Pierre Leaud's world-weary character who mopes and shuffles his way through the film, from one gloomy interior to another. He rediscovers his son, who lives with some angry fellow students. They demonstrate their anger by muteness - great. An unmitigated bore. The moral of the tale? Never buy a film because of sex. Buy a porn video instead and get what you were looking for all along.
D**R
Pornography? You decide...
The pornographer is a typically French film. Beautiful locations and lots of deep discussions. the story centres on a porn film director who is rapidly being left behind by the business. He feels the need in later life to inject humanity into the films while those around him are interested in filming only the sex. One memorable scene is where they have just finished filming a sex scene and he turns to his co-director and suggests that the end of the film should contain the birth of the couple's child! All this is combined with the breakdown of his relationship with his wife, and the slow reconciliation with his son, again, typical French fare.Much has been made of the 11 second cut of the money shot over the porn actress's face. However, although the film is very explicit in a few places I can't see how the money shot would have furthered the plot and its probably best left out. AS a discussion of pornography it is very interesting; its one of those films that purports to condemn aspects of the porn business but ends up actually compounding the ideas. This isn't a bad thing though- it just makes for more interesting discussions with your friends!
1**4
Five Stars
Fantastic film would recommend this to anyone to buy
A**R
Disapionting.
Disappointing! What more need I say.
P**S
Five Stars
very sexy
A**R
Four Stars
Good film
P**N
On Time, As Advertised
Arrived on time, in good condition. No issues, everything as advertised.
T**A
Le Pornographe
Une fois j'ai travaille dans un film avec Ovidie, All About Anna ([...]), voila pourquoi j'ai acheter ce film, et elle a une scene de fellation fantastique! Tres artistique!
D**T
DVD was unusable
I could not get the DVD to open this video so it was not a good purchase. I can't figure out why the DVD player would not open it but there you are. I tossed it out.
J**4
Französischer Film über einen Pornoregisseur in der Sinnkrise
"Der Pornograph" ist ein merkwürdiger sozialkritischer Film mit ein paar pornografischen Szenen, hat aber eigentlich die Lebenskrise des ehemaligen Pornoregisseurs Jacques Laurent als Thema. Dieser muss aus Geldgründen in den Beruf zurück, der ihn eigentlich langweilt. Er hat auch keine Lust mehr, Schema F zu bedienen, und fällt am Set durch illusorisch zahme Regieanweisungen negativ auf. Auch seine Frau langweilt ihn, und die Beziehung zu seinem Sohn zu verbessern gelingt ihm nur ansatzweise. Sein Leben empfindet er eigentlich als sinnlos, verrennt sich aber trotzdem in eine womöglich bessere Zukunft.Ich muss gestehen, dass mir nicht ganz klar ist, was der Regisseur Bertrand Bonello mit seinem Film aussagen will. Zwar gibt es ein paar leicht philosophische Ansätze zur Infragestellung des Lebenssinns, aber die sind doch eher verhalten und weit von existenziell entfernt. Immerhin werden Voyeure gut mit einer expliziten Sexszene der früheren Pornodarstellerin Ovidie bedient, die auch als Verfasserin des "Porno Manifesto" bekannt wurde. Dieser Film markiert ihren zaghaften Wechsel aus der reinen Pornobranche heraus. Hauptdarsteller Jean-Pierre Léaud wirkt mit seiner Tante-Ottilie-Frisur allerdings gewollt unattraktiv und relativ unsympathisch. Und die Dialoge sind typisch französisch, und das ist nicht positiv gemeint.
N**S
Langweilige Sozialstudie
Der Film war in Frankreich sehr erfolgreich. Ich fand ihn einfach nur langweilig. Wer sich für Arthausfilme interessiert, kann damit sicher noch am ehesten was anfangen. Trotz einer echten Penetrationsszene am Set sollte man keinesfalls einen erotischen Film erwarten. Das Ganze gleicht eher einer Sozialstudie, mühsam und zäh wie Kaugummi.Es geht im Wesentlichen um einen ehemaligen Pornoregisseur der 68er Generation, der wegen Geldmangel wieder Filme drehen muss. Das Ganze läuft für ihn eher schlecht, er wird immer depressiver und erlebt eine tiefe Sinnkrise. Dann tritt sein desillusionierter 17 jähriger Sohn, der sich von ihm losgesagt hatte, wieder in sein Leben. Beide suchen nach dem Sinn in ihrem Leben. Wer das liest und interessant findet, der wird den Film garantiert mögen.Es wird viel geredet und geredet und geredet. Die Figuren sind sicher nicht alltäglich, interessant fand ich sie aber dennoch nicht. Wer möchte, kann sich Gedanken über die Ideale der 68er Generation im Vergleich zu jenen der modernen französischen Jugend machen.Bild- und Tonqualität (Deutsch DD 5.1, Französisch. DD 2.0) der DVD sind ok.
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