Žans-Liks Godārs teicis:” Es piekrītu, ka filmām nepieciešams sākums, vidus un beigas, tomēr tām nav obligāti jābūt secīgām.” Tieši tā ir arī ar brīnišķīgo filmu „Two for the road” – viss ir apgriezts kājām gaisā - cinisks sākums, aizraujošs piedzīvojumiem pilns vidus un liktenīgās beigas.
***
Jean-Luc Godard has famously stated:”I agree that a film should have a beginning, a middle
and an end but not necessarily in that order.” And that is exactly what can be
said about the wonderful film „Two for the Road” – everything has been turned
upside down – there’s the cynical beginning, the ravishing and adventurous
middle part and an end written in the stars.
Ar darba kolēģēm esam aizsākušas
aizraujošu spēli, kurā katru nedēļu viena no mums iesaka kādu must-see filmu, tādējādi viena otru izglītojot kino lauciņā. Un pagājušonedēļ mani patīkami
pārsteidza kāda priekš manis vēl nezināma, tomēr jau tagad starp mīļākajām
filmām ierindojusies Stanley Donen (tas pats „Singin’ in the Rain” un „FunnyFace” režisors) 1967. gada filma „Two for the road” ar Audrey Hepburn un Albert Finney galvenajās
lomās.
***
Me and my colleagues have started an exciting new club
in which each week one of us pick a must-see film thereby educating each other
in the field of film art. And last week I was blown away (pleasantly) by
Stanley Donen’s (he’s also the director of „Singin’ in the Rain” and „FunnyFace”) „Two for the Road” (1967) with Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney. And
even though it was fairly unknown for me then I can honestly say that it has already
made my all time favourite film list.
Filma atšķetina kāda precēta pāra
stāstu, kas, kā vēsta simboliskais nosaukums, notiek uz kāda Francijas dienvidu
ceļa, pa kuru precētais pāris savas kopā būšanās laikā braucis ne vienu reizi
vien – dzīves cikliskums, tā teikt. Uz šī ceļa tad arī izklājas viss 10 gadu
kopā pavadītais Džoannas un Marka stāsts – pirmā satikšanās, iemīlēšanās,
svarīgākie dzīves pagriezieni, šķēršļi, strupceļi un visbeidzot atrisinājums.
Un kā jau nojautāt, tas tiek izklāstīts priekš tā laika kino diezgan
avantgardiskā nelineārā stilā – no beigām uz sākumu, tad uz vidu, atkal sākumu,
uz beigām, tad uz vidu, un visbeidzot no sākuma uz beigām.
***
The film unravels the story of a married couple which
(as implies the symbolic title of the film) takes place on a specific road in
Southern France which the couple have taken many times before during their time
spent together – the cycle of life, so to speak. And everything that has
happened during the 10 year marriage of Joanna
and Mark is inlaid on this road – their
first meeting, the falling in love, the most important turning points, the
obstacles, the seeming dead-ends and finally the resolution. And if you didn’t
suspect it yet – the narration is somewhat avant-garde for the cinema of that
time because of its non-linear style – it’s like a mosaic that goes from the
end to the beginning, then to the middle, then back to start, again to the end
and finally from the middle back to the beginning and then to the ending.
Tāpat jāpiemin filmas lieliskie,
asprātīgie, filozofisku dzīves atziņu pilnie dialogi (ne velti šeit Oskara
nominācija filmas scenārija autoram Frederic Raphael), kas pat drūmākajos
filmas brīžos kārtējo reizi atgādina par dzīves ironiju. Par ironijas
nepārtrauktas klātesamības atgādinājumu kalpo arī vēl kāds inovatīvs filmas tehniskais paņēmiens – ainu
pārklāšanās ievadot/nobeidzot vienai otru – un tas, kādā secībā tās sakārtotas,
nebūt nav nejaušība.
***
I have to also comment on the film’s wonderful and witty
dialogues that are just bursting of philosophical thoughts (no wonder Frederic
Raphael got the Oscar nomination for the best original screenplay) and even in
the gloomiest moments of the film remind us about the irony of life. And if that
wasn’t enough we are always reminded about the ever-present irony with the help
of another innovative technique – the overlapping scenes which introduce/finish
each other because if you look carefully you will see that the order of those
scenes is not coincidental.
***
To sum up, the film is very sincere and honest (more
in relation to life than to spousal relationship) and even if it is more
comprehensible to people who are in such relationship, it doesn’t change the
fact that it delivers a very distinct message to all of us – that life is a
winding road and it is only up to us to decide whether it will wind up or down.
And at the end of the day this timeless theme is what makes this film so great.
