Brel

Jun 9 1982 N/A 1h 32m
Documentary, Music

In this documentary, director Frédéric Rossif has mixed footage of the popular, late singer Jacques Brel in concert and stage performances, with his own interpretive shots and news clips to present a synopsis of Brel's career -- from its beginnings in the early 1960s to his death from cancer in 1978. Biographical and personal data have been excluded, which may disappoint some viewers who want to know more about the man himself.

Plot

I saw this documentary a couple of times in the 90s and it made me understand the art of movie editing. The balance of action and stillness, silence and music: it's a visual symphony built from Brel songs and images. It has no commentary and it doesn't even attempt to supply factual information, but it certainly succeeds in giving you the impression of a time and place(s) and of an artistic journey.I confess that I am not a massive Brel fan anymore (we sometimes grow apart from our loves, after all) -- I can now only truly enjoy his very last album and some select other works. Yet, I am sure that if I would be given the chance of watching this movie again, I would love it still. Its substance truly transcends the subject matter -- it is has meaning for and in itself. Unfortunately, it was only released in VHS a long time ago, and doesn't exist in dvd nor streaming, so this is not going to happen. Unless, finally, it gets the modern re-release it deserves. Much more obscure stuff is available nowadays -- why "Brel" isn't? Not even as a bootleg on Youtube. A shame, really.

Written by

Claude Fléouter, Frédéric Rossif

Directed by

Frédéric Rossif

Languages

Français

Awards

N/A

Scores
# of Votes
29
Average Rating
7.4 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA