Alain Robbe-Grillet: Six Films 1963-1974 (DVD Box Set)

There is no questioning the importance of Alain Robbe-Grillet in 20th century French and international literary history. That having been said, the experience of viewing Robbe-Grillet's films is rather different from the experience of reading his novels. Sex comes to the fore in several of his films, particularly in Successive Slidings of Pleasure and Eden and after, but also in the others. His films are erotic in a intellectual, ritualistic way, which for some people will make them less sexy. (This was not the case with me.) I have always found The Man Who Lies less successful and involving than the others, but I guess it all comes down to personal taste.It is inevitable that one would wish to compare Robbe-Grillet's films with those made by other novelists, Marguerite Duras and Susan Sontag being prime examples. In the case of none of them would one say, "He or she should have devoted his or her life to cinema." However that does not make their films any the less intriguing. On the other hand, it could not be said that the films they made were mere diversions or ego exercises outside of the main body of their work. Duet for Cannibals (Sontag) and Destroy She Said (Duras) are very good films by any measure. And in the case of Robbe-Grillet the same can be said for The Immortal One and several of the others.All of the above having been said, if your frame of reference is Hollywood, TV, or most recent European films (with a few exceptions -- e.g., the films of Bruno Dumont), Robbe-Grillet's films are probably not for you.

I was given the tip that Robbe Grillet apart from writing novels , did his own films...& got hooked. The whole story started with "Last Year in Marienbad" , a MUST SEE & a MUST READ so far. Book was written after the film ( I only know the french version). I celebrate there is a universum beyond mainstream. Enjoy

The video quality is great and packaging quality is good. These have been lost gems for so long, so glad to have in my collection

I don't get it some people may love this mishmash but none of it makes any sense , and this is from someone who LOVES Franco, Rollin, and all that crazy European stuff but this dude doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

ゴダールみたいな作風を期待してとにかく映像を見てみたかったので購入。リージョンフリープレーヤーじゃないと見れないです。あと、海外発送なので、時間はかかります。待てない人は、国内の輸入盤を買った方がいいかも。

Alain Robbe-Grillet was not so much an enfant-terrible of the french cinema as an enfant-coquin. His films really do make you feel like a voyeur rather than a seer - but they are not without art. Having said this, I feel that his 'La Belle Captive' (not in this box set) is poor, very poor.Most of the women featured in his films (and the focus is very much on females) including his wife, are very, very beautiful. The cinema-photography is excellent - whether in black and white or colour. The script is, well, an attempt at surrealism without the greatness of Buñuel - and has many repetitive 'icons' or 'fetishes' - the colour red, broken glass, shoes, the female body, the shore. I feel that his films are a product of passion of anteros rather than eros (unrequited, physical passion rather than spiritual, unconditional love) which seem to reflect Robbe=Grillet's own condition.For anyone interested in French or word cinema - they are a must. But do not expect to be entertained. I've struggled trying to contextualise his work - and the best I can come up with is a cross between Dali and a more Gallic, sophisticated (if there can be such a thing) Benny Hill.

Actually, BFI didn't have so much energy on this set, mostly aiming at the intorduction of this ignored French filmmaker, so for the audiences, this set is more like a lesson to take to know, wow, this director has something special yet confusing. ...Anyway, it's worth a watch, considering old films need preserving and restoring.

Non-linear narrative, snappy editing, crazy sound effects, wooden acting, philosophical musings, and lots of pretty young gals getting their kit off. Yep, that's an Alain Robbe-Grillet film in a nutshell. But don't worry, it's safe to watch these kinky creations with the wife or the girlfriend because they're absolutely most definitely avant-garde art and not mere smut...

I'm fan of Alain-Robbe Grillet!