This life and times of Marcel Ophüls, his father Max, and cinema history marks the returns of Marcel to film making after 18 years away. It also is a must see film for any film lover.
Put together from various interviews and film clips Marcel Ophuls talks about his life,in all it's aspects. Its a giddy trip down memory lane as he talks about growing up watching his father direct, converting to Catholicism in order to stay safe from the Nazis, fleeing to Switzerland, going back to France, going to Hollywood, returning to Europe after the war and his personal life. There is way more than that and I realized quite early that I was going to have to go back and see this again because I wasn't catching everything.
And thats kind of the flaw in an otherwise wonderful film, there is a great deal spoken about in the film and if you aren't at least a little conversant in Ophuls's life and times things may not connect with you completely. Bits and pieces flew over my head as I realized I wasn't fluent in some of the films that have clips appear.
That said I pretty much fell into this film and was dragged along. I may not have recognized all of the scenery on the trip, but I was having a blast watching it go by. By the time the film ended I was ready to start over and do it all again.
What a great trip through a life and through film history. Anyone who loves film and it's history really owes it to themselves to get to Lincoln Center and see this film on Wednesday.
What a wonderful way to start The Jewish Film Festival and 2014
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