This summer down the rabbit hole film reviews are back, but I will only be looking at one film. Because the film in question is 3 hours and 19 minutes long, making it the longest film I have explored for this project.
Celine et Julie vont au bateau, or Celine and Julie go Boating, is a sprawling labyrinthine film about bored Celine who upon befriending magician Julie, finds they begin to share lives and relationships. When Celine one day stumbles out of a mysterious house with no memory of what happened to her there, the two friends become entangled in a complex mystery involving magical sweets and a potential murder.
In French, "to go boating" or "vont au bateau" is similar to the English phrase "a shaggy dog story" essentially it means to become entwined in a unbelievable story. You can probably guess how this theme links in with the film and also Carroll's Alice.
I have put this film off due to its length, so I have decided to essay/review this in parts.
Here on the blog we will have 3/4 essays corresponding with different parts of the film (context, 1 hour, 2 hour, ending) whereas on Instagram you might be able to see my notes for each hour with first thoughts...
Very much aware that I have probably bitten off more than I can chew here but if ACMI thinks this film is Carrollian... it would be amiss for this blog not to explore this work.
My attempt at essays for this film starts this July, wish me luck :)
