À L'OMBRE DE LA CANAILLE BLEU (France, 1985, Pierre Clémenti)
/The most punk, the most urban, and the most willingly chaotic portrait of Paris in the late 1970s. —Philippe Azoury
Drenched in neon lights and leather, À L'OMBRE DE LA CANAILLE BLEU evokes the New York No Wave scene. —The Museum of Modern Art
À L'OMBRE DE LA CANAILLE BLEU (English translation: IN THE SHADOW OF THE BLUE RASCAL) is set in the underbelly of “Nécrocity,” a city of nightly terrors.
In this fictionalized Paris, fueled by heroin and paranoia, an anarchist group (played by Clémenti’s inner circle) — whose mastermind is a villainous military leader played by Clémenti himself — tries to keep one step ahead of the grip of state power. After 300 kilos of heroin goes missing, a significant wave of crime is catalyzed.
A harsh icy decent into the depths of hell. —Close-Up Film Centre
Clémenti’s sole feature as a director (and his only proper sound film) was based on a short story by Achmi Gachem and inspired by William S. Burroughs.
Shot in 1978–79, an early silent version of À L'OMBRE DE LA CANAILLE BLEU was shown at the Centre Pompidou as a live “happening” with 20 musicians, prior to the film’s eventual completion in 1985.
À L'OMBRE DE LA CANAILLE BLEU
(France, 1985)
Director: Pierre Clémenti
- 84 minutes
- 16mm
- Color
- Sound
Distribution Format/s: DSL/Downloadable 1080p .mp4 file on server
Published By: GME
Institutional Price: $250
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