The Book of Mary

There is a great quarrel between mother and father all the time.

The best scene in this short movie is, where Marie is hearing the 9 symphony from Gustav Mahler and she is dancing alone in the living room. She wanted to die and is lying on the carpet. This scene told us more about Mahler, than Viscontis film can do. Because, the reason why she wanted to die is not Thomas Manns "Dekadenz" his mixing up between eros and thanathos, his spleen between art and homosexuality. It's more easy and nearer on real life only the difference between her parents, their great conflicts. To miss harmony. She is so sad about it and the music told this too.

I like this short movie, who is in Germany and some other countries only shown together with J.L. Godards "Maria und Josef" (a very good movie about mothering).

Anne-Marie Mieville, a frequent collaborator and partner with filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard (who also penned the wonderful First Name: Carmen and, surprisingly, was the one who edited 'Hail Mary'), was by the mid-eighties quite capable of being director as much as co-writer and co-editor, and made this piece about a daughter named Mary and her two parents. They're in the middle of their marital troubles, and at the start of the film are in a bind- will they split for falling out of love, or stay for their child? Soon though, as the child gets a little older, the father leaves, and the mother becomes the primary parent of the intelligent, eccentric, and funny (in a 'French' sort of way) pre-teen. The film is highlighted with a terrific bit of music from Gustav Mahler (the scene itself is surreal when you first see it, but thinking about it it makes sense from the point of view of a kid), and a quiet scene with the daughter and her father late in the film.

Nothing special, but it is a nice treat of an art film that would put off a child if one were to watch it, and should really please admirers of the filmmaker's work. Kudos also to Rebecca Hampton, who's performance as Marie is almost note-perfect for the movement of the story. B+