Watches
January 19, 2023
Jean Cocteau's final film. I'm not the man's biggest fan, but I appreciate the fact that his films have a strong point of view. Cocteau is probably a bit too infatuated with classical art, which is something I have no affinity with whatsoever, but the surreal and fantastical elements in his films make it a bit more bearable.
Cocteau himself plays an 18th-century poet who travels to time to find true wisdom. He ends up with a scientist who has a way to open portals to different dimensions. Cocteau is intrigued, but the only way to open such a portal is to be killed by the scientist. He commits and finds himself in a strange world.
The idea is pretty cool, and so are the sets and some of the surreal imagery, but I didn't care much for the themes and characters. The film is pretty short, but still a bit too long for something I wasn't entirely invested in. Classic arthouse fans should do well to seek this one out though because Cocteau is not your average director.