So Much Is Said By Saying Nothing

April 6, 2016 10:20 AM

“Déjeuner du Matin” (YouTube), a short film adaptation of Jacques Prévert's poem about the last moments of a relationship.

Directed by Emmanuel Tenenbaum.

An English translation of “Déjeuner du matin” is on Studio Tenenbaum's Website for the film.

posted by chinesefood (9 comments total)

I'm curious to see how the film matches my mental image of the poem, given my limited French. It is mostly a well dressed man sullenly and lugubriously smoking and drinking a cup of coffee while it rains, and he gazes listlessly and ennui-ily around.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 10:41 AM on April 6, 2016

Déjeuner du matin roughly translates to, "Girl you can do way better".

Drank all the coffee? Grounds for MURDER
posted by alex_skazat at 10:48 AM on April 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

I dunno, I feel like the point of this poem is you don't need a short film. It says everything. And it says it so simply.
posted by maryr at 10:57 AM on April 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

A nice short film, but I'm sorta bummed at the casting. I know the poem doesn't specify genders, but Prevert was a gay man. There's a bit of erasure, almost, in presenting the poem as being about a man and a woman. It also solidifies something that, in the poem, is left (one imagines intentionally) uncertain about the identity of the narrating voice. I think this could have been a much more interesting film if it had endeavored to find a way to leave that uncertainty intact.
posted by cubby at 11:17 AM on April 6, 2016 [7 favorites]

I saw the film first, and I liked it. Then I read the poem. I prefer the poem, as it says so, so much more. Not sure why he added the woman.
posted by heyho at 12:51 PM on April 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

what a nice place why is that bad man smoking in there
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:53 PM on April 6, 2016

Prevert was a gay man.

ça alors, c'est pas vrai.
posted by Mister Bijou at 11:42 PM on April 6, 2016

Interesting that making a film of a poem is more ambitious than making one of a novel. Perhaps excessively, quixotically ambitious.

On reflection I suppose it depends whether your ambition is to 'translate' the poem or make a film inspired by it.

FWIW I found this film a bit unsatisfactory. I think the poem conjures up something far greyer, grittier, and more tight-lipped than this. IMO the film veers too much towards the glossy, explicit, shallow take of an expensive perfume ad.
posted by Segundus at 11:52 PM on April 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

My favorite Prévert:

ALICANTE

Une orange sur la table
Ta robe sur le tapis
Et toi dans mon lit
Doux présent du présent
Fraîcheur de la nuit
Chaleur de ma vie.

posted by maryr at 7:51 AM on April 7, 2016 [3 favorites]