SCFZ poll: Jean Gremillon

[flip]

Polling the films of director Jean Gremillon

The rules:

- your list can include no more than half of the Gremillon films you've seen, up to a maximum of 5. So if you've seen seven of his films, for example, you can list only a top 3. It's only if you've seen ten or more of his films than you can list the maximum of five.

- i'll assume ballots are ranked unless you tell me otherwise. unranked ballots are fine.

- deadline for ballots: next Tuesday, in seven days, whatever day that is

- if anyone is watching films for these polls, then i'll extend the deadline up to three days, if someone requests an extension

- next poll: whoever posts the first ballot in this thread is free to nominate the director we poll next, unless you've nominated in this round already (everyone should get a chance). Already nominated this round: oscarwerner, greennui, mesnalty, bure, ofrene, arkheia, brian d, rischka

umbugbene created an index on letterboxd of all of our previous polls here: letterboxd.com/umbugbene/list/index-of-all-scfz-director-polls/

one rule for nominees: at least 3 scfzers need to have seen 10+ of a nominee's films, or at least 4 scfzers need to have seen at least 8 of the nom's films, so if it isn't clear if that will be the case, we'll confirm that's true before moving forward

if 24 hours pass after a poll opens, and no one eligible to nominate has posted a ballot, then i'll nominate someone, and then we'll start over, and everyone will be able to nominate again

[greennui]

Seen 7.

Stormy Waters
The Lighthouse Keepers
Daïnah la Métisse

[flip]

we'll use the same rules as used in the duras poll:

New Rules

Because Duras has fewer views than most directors we've polled, I'm changing some of the rules for this poll:

- if you have seen an odd number of Duras films, you can round up, when dividing by two, instead of down, to determine the length of your ballot. So if you have seen 7 Duras films, you can vote for 4 films (instead of 3). But please only vote for the additional film if you think it's deserving of a vote.

- if you have seen 11 or more Duras films, your ballot can extend beyond 5 films -- if you have seen 13, say, you can vote for up to 7 films. I'll award 0.5, 0.3 and 0.1 points to 6th, 7th and 8th ranked films (and nothing to 9th or later ranked films). Those additional votes will help to get a complete top ten.

[sally]

Seen 8 (& have 4 more waiting to be watched woohoo)

1. The lighthouse keepers
2. Maldone (misdeal on letterboxd but ugh)
3. Daïnah la Métisse
4. Stormy waters

[St. Gloede]

Seen 13:

The Lighthouse Keepers
Lumière d'été
White Shanks
Remorques (Edit: Stormy Waters)
Le ciel est à vous / The Woman Who Dared
Daïnah la métisse

[kanafani]

Daïnah la Métisse
Lumière d’Été
Stormy Waters
The Woman Who Dared

[oscarwerner]

Seen only 2 of his movies.
I vote for
Remorques (1941)
I had no opportunity to see his films. When i was young Jean Gremillon was known in Lithuania mainly as a director of Jean Gabin.

[...]

I'd normally skip a poll where I've only seen two movies by the director, but I really dug Lumière d’Été so I'll give it a vote.

Lumière d’Été

[mesnalty]

Seen 3:

1. The Lighthouse Keepers
2. Remorques

[Caracortada]

Seen 2.

1. Stormy Waters

[rischka]

i got 7 wanna watch lumiere d'ete if i have time

dainah la metisse
la petite lise
gardiens de phare

honorable mention: maldone, gueule de amour, pattes blanche (v weird)

[brian d]

seen 12

lighthouse keepers
daïnah la métisse
little lise
remorques
maldone
la dolorosa

[karl]

seen 5, so:

Gueule d'amour
Remorques
Pattes Blanches

[Umbugbene]

Seen 6

1. Lumière d'été
2. Pattes blanches
3. Remorques

Lumière d'été is one of the greatest of the pro-Resistance allegories made in occupied France. Grémillon and the writers get little credit for their bravery... most reviews treat it as nothing more than a nice love story. I wonder how many critics realize how many French films made between 1941-1943 have hidden meanings, besides Le corbeau & Visiteurs du soir.

[john ryan]

Only seen 4

1. Remorques
2. The Lighthouse Keepers

[St. Gloede]

Seen 6

1. Lumière d'été
2. Pattes blanches
3. Remorques

Lumière d'été is one of the greatest of the pro-Resistance allegories made in occupied France. Grémillon and the writers get little credit for their bravery... most reviews treat it as nothing more than a nice love story. I wonder how many critics realize how many French films made between 1941-1943 have hidden meanings, besides Le corbeau & Visiteurs du soir.

Even beyond that, it is one of his most beautifully stylized work. The dreamlike expressionistic visuals, the semi-surreal atmosphere and expression, the minimalist plotting, it is simply an inspiringly creative and extraordinary work with few contemporary equals. I'm shocked that many would write it off as a "nice love story".

[Umbugbene]

Very true... although it's important that the reason so many French films of the time used surrealism (La nuit fantastique is the best of many examples) was to conceal or encode messages to the French people that would not otherwise pass German censors.

[flip]

Seen 8

tdm, you can pick our next director if you like! i might start the next poll on tuesday instead of today because we have so many polls running right now.

[sally]

oh this is hard

okay. i'd like to do sjöström? i only have 9, could make it ten, and i've been torturing myself with gilbert stills from the masks of the devil. (does this exist? please god)

alternatively, i don't have enough myself, but robert siodmak or lewis milestone or pietro germi?

[...]

I've seen 7 Sjostroms, but would watch another tonight (assuming I can find one) if it helps get him selected, otherwise 10 Sidomaks and 18 Milestones, not enough Germis to matter.

[---]

6 Sjostrom pour moi, does he have anything short?

[rischka]

i have 12 sjostrom and he has some shorts

[brian d]

8 sjöström, just 1-3 of the other options

[sally]

well i have 10 sjostrom now, just watched the sea vultures, 44mins, which is not his best, but fits in perfectly with my run of silent scandinavian coastal films that i seem to be having

[oscarwerner]

3 Sjostroms, 6 Robert Siodmak, 11 Lewis Milestone, 5 Pietro Germi

[flip]

sjostrom should definitely work, didn't check the posts above but i don't think we need to confirm - i'll start up that poll on tuesday!

i have 12 siodmak, incidentally, so i think he'd work for sure too (and milestone probably would as well, not as sure about germi).

[Umbugbene]

This round of director polls is already way better than Round Six, and we're only 10 directors in. This gives me hope.

[St. Gloede]

Seen 11 Germi, 7 Milestone, 14 Siodmak and 12 by Sjöström.

[flip]

i forgot that with my new rules, i can vote in this, seen one, loved it:

Maldone

[flip]

just got to a top ten, and only because of the special rules:

results

1. The Lighthouse Keepers (1929) -- 22.05 pts
2. Stormy Waters / Remorques (1941) -- 22.04 pts
3. Dainah la Metisse (1931) -- 14.5 pts
4. Lumiere d'Ete (1943) -- 11 pts
5. Pattes Blanches (1949) -- 9 pts
6. Maldone (1928) -- 5 pts
6. La Petite Lise (1930) -- 5 pts
8. Lady Killer (1937) -- 3 pts
9. The Woman Who Dared (1944) -- 2 pts
10. The Sixth of June at Dawn (1946) -- 1 pt
10. Guard! Alert! (1937) -- 1 pt
12. La Dolorosa (1934) -- 0.5 pts