Claude Autant-Lara and Cahiers du Cinema

We have all read many times of how the young critics at Cahiers du Cinema have savaged Claude Autant-Lara. Rarely, though, is an attempt made to specify what was said and done during these "attacks'. This is an attempt to begin to draw up a ledger of the reaction of these young critics to Autant-Lara.
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Some Notes.
The conseil des dix was a tableau where the reactions of ten critcs to recently released films were recorded. Usually it would break down to about 3 to 5 Cahiers regulars and the reaminder critics from other newspapers or magazines. Some critics from other venues who would regularly weigh in would be Claude Mauriac, Jean de Baroncelli, Henri Agel, Georges Sadoul and Positif's Robert Benayoun.
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The system could be described as:
4 stars -- See it even if you have to go out of town to.3 stars -- Go across town if need be to see it.2 stars -- See it but wait till it is playing in your neighborhood.1 star -- If you are going to the theater and it is playing, go -- it won't hurt you.bullet -- No reason to go see it.
4 stars was used only from mid-1957 onward.
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“Marguerite de la Nuit” Reviewed in the February 1956 issue of Cahiers by Etienne Loinod (Jacques Doniol-Valcroze). Loinod wrote: “one does not know what to think of this film” and then in the conseil des dix as Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, he bulleted the film.
Nine of the ten critics weighed in on this film and the film got a total of six stars. Jacques Rivette bulleted the film. André Bazin gave it one star and Georges Sadoul gave it two stars.
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In the March 1956 monthly feature “Le Petit Journal du Cinema” a short note signed by Robert Lachenay and thus, almost certainly written by François Truffaut, reads in part: “Without a doubt Claude Autant-Lara was mistaken in filming “Marguerite de la Nuit”, but his mistake is honorable and esteemable compared to the pettiness and stupidity of certain of our colleagues…in titling their reviews “Marguerite de L’ennui”.
In his summing up article for the year 1956 published in the last issue of the weekly ARTS in that year, François Truffaut referred to this film as a “respectable failure”.
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“La Traversée de Paris”
Reviewed in the December 1956 issue Jacques Doniol-Valcroze reviewed this one also, but in his own name this time. He referred to the film as a “success” in the review’s opening sentence.
In the “conseil des dix”, the film was rated at three stars by six panelists (including François Truffaut) two stars by three others (including Eric Rohmer) and the single remaining panelist (J-P Vivet) gave it one star. That makes for 25 stars out of a possible 30.
To compare it to some other films rated that month by the same critics. “A Man Escaped” pulled off the very rare accomplishment of getting three stars from every critic. Von Stroheim’s “Queen Kelly" received only 22 stars (with two critics abstaining) and Joshua Logan’s (an American director that Cahiers tended to favor) “Bus Stop” got 22 stars with all ten critics voting.
François Truffaut wrote a most favorable review of this film for the weekly ARTS that he later in the 1970s collected into his book “The Films in My Life”.
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“En Cas de Malheur”
Reviewed in the November 1958 A full review of the film written by Phillipe Demonsablon was published.
In the conseil des dix Godard, Rivette, Jean Domarchi, and Charles Bitsch each gave the film one star. Eric Rohmer’s bullet stood as the lone bullet for the film. In total the film received 17 stars, three stars each from André Bazin (his last conseil – he died on November 11, 1958), Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, Jean de Baroncelli and Pierre Braunbarger with Henri Agel giving it one star. In comparison, in the same month Douglas Sirks’ “Tarnished Angels” received 14 stars from 7 of the ten. (Godard and Rivette gave it two stars.)
François Truffaut wrote a fairly positive review of this film which appeared in ARTS and was also collected into “The Films in My Life”.
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“Le Jouer”
This film was not reviewed in Cahiers. The January 1959 issue noted its opening in Paris and commented, “Dostoyevsky is betrayed for the sole good pleasure of MM. Aurenche, Autant-Lara, Boyer and Bost no longer even try to hide their game.”
Rivette, Rohmer, Jean Domarchi and Charles Bitsch all bulleted the film as did Claude Mauriac, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze and Henri Agel. George Sadoul gave it two stars and Jean de Baroncelli gave it one for a total of three stars. Comparison: In the same conseil John Huston’s “The Barbarian and the Geisha” was bulleted by eight of the panelists and received no stars.
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“La Jument Verte”
This film was not reviewed either. The December 1959 issue noted its release in Paris and commented, “ Having become his own producer, Claude Autant-Lara has realized his dream, the conscientious objector status of a green mare. For want of being able to congratulate Autant-Lara for good taste, intuition, comprehension or sensitivity, let’s applaud his courage, making the most scatological French film of the year.”
Six of the ten critics that month bulleted the film, including Jacques Rivette and Jean Douchet. Eric Rohmer and Louis Marcorelles abstained. The two remaining panelists – George Sadoul and Pierre Braunbarger each gave it one star.
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"Les Régates de San Francisco"
This film also was not reviews. The June 1960 issue noted its release in Paris and commented" "The most systematic, and thus the most interesting, film that Autant-Lara has ever made. Maybe offensive, depending on one's taste, but in no way loathsome."
The film received a total of six stars, five from "young turks", -- Luc Moullet and Jacques Rivette both gave it two stars and Truffaut gave it one star. Eric Rohmer bulleted the film.
Comparison: "La Dolce Vita" was considered by the same panel. Luc Moullet who gave "Regates" two stars, bulleted "La Dolce Vita" and Eric Rohmer who bulleted "Regates" gave "La Dolce Vita" two stars. Rivette also gave "La Dolce Vita" two stars and Truffaut abstained. So those four "young turks" gave Autant-Lara's film one more star than they gave Fellini's.
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"Le Bois des Amants"
This film was also not reviewed but in noting its release in the October 1960 issue, Cahiers commented : "...proves that the salacity of "Les Régates de San Francisco" better suits the "auteur". Autant-Lara has lost his faith, nothing rings falser, more out-moded, and more insincere than this ill-famed "bois".
The film received five bullets including Rivette and Douchet. Eric Rohmer abstained. From among non-Cahiers panelists, Georges Sadoul and Jean de Baroncelli also abstained.
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“Vive Henri IV”
Not reviewed, its opening in Paris was noted with the following comment: “…The late loves of Henri IV make, like all historic episodes, the subject of a film. But this isn’t the film. A dull succession of jokes.”
Only three panelists bothered with the film that month and two bulleted it, including Rivette. Michel Aubriant gave it its single star.
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“The Count of Monte Christo”
Again no review, this film’s opening was noted and commented on: “…Autant-Lara has not looked to think or rethink [the book]. He has confined himself to a “mise-en-scene” correct and anonymous.” The film received three stars and three bullets:
Two of the bullets came from Jean Douchet and Andre LaBarthe. The three stars came from Michel Aubriant (2)and Jean de Baroncelli (1). Eric Rohmer and Georges Sadoul abstained.
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“Le Meurtrier”
This film was also not reviewed but only commented on briefly in the March 1963 issue. “…This is the Autant-Lara way, beyond truth, beyond reality, on terrain unreasonable and completely ridiculous.”
This film was bulleted by seven of the conseil. Two gave it one star – Jacques Rivette and Georges Sadoul. Eric Rohmer abstained.
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“Tu ne Tueras Point”
This film demonstrates a great divide between the panelists for that month because 5 gave it two stars and five bulleted the film. Among those awarding it two stars were Jacques Rivette and Georges Sadoul. Among the five who bulleted were Rohmer and Douchet, and also former Autant-Lara defenders Michel Aubriant and Jean de Baroncelli.
Comparison: Cahiers almost always looked favorably on films by Robert Mulligan in the “Pakula-Mulligan” era even when Mulligan was not teamed with Alan J Pakula. In that same conseil, “Du Silence et des Ombres” (“To Kill a Mockingbird”) was awarded a mere 4 stars, (one each from Jacques Rivette and Georges Sadoul) and was bulleted by five panelists (including Aubriant and de Baroncelli).
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“La Magot Josefa” Reviewed in the November 1963 issue by Michel de la Haye who wrote “one of Autant-Lara’s best films”. Rivette awarded it two stars while Rohmer and Douchet bulleted the film.
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"Le Journal d'une Femme en blanc"
Reviewed in the May-June issue of 1965 by Michel Madore. He called it as “sublime” as Mikhail Romm’s “Nine Days in One Year” a film that was highly regarded at Cahiers and he also described Autant-Lara as being like a “young director“.
The film was granted 17 stars including three from both Jacques Rivette and Michel Delahaye. Georges Sadoul gave it two stars. It was bulleted in that issue by Positif’s Robert Benayoun (who also bulleted Bergman’s “Winter Light” and Godard’s “Alphaville” in that same conseil) and Jean-Louis Bory (who also bulleted “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte”).
****Jacques Rivette and Jean-Luc Godard both placed this film on their respective ten-best lists for 1965.****
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“Une Femme en Blanc se Révolte”
Jean Narboni reviewed this film in the May 1966 issue. Quoting from him, “Since Jacques Becker’s death filmmakers of immanence have made themselves rare in France. Today we have Claude de Givray and Claude Autant-Lara.”
The film was awarded ten stars by the conseil including two each from Jean-Louis Comolli and Georges Sadoul. Comparison: “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold” was granted eleven stars by the same panel. (Sadoul was the lone bullet).
Bertrand Tavernier placed this film on his ten best list for 1966 in Cahiers.