To greet the journals of background work

Editing still not being completely moribund in our country - it is up to us ... - it is rich in its journals. This is especially true in terms of cinema. As much space devoted to it tends to reduce in the so-called mainstream press, both the cinéphiliques magazines abound. Some are well known: the Cahiers du Cinema and Positif course, but also traffic. Other slightly less: Vertigo, the film art, etc. Many of them regularly offer interesting texts, but as I prefer for my texts sets on a single filmmaker rather than disparate collections or link units, I want to particularly distinguish a magazine that devotes each of its two deliveries annually to an author: Eclipses (based in Caen). Medium format and fairly consistent (almost 150 pages), not bad illustrated (usually using photograms reproduced in black and white), it is elegant enough for a price that is relatively reasonable. (15) Beginning in 2015 appeared number 55, dedicated to John Boorman. In 2014, the numbers were 53 and 54 respectively dedicated to the work of Michael Powell and Terrence Malick - Eclipses Terrence Malick - Ecli54 - and both had proved very successful.

If she can go out on delivery of the authors of which already exist several works (Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Tim Burton ...) Eclipses often has the merit to publish sets of texts covering the work of a well author while there is not much more than what has been offered journals and magazines before she (ex. Sidney Lumet). In the case of Terrence Malick, the set of texts they offered helped somewhat alleviate a critical shortage in French, along with essential chapters in books that are just as (Michael Henry Wilson In door of paradise. - One hundred years of American cinema Fifty-eight filmmakers Pierre Berthomieu in modern Hollywood - time lights and Hollywood - Time of mutants). In that of Boorman, no book discount Michel Ciment Boorman: A visionary in his time made all the more necessary that we make lights seem like these, not to mention the renewal points view that can always bring new writers - it should be noted that positive, always faithful to the filmmaker, had also devoted a record in its number 633 of November 2013. Nevertheless, they do not devote each issue authors for: Boorman is abandoned today, and we must also acknowledge this type of background work and contempt of the modes.

As the book of Cement date of 1985 - just after the release of The Emerald Forest - and that there probably will never be a new edition, as only a few articles have been published in volume French - especially, again, that of Michael Henry Wilson reproduced At the door of paradise - what offers the Eclipses magazine is nothing less than a complete revolution of the work of Boorman, to his last film Date, Queen and Country (released in the almost general indifference, we must say a Wednesday, January 7, 2015, and quickly landed).

Needless to itemize each article. As always in a magazine of this type, there to drink and eat, texts found particularly relevant and others less, some beautifully written, and others a little winded. Some angles refresh the look that you wear on such work, others borrow already marked paths but their singular way, others sink open doors and vaguely jargonnent to deceive.

Here, in Eclipse, it is rare that I can not find at least a good half of articles for more than a little interested. In the case of this Boorman, this is true both articles to contextualize best movies as different as the ultra-known and the unknown Issue The Tiger's Tail (not distributed in France) than to that of Lee Marvin, myths or elements (water, forest). In total, if all texts not excited, even if all are not interested in also, there is a strong set. At most regret is it that a film like Where the Heart Is, mentioned at the beginning of the introduction as a way of movie-sum in the work of Boorman, is not entitled to his own study. Note that Boorman responds relatively briefly in an interview at the beginning of the book, where it is essentially about Queen and Country.

In short, a good journal issue, for which fish only average reproduction of some photographs and some shells that escaped here and there (spelling of proper names and titles). Overall, however, it is done with great care, in addition to line up more often texts quality. We wish him long life to her and so many others who do not demerit.

PS To those who can read English and the subject Boorman interested, we can not recommend too reading his own writing. Whether its newspapers, especially the one written at the time of preparation and filming of The Emerald Forest - The Emerald Forest Diary - or of his autobiography - Adventures of a Suburban Boy. All reflect actual writing skills, a tone and a healthy critical distance vis-à-vis his occupation and film backgrounds (American, especially but not only).