La Captive

by Christine Smallwood

In the fifth published title of the Decadent Editions series, Christine Smallwood explores Chantal Akerman’s adaptation of Marcel Proust’s The Prisoner, the fifth volume of In Search of Lost Time, in a text that moves elegantly between Akerman’s films, Proust’s novel, and Smallwood’s own life.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, France

192 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2024

Reviews

[Tosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chantal and Marcel, the perfect couple. I really enjoyed reading this little book, but still a wonderful study on both Proust and Akerman.

[rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

às vezes, vale a pena viver só para poder ler livros como este

[Choah · Rating 3 out of 5]

[2.5] Decently intellectual but annoyingly affected. I am not a fan of its pithy rhizomatic associations, half-baked questions in parentheses that she tries to pass as analyses. Nor the non-sequiturs about her kids. Or the self-pity about having to finish writing the essay to deliver on the grant funding she applied for and won. Carried mostly by quotes of Proust and Proust scholars and descriptions of scenes from the film and Akerman’s life. Compared to something like the book from Decadent Editions about Hong Sang Soo’s ‘Tale of Cinema,’ this hardly passes for substantial writing on film.

[coffee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author says she only got paid $2,000 for this book, which explains why she writes as such.. Grouchy asides (“I have tried to not hate Chantal Akerman or her film La Captive, even as I have come to hate writing this essay.”) and half baked musings (“is your mother still your mother after you fall asleep?”)

[Owen Hatherley · Rating 3 out of 5]

One in a mostly very interesting series on films of the 2000s, here on Chantal Akerman's very loose Proust adaptation. Here there's a great deal about motherhood, which connects very neatly to Akerman in general but atypically little to this particular film about an appalling relationship between very young people; there's also not nearly enough about said film's completely deranged soundtrack.

[kelly]

bought my copy at eye film museum in amsterdam <3

in the opening pages, smallwood explicitly states that they've come to hate writing this essay and unfortunately it shows... i don't think layering the analysis with anecdotes from smallwood's experience of the pandemic really worked, although i enjoyed the tidbits about proust throughout.

[Dylan Kiewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

good to finally read this. i recall listening to smallwood talking about it on the film comment podcast while splayed out in the bloom of spring in a park in philly almost two years ago. love this series but boy are they rolling these out slow! watched the movie at the time and felt cold about it but feel more ready now. not sure i am ready for proust though.

[lol licious · Rating 4 out of 5]

fluid & dreamlike, like akerman's original work. draws connections between life, proust, and akerman beautifully.

[lostoyster: chili · Rating 3 out of 5]

< 3 I love chantal's la captive (2000) but this book (cutesy & at times annoying without sufficient analytical rigor) doesn't quite do it justice...

[Aura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Luettu lentokoneessa Brysseliin

[Hugo Santos]

é so okay