Duras film: Nathalie Granger

Extract from Nathalie Granger, a film by Marguerite Duras from 1972

– You are not a salesman.
– What? The 008… Yes, I am. The 008 features three possible selections. One instead of 2 if you remember the 007. The 007: two selections.
— But you are not a salesman.
— But I am, Ma’am. I am. I have my license here. Yes. I have my license.
— No.
— A license given by the police. I am not…
— No.
— Yes, Ma’am. Yes. Here.
— No.
— Yes.
— No.

This clip illustrates an aspect of Duras’ work, and indeed a lot of art, that is often forgotten: humor. In this scene a young Gerard Depardieu meets a young Jeanne Moreau. He is a trying to sell her a new washing machine. Moreau and her friend suddenly start claiming he is not a salesman. He insists that he is. In the end he mentions that his company would take their old washing machine if they buy a new one. When he checks, it turns out that they already own a machine like the one he is trying to sell.

Even though art can be weird and alienating, it is often humorous as well. All too often, art is approached with a seriousness that doesn’t help enjoyment. People seem to forget that art is play. It’s a form of play that can bring about very serious insights and surprising emotions. But it is not serious in and of itself. Not in the way that formal games are serious.

Formal games have sets of rules and goals, conditions for winning and rewards. They need to be approached with the sincerity of the accountant. At least if one desires to win —and winning is often required to get pleasure out of them. Art is far more playful and far less demanding. It is also far more personal. Art gives you an opportunity to be playful and you can choose for yourself how you want to play. Art is a game that you cannot lose. It is pure play.

This scene is also a lovely confrontation of genders. The mysterious females in all their silent power, together, and the scuttling man alone, functioning within some external system he has no control over. Not necessarily a deep eternal portrayal of something meaningful, but definitely a hilariously familiar situation.