Although more famous for his novels and screenplays, Alain Robbe Grillet was an accomplished director as well.
La Belle Capitive is based off of one of his own novels and has the excellent Henri Alekan (
La Belle et la Bete,
Wings of Desire) in charge of cinematography.
Perhaps the most obvious element of the film's visual style is the lighting. I cannot find a single shot in the film in which the lighting is anything short of astounding. Look for yourself!
Grillet also employs great use of repeated imagery, something which does not come across perfectly in still images, but I tried to display nonetheless.
Top 3:
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| This shot is just perfect. The smoke in the background gives the frame a subtle dreamlike feel, the headlights in the dark create a gorgeous chiaroscuro effect, the woman in the centre cuts an imposing figure and seems to pop out from the frame. |
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| The ethereal lighting marries excellently with the transparent drapes, creating another oneiric image. |
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| The makers channel Rene Margritte's painting of the same name to create a strikingly surreal and memorable image. |
The rest:
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| More wonderful lighting. |
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| Another favourite. Very symbolic and intriguing. |
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| Very playfully weird shot. The red drapes from the beach appear on the bed and the woman keeps her bike indoors. |
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| Love the framing and colour use here. |
