Jean Vigo: Short Films

Three short films by the French director Jean Vigo, his only work (along with 'L'Atalante') due to his untimely death.
A Propos de Nice (1930, Documentary): A short documentary abour neice, silent. This isn't particularly engaging, but technically it is very interesting, and can become even mesmerising. The use of the eagle eye view is the ultimate use of the overhead angle. Indeed, again this film has a hug amount of interest i.e. angle. We have the overheads but here the most interesting shots are perhaps those that look up. A technique usually used to convey power, omniscience, on this occassion it is used to seemingly egg the people portrayed on, as they believe that they are above, but in fact are taken as simply objects. The camera, despite being in this position and not moving, seems to almost leer at the girls. It is the example of Vigo's belief in something beyond a simple humanism; the way he is able to let, from simply his P.O.V., the characters portray and fail themselves.
The use of montage is confusing but at times powerful. It is clearly expressionist, perhaps even surrealist, and often provocative. Suggestions of a Potemkin-like geometry are there, but as are other aspects we find it difficult to identify.
Again, with Vigo we notice the speed of the action, the again eerie nature of extra speed.
Taris (1931, Documentary): A very short film about a swimmer. This is a film which has some beautiful images of the water and the man in them. It seems to focus more on the water than on the man. The use of the underwater camera is stunning, Vigo has a wonderful underexposed way of letting these have a weight and power all to themselves, the bubble and the splash. We wonder if M. Taris knew he'd be portrayed, as seeimgly is Vigo's motif, as a part of the enviroment, all and only that, all else is hubris.
Zero De Conduite (1933): A longer piece about school. This is at once Vigo's most conventional and most humanistic piece. We have an interesting use of shadow on the face, as well as more close ups. Vigo places more emphasis on long images than usual, the speed displayed elsewhere has slowed. Not hugely interesting, though the story is sweet enough. This film is held in high regard, so we may have missed something.
To be honest, after the wonderful 'L'Atalante' we were a little dissapointed with these films. Examples of Vigo's technqiue they may be, but not a huge amount else.