Vol. 43 No. 4 1976 - page 605

ROBERT BOYERS
605
Ms. Mellen's approach
to
the film proposes that Rohmer's vision inevit–
ably demeans women by demonstrating that they will remain unhappy, like
Maud, unless they are strenuously unimpressive. In her terms, "the cultural
ideal, the blonde, coy, mindless coquette is placed beside an intellectual,
witty woman, capable of humor and irony, but unappealing to the hero for
her very independence and unique sense of self." We shall overlook the
simple fact that Rohmer's blonde is neither coy nor a mindless coquette,
and that where coyness and coquetry are concerned, Maud has few equals
in recent cinema. The important point is that Rohmer's intention is neither
to exalt nor
to
demean women in general, or the character of
Fran~oise
in
particular. That his male protagonist should decide to marry her is entirely
appropriate given Jean-Louis' temperament and predilections. Had he de–
termined
to
pursue Maud he ' d have discovered in time that he was no match
for her , that no matter how carefully she treated him he'd have felt over–
powered , pressed beyond his capacities
to
try to say what he meant and
express what he felt . Rohmer's project has nothing to do with the elabora–
tion of a model woman, an entirely positive character type. In the vision of
his film, Maud is an appealing and extraordinary person, but her unusual
strengths suggest she may have difficulty in personal relations, in the way
that extraordinary persons frequently do. To indicate as much is not there–
fore to recommend we avoid such people or give up emulating them.
Rohmer's sensibility is generous and playful in its willingness to entertain
various possibilities and to look at liabilities associated with any given choice
or character. His idea of them is no more important to the film than their
experience of themselves. Both Maud and
Fran~oise
know who they are and
have some notion of what they may expect from life. Neither would be
pleased to stand as emblems for the hope and future prospects of the sex.
2. The theory assumes that represented flaws in women characters who
are successfully realized cinematically will stand out from the body of the
films and draw the viewer to dwell morbidly upon feminine disabilities.
Thus Ms. Mellen's contempt for "the familiar posture of the delighting
pessimist." We are reminded at this point of what Fredric Jameson called
the "visceral fascination" artists frequently experience in the presence of
the "intellectually loathesome." The question is, what effect does this
fascination have on the structure of the work and the experience of the
viewer? Take the Karen Black character Rayette in the American film
Five
Easy Pieces .
Ms. Mellen is offended by her, and clearly feels that no self–
respecting, liberated person would bring himself to create such a figure .
Now there is no doubt that Rayette is a repellent figure, but her role is
drawn with such force and detail, and played with such animation and
conviction by Ms. Black, that we do not for a moment want her any other
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