Chris Marker time traveler and filmmaker
La Jetée is a short experimental film directed by Chris Marker and released in 1962. The film is notable for its unique structure and its use of still images, rather than live-action footage, to tell its story. The film tells the story of a man who is sent back in time from a post-apocalyptic future to the present day to prevent the disaster that led to the destruction of civilization. The man’s journey takes him to different moments in history, but his focus is on his own past and a traumatic event that he witnessed as a child. One of the most distinctive features of La Jetée is its use of still images. Marker was inspired by the photographic sequences used in documentaries and newsreels, and he used a series of carefully composed photographs to create the film’s visual style. The images are accompanied by a voiceover narration that tells the story, with occasional snippets of sound and music added for effect.
The film’s themes of memory, time travel, and the human experience of trauma have made it a classic of the science fiction genre. It has been praised for its imaginative storytelling and its innovative use of the medium of film. Its influence can be seen in later works of science fiction cinema, such as Terry Gilliam’s Twelve Monkeys, which was directly inspired by La Jetée. The phrase “Still image is death, film is life” is a quote from Chris Marker, the director of La Jetée. The quote reflects Marker’s belief that still images, while they can be powerful and evocative, are ultimately static and limited in their ability to capture the fullness of life. Film, on the other hand, allows for the passage of time and the evolution of a story, making it a more dynamic and engaging medium.
In La Jetée, Marker used still images to create a dreamlike, otherworldly atmosphere, but he also recognized the limitations of this approach. The film’s use of voiceover narration and occasional sound effects helped to bring the story to life, creating a more immersive and engaging experience for the viewer. Overall, Marker’s quote highlights the unique power of film to capture the essence of life and the passage of time, and it reflects his innovative approach to filmmaking and his belief in the importance of storytelling. Memory is a central theme in La Jetée. The film’s protagonist is sent back in time from a post-apocalyptic future to the present day to prevent the disaster that led to the destruction of civilization. His journey takes him to different moments in history, but his focus is on his own past and a traumatic event that he witnessed as a child. Throughout the film, the protagonist grapples with the fragility and unreliability of memory. His memories of the past are often hazy and incomplete, and he struggles to piece together the events that led to the apocalypse. At the same time, his experiences in the present day begin to shape his memories of the past, blurring the line between reality and fantasy.
The film also explores the ways in which memory can be a source of trauma and pain. The protagonist’s traumatic childhood memory haunts him throughout his journey, and he is forced to confront it repeatedly as he travels through time. His attempts to change the past are driven in part by a desire to escape this painful memory and prevent the disaster that it foreshadows. Overall, memory plays a complex and multifaceted role in La Jetée, shaping the protagonist’s journey and the film’s exploration of time, identity, and the human experience of trauma.
There are several films that explore similar themes to La Jetée, particularly the themes of memory, time travel, and the human experience of trauma. Here are a few examples:
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) – This film, directed by Michel Gondry, tells the story of a couple who undergo a procedure to erase their memories of each other after a painful breakup. The film uses non-linear storytelling and surreal imagery to explore the ways in which memories shape our relationships and our sense of self.
• Primer (2004) – This low-budget science fiction film, directed by Shane Carruth, follows a group of friends who accidentally invent a time machine and must grapple with the ethical and personal consequences of their invention. The film uses a complex and non-linear narrative structure to explore the intricacies of time travel and the paradoxes it creates.
• Memento (2000) – This film, directed by Christopher Nolan, tells the story of a man with short-term memory loss who is searching for his wife’s killer. The film uses a non-linear narrative structure, with scenes presented in reverse order, to explore the protagonist’s fractured sense of self and his struggle to make sense of his memories.
• Solaris (1972) – This science fiction film, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, follows a psychologist who travels to a space station orbiting the planet Solaris, where the crew members are experiencing hallucinations and strange phenomena. The film uses surreal imagery and a contemplative pace to explore the nature of consciousness, memory, and the human experience of isolation and loneliness.
Overall, these films, along with La Jetée, use science fiction and surreal imagery to explore complex and challenging themes related to memory, time, and the human experience of trauma.
While Solaris and La Jetée share some similarities in terms of their exploration of memory and the human experience of isolation and loneliness, they are quite different films in terms of their style and approach. La Jetée, as I mentioned earlier, is an experimental short film that uses still images and a voiceover narration to tell its story. The film has a dreamlike, otherworldly atmosphere, and its use of non-linear storytelling and surreal imagery creates a sense of disorientation and ambiguity. The film is highly stylized, and its focus on memory and time travel is primarily used to explore themes related to the human experience of trauma and loss. In contrast, Solaris is a full-length feature film that tells a more straightforward narrative story, although it too uses surreal imagery and a contemplative pace. The film follows a psychologist who travels to a space station orbiting the planet Solaris, where he discovers that the crew members are experiencing strange hallucinations and phenomena. The film explores themes of memory and identity, as the protagonist grapples with the nature of consciousness and the boundaries between reality and fantasy.
While both films deal with themes of memory and isolation, Solaris is a more expansive and philosophical exploration of these themes, whereas La Jetée is more focused on the personal and emotional impact of trauma. Additionally, while Solaris is a science fiction film, it is more grounded in the conventions of traditional narrative storytelling than La Jetée, which is highly experimental and abstract. Both La Jetée and Solaris explore the theme of trauma in different ways. In La Jetée, the protagonist’s traumatic childhood memory is a central focus of the film. The protagonist is sent back in time to prevent the disaster that he witnessed as a child, and his journey is driven in part by a desire to escape the pain and trauma of that memory. The film uses non-linear storytelling and surreal imagery to explore the fragmented nature of memory and the emotional impact of trauma. In Solaris, the theme of trauma is explored through the character of Kris Kelvin, the psychologist who travels to the space station. Kelvin is haunted by memories of his dead wife, and he struggles to come to terms with his own feelings of guilt and loss. As the film progresses, Kelvin becomes increasingly isolated and disconnected from reality, as he confronts the nature of consciousness and the limitations of his own perception.
Both films use science fiction and surreal imagery to create a sense of disorientation and ambiguity, reflecting the fragmented nature of memory and the emotional impact of trauma. They also both suggest that the experience of trauma can be isolating and alienating, creating a sense of disconnection from the world and from oneself. Overall, while the two films take different approaches to explore the theme of trauma, they both offer powerful and thought-provoking meditations on the nature of memory, consciousness, and the human experience of pain and loss.