Rating: 2.5/5
Hooptober 4.0 | 10/31 | Countries 4/6 | Spain | Decades 5/6 | 70s
Claude Marchand is a reporter for Holiday magazine. After landing in Paris, he receives an unexpected change of plans — he is to interview and photograph the blind sculptor Franz Badulescu, who lives in Spain.
In Spain, a trench-coated figure snoops around the beach. He draws piano wire from his pocket and strangles Majo, a man who tended to the umbrellas on the beach.
Through his contacts in Spain, Claude meets Valerie, a model for Franz. She takes him to see the artist. There, she meets Franz’s wife, Tania. She is the one who made Franz world famous.
Through interviewing Franz, we learn Franz used animal skeletons in his prior work as armatures. Now, for his human sculptures, does he use human skeletons?
Later, we see Tania’s nightmares, in which a woman whips her as a child. Then, we see Franz’s face melting off of his skull. We learn of Tania’s lair, kept secret from Franz, where she has a cauldron of chemicals. There, she strips the flesh from bones.
The trench-coated man enters the secret entrance, and they embrace.
I extensively noted the plot of this movie. The movie is mostly filler. Why did Claude redirect from Paris to Spain right after landing? We also visit several bars, watch parties and dances, learn about a bondage subplot that goes nowhere, and on and on.
The movie makes Batman-like stylistic jumps — slow-motion, cut frames, psychedelic flashes of color and lightning — it feels like it’s trying to amp up the otherwise meh story, but it feels erratic.
My favorite thing in movies about artists is when they show the art, and it sucks. Valerie paints “realistic portraits,” which Claude declares out of style — they are barely recognizable as human. Franz’s sculptures are fine, but I can’t remember what a single one looks like. Tania’s harp playing is almost melodic despite the instrument being out of tune.
I probably rated this higher than it deserves, but it’s such an oddity to watch that I couldn’t deny being entertained.