Movie #1346 (#162 this year): Jeanne Dielman 23 Quai du Commerce 1080 Bruxelles (1975, Chantal Akerman)
the exciting (really!) potato peeling scene
It's a horror movie. But unlike any you have seen before. There are no aliens from outer space. There are no giant insects. But there is boredom. Oodles of boredom.
We start out in the opening scene finding out that our leading character is a prostitute. Then we go through her daily routine. Jeanne boiling potatoes. Jeanne setting the table. Jeanne listening to the radio. All very boring but somehow voyeuristic because movies never show boring routine stuff. Then when we see that Jeanne is just going to repeat these same chores over and over, the voyeurism recedes and we become bored as well. That is, until the scene where the potatoes are ruined because one of her sessions lasts too long. This sends her into a tizzy. Her routine has been broken and she must rush out to buy another bag on potatoes. That makes dinner late.
As she peels the new potatoes she keeps pausing. It looks like she's trying to decide whether to use the peeler on the potatoes or on her wrists. Then she starts to drop things. Then she forgets to do up a button. The coffee doesn't taste right.
Something is going to happen. And it does. Of course, what would have been even more horrific would have have been if nothing happened. If the grind would have just gone back to normal again.
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