When I had first finished watching this, I thought, "Wow, Kenneth Anger really captured the look and feel of 70s glamour movies really well!" Then I realized it was made in 1949 and is about the 20s. I guess that, then, would be the definition of "timeless" in a sort of post-modern way. I still think it captures a certain look, feel, and sound that later filmmakers would project as the film of their era.
Anyway, one of the things that's really cool about this film is that it's Anger's homage to silent film. The dresses that introduce the movie like a melange of curtains rising were actually worn by movie-stars of the silent era, the room is mostly decorated with things created in that time period, and the focus on the expressiveness and physicality of the character instead of dialog can be a hint. Alternatively, it doesn't really feel much like a silent film, with a louder soundtrack (folksy songs) and the softly lit yet brilliant colorization.
This film is a bit like a candy-coated dream, warm and pleasant in how soft it feels. As with many films of this type (ones that were meant to be longer but were ultimately never completed), a lot can be wished for in terms of where it could go and what else Anger intended to shoot. The Puce Moment, however, is good enough that I do begin to fantasize about what Puce Women would be like.
--PolarisDiB
Anyway, one of the things that's really cool about this film is that it's Anger's homage to silent film. The dresses that introduce the movie like a melange of curtains rising were actually worn by movie-stars of the silent era, the room is mostly decorated with things created in that time period, and the focus on the expressiveness and physicality of the character instead of dialog can be a hint. Alternatively, it doesn't really feel much like a silent film, with a louder soundtrack (folksy songs) and the softly lit yet brilliant colorization.
This film is a bit like a candy-coated dream, warm and pleasant in how soft it feels. As with many films of this type (ones that were meant to be longer but were ultimately never completed), a lot can be wished for in terms of where it could go and what else Anger intended to shoot. The Puce Moment, however, is good enough that I do begin to fantasize about what Puce Women would be like.
--PolarisDiB