Is Cinématon Worth Watching?
Honest Review & Verdict (1978)
Cinématon is a 156-hour long experimental film by French director Gérard Courant. It was the longest film ever released until 2011. Composed over 36 years from 1978 until 2006, it ...
✨ The Quick Verdict
If you are a fan of Documentary cinema, then Cinématon offers a standard experience that justifies its existence in the 1978 landscape.
👥 Target Audience
📔 Detailed Analysis
📖 The Core Premise
Cinématon returns to the screen in 1978, bringing a fresh narrative to the Documentary genre. At its heart, the film explores complex themes wrapped in a compelling storyline. As the plot unfolds, we see characters navigating a world where stakes are high. "Cinématon is a 156-hour long experimental film by French director Gérard Courant. It was the longest film ever released until 2011. Composed over 36 years from 1978 until 2006, it consists of a series of over 2,821 silent vignettes (cinématons), each 3 minutes and 25 seconds long, of various celebrities, artists, journalists and friends of the director, each doing whatever they want for the allotted time. Subjects of the film include directors Barbet Schroeder, Nagisa Oshima, Volker Schlöndorff, Ken Loach, Benjamin Cuq, Youssef Chahine, Wim Wenders, Joseph Losey, Jean-Luc Godard, Samuel Fuller and Terry Gilliam, chess grandmaster Joël Lautier, and actors Roberto Benigni, Stéphane Audran, Julie Delpy and Lesley Chatterley. Gilliam is featured eating a 100-franc note, while Fuller smokes a cigar. Courant's favourite subject was a 7-month-old baby. The film was screened in its then-entirety in Avignon in November 2009 and was screened in Redondo Beach, CA on April 9, 2010."
🎬 Performance & Direction
A movie's success often hinges on its execution. In Cinématon, Gérard Courant delivers a performance that attempts to elevate the material. The direction aims to balance pacing with character development, a hallmark of good Documentary. While there are moments of brilliance, the pacing occasionally dips.
🤔 Why You Should Watch (or Skip)
Is Cinématon worth your time? If you appreciate Documentary films that take risks, this is likely a decent one-time watch. However, if you are looking for a flawless masterpiece, you might find some plot points predictable.
🏆 Final Verdict
Ultimately, Cinématon is a mixed bag to the genre.
With a runtime of 12480 minutes, it asks for a significant time investment, but for the right audience, it pays off.
Our recommendation: Skip It.
⏳ Time Investment
At approximately 208.0 hours, the film requires a significant time commitment.