La Salamandre

Alain Tanner

Rosemonde the Salamander is a young girl who gets by thanks to low-paid jobs of all kinds. She is suspected of attempting to kill the uncle with whom she lives. A journalist and a writer are hired to get to the bottom of this mystery, as the basis for a television film scenario. They are unsuccessful however. The truth about Rosemonde and her special appreciation of life continue to elude these two amateur detectives.

"LA SALAMANDRE (THE SALAMANDER) brought Alain Tanner acclaim and his first public triumph. Presented at the Cannes Film Festival in the “Quinzaine des réalisateurs” section in 1971, the film made the world aware of the abrasive tone and energy of the new Swiss cinema, with Tanner as its emblematic director. The scenario derives from Tanner’s experience as a journalist/reporter for Swiss television between 1965 and 1968. The Salamander begins with a succession of enigmatic images of the kind very much favoured by today’s TV reconstructions: a man is shown cleaning his gun; the gun goes off; furtively, a woman’s face appears.What is happening? On this mysterious opening, which serves as a pretext, Tanner builds a metaphorical scenario: two men, a journalist and a writer, throw themselves into the investigation to find out the truth about this woman. Each uses his own weapons: documentary research in one case, boundless imagination in the other. But gradually, both courses of action prove futile. As it turns out, the encounter with their subject, Rosemonde, ruins their studied efforts to discover the truth, and the emergence of a trio of free, critical individuals supersedes the cold, laborious exercise in truth-seeking. The beauty of the film lies in its capacity to make sense without ever hammering the message: reality outruns all efforts to grasp it, the thesis of all modern cinema since CITIZEN KANE, to which THE SALAMANDER is a kind of Swiss response. Played by Bulle Ogier, Rosemonde is still a definitive incarnation of post- 1968 freedom.
Frédéric Bas, Swissfilms

"LA SALAMANDRE is a cool movie, reminiscent of such Eric Rohmer films as MY NIGHT AT MAUD'S and CLAIRE'S KNEE. But where Rohmer teases the intellect, Tanner pierces the jugular. In SALAMANDRE 's best moment, Pierre returns home, ashamed of his affair with Rosemonde and eager to confess to his wife. She listens to the whole story, nods, then nonchalantly reads Pierre a passage of supreme irrelevance from Heine. He goes back to the city to find Rosemonde. At least she is alive." J.C. Time Magazine

"This Swiss-made film closely examines the character of a non-conformist, a subject of unending interest to the reputedly highly conformist Swiss. A TV journalist reads of a lawsuit, dropped for lack of evidence, in which a girl is accused of deliberately shooting (and wounding) her uncle. For some reason, this piques his interest, and the journalist even goes so far as to talk a novelist friend of his into joining him in researching the incident. As their research and interviews proceed, it becomes clear that they have no interest in the actual truth of the incident, but are more concerned to dig deeply (each in his own way) into the characters of the girl and her uncle. One memorable scene has the girl, while serving as a shoe store salesperson, fondling the legs of her customers."
All Movie Guide

"Bulle Ogier is perfect as Rosemonde, not so much elusive as intractable; she's funny and believable, but also maddening enough for us to understand the writers' frustration. As Pierre, the superb Jean-Luc Bideau is a gangling, stooped-over goofball, now madly dedicated to his work, now all silliness and sound effects run amok. Jacques Denis is the equally wonderful Paul, a man who starts to sing whenever he feels sad, which is reasonably often. Rosemonde at one point compares them to Laurel and Hardy, and indeed the two pull off an hysterical stunt on a Geneva tram which still makes me chortle when I think of it. Tanner gives us one important tip on the nature of his Marxist commitments: in one corner of Pierre's pitiful little flat, we catch a glimpse of that famous formal photographic portrait (blown up to poster size) of Karl, and when the camera moves slightly, we see a poster featuring Harpo and his brothers. Je suis un marxiste, tendance Groucho, said the Parisian student soixante-huitards.
A Girl and a Gun

Alain Tanner

Born in 1929 in Geneva. Studied Economics at University of Geneva. 1951 Jointly responsible for the cinema club at Geneva University, founded by Claude Goretta. 1955 Worked at the British Film Institute. 1957 First film with Claude Goretta. Between 1960 and 1968 returned to Switzerland, directed several films and documentaries for television. 1962 Co-founder of the Swiss Filmmakers Association. 1969 First feature film.

2004 PAUL S'EN VA
2002 FLEURS DE SANG
1999 JONAS ET LILA, A DEMAIN
1998 REQUIEM
1995 FOURBI
1994 LES HOMMES DU PORT
1993 LE JOURNAL DE LADY M.
1991 L'HOMME QUI A PERDU SON OMBRE
1989 LA FEMME DE ROSE HILL
1987 LA VALLEE FANTOME
1986 UNE FLAMME DANS MON COEUR
1985 NO MAN'S LAND
1983 DANS LA VILLE BLANCHE
1981 LIGHT YEARS AWAY - LES ANNEES LUMIERE
1978 MESSIDOR
1977 TEMPS MORT
1976 JONAS QUI AURA VINGT-CINQ ANS EN L'AN 2000
1974 LE MILIEU DU MONDE
1973 LE RETOUR D'AFRIQUE
1971 LA SALAMANDRE
1968 CHARLES, MORT OU VIF
1968 DOCTEUR B., MEDECIN DE CAMPAGNE
1966 UNE VILLE A CHANDIGARH
1964 LES APPRENTIS
1962 L'ECOLE
1961 RAMUZ, PASSAGE D'UN POETE
1957 PICADILLY LA NUIT
1957 NICE TIME

Coffret
ALAIN TANNER (5 DVD)

Livres
2007 CINE-MELANGES
1984 A POSSIBLE CINEMA by Jim Leach
1976 Scénario JONAS QUI AURA VINGT-CINQ ANS EN L'AN 2000

Renato Berta

2005 ESPELHO MAGICO (Manoel de Oliveira)
2005 CODE 68 (Jean-Henri Roger)
2005 FREE ZONE (Amos Gitai, not credited)
2005 LE PROMENEUR DU CHAMP DE MARS (Robert Guédiguian)
2004 MON PERE EST INGENIEUR (Robertz Guédiguian)
2004 UNE VISITE AU LOUVRE (Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub)
2003 PAS SUR LA BOUCHE (Alain Resnais)
2003 ALILA (Amos Gitai)
2003 BALLO A TRE PASSI (Salvatore Mereu)
2003 LE RETOUR DU FILS PRODIGUE (Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub)
2002 LULU (Jean-Henri Roger)
2002 O PRINCIPIO INCERTEZA (Manoel de Oliveira)
2002 MARIE-JO ET SES 2 AMOURS (Robert Guédiguian)
2001 EDEN (Amos Gitai)
2001 OPERAI, CONTADINI (Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub)
2000 PALAVRA E UTOPIA (Manoel de Oliveira)
2000 MERCI POUR LE CHOCOLAT (Claude Chabrol)
2000 KIPPUR (Amos Gitai)
2000 VIVE NOUS! (Camille de Casabianca)
2000 ADDIO LUGANO BELLA (Francesca Solari)
1999 BERESINA ( VOD) (Daniel Schmid)
1999 KADOSH (Amos Gitai)
1999 VAANAPRASTHAM (Shaji N. Karun)
1998 YOM YOM (Amos Gitai)
1998 INQUIETUDE (Manoel de Oliveira)
1997 ON CONNAIT LA CHANSON (Alain Resnais)
1997 VIAGEM AO PRINCIPIO DO MUNDO (Manuel de Oliveira)
1996 PARTY (Manuel de Oliveira)
1996 CHIMERE (Bartabas)
1995 ZIHRON DEVARIM (Amos Gitai)
1995 ADULTERE, MODE D'EMPLOI (Christine Pascal)
1994 THE WRITTEN FACE (Daniel Schmid) (VOD D, VOD E, VOD F)
1994 LA PROSSIMA VOLTA IL FUOCO (Fabio Carpi)
1994 LA MORT DE MOLIERE (Robert Wilson)
1993 SMOKING / NO SMOKING (Alain Resnais)
1993 L'INSTINCT DE L'ANGE (Richard Dembo)
1992 HORS SAISON (Daniel Schmid) (VOD)
1991 LE FILM DU CINEMA SUISSE (Jean-François Amiguet, Renato Berta et al.)
1991 RIEN QUE DES MENSONGES (Paul Muret)
1990 URANUS (Claude Berri)
1989 MILOU EN MAI (Louis Malle)
1989 TWISTER (Michael Almereyda)
1989 CHIMERE (Claire Dvers)
1988 ADA DANS LA JUNGLE (Gérard Zingg)
1987 LES INNOCENTS (André Téchiné)
1987 AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS (Louis Malle)
1987 JENATSCH (Daniel Schmid)
1987 DER TOD DES EMPEDOKLES (Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub)
1986 CORPS ET BIEN (Benoît Jacquot)
1986 TAXI BOY (Alain Page)
1986 ROSA LA ROSE, FILLE PUBLIQUE (Paul Vecchiali)
1985 L'HOMME AUX YEUX D'ARGENT (Pierre Granier-Deferre)
1985 RENDEZ-VOUS (André Téchiné)
1985 HURLEVENT (Jacques Rivette)
1984 L'ANNEE DES MEDUSES (Christopher Frank)
1984 LES NUITS DE LA PLEINE LUNE (Eric Rohmer) ((Deutsche Untertitel)
1984 VIVE LES FEMMES (Claude Confortès)
1984 IL BACIO DI TOSCA (Daniel Schmid)
1984 VOYAGE D'ANTOINE (Christian Richelme)
1983 L'HOMME BLESSE (Patrice Chéreau)
1983 MIRAGE DE LA VIE (Daniel Schmid)
1983 HECATE (VOD)
1981 NOTRE DAME DE LA CROISETTE (Daniel Schmid)
1980 RETOUR A MARSEILLE (René Alliio)
1980 SAUVE QUI PEUT (LA VIE) (Jean-Luc Godard)
1980 SEULS (Francis Reusser)
1979 MESSIDOR (Alain Tanner)
1978 LA VOIX DE SON MAÎTRE (Gérard Mordillat, Nicolas Philibert)
1977 A. CONSTANT (Christine Laurent)
1977 LES INDIENS SONT ENCORE LOINS (Patricia Moraz)
1977 ALZIRE ODER DER NEUE KONTINENT (Thomas Koerfer)
1977 SAN GOTTARDO (Vili Hermnann)
1977 VIOLANTA (Daniel Schmid)
1977 REPERAGES (Michel Soutter)
1976 FORTINI / CANI (Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub)
1976 JONAS QUI AURA 25 ANS EN L'AN 2000 (Alain Tanner)
1976 LE GRAND SOIR (Francis Reusser)
1976 SARTRE PAR LUI-MEME (Alexandre Astruc, Michel Contat)
1976 SCHATTEN DER ENGEL (Daniel Schmid)
1975 DER GEHÜLFE (Thomas Koerfer)
1974 PAS SI MECHANT QUE ÇA (Claude Goretta)
1974 LE MILIEU DU MONDE (Alain Tanner)
1974 LA PALOMA (Daniel Schmid)
1973 EINLEITUNG ZU ARNOLD SCHÖNBERGS BEGLEITMUSIK EINER LICHTSPIELSZENE (Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub)
1973 DER TOD DES FLOHZIRKUSDIREKTORS (Thomas Koerfer)
1973 LES VILAINES MANIERES (Simon Edelstein)
1972 GESCHICHTSUNTERRICHT (Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub)
1972 HEUTE NACHT ODER NIE (Daniel Schmid)
1972 LE RETOUR D'AFRIQUE (Alain Tanner)
1971 LA SALAMANDRE (Alain Tanner)
1969 VIVE LA MORT (Francis Reusser)
1969 CHARLES MORT OU VIF (Alain Tanner)

News

Cargo: Von Niemandsland nach Anderswo - Alain Tanner wird 80 2009-12-06
Sennhausers Filmblog: Abbitte bei Alain Tanner 2009-12-06
Retrospective Alain Tanner à la Cinémathèque de Lausanne 2009-03-05
LA SALAMANDRE d'Alain Tanner le 3 mars à la CInémathèque de Lausanne 2009-03-03
LA SALAMANDRE by Alain Tanner again available 2008-07-23
Cineuropa: Alain Tanner sacré docteur 2008-06-19
LA SALAMANDRE von Alain Tanner am 17. April in Bern 2008-04-17
artfilm.ch and the swiss films in Berlin 2007-06-10
Renato Berta - Director of Photography - Retrospective in Solothurn and more than 20 DVDs 2007-01-22
LA SALAMANDRE by Alain Tanner with Jean-Luc Bideau and Bulle Ogier 2006-08-29

Internet

Comments

Je regrette que vous ayez publié un générique incomplet et supprimant mon nom .
Pourtant il apparait sur toutes les affiches.
Je vous serais reconnaissant de bien vouloir rectifier.
Bien à vous,
Gabriel AUER
Producteur Associé de LA SALAMANDRE
Keywords: Production
Gabriel AUER 2013-03-26 Tweet

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