Film Society of Lincoln Center’s ‘The Sign of Rohmer’: Rohmer Retrospective Closes out Summer

The oldest member of 1960s France’s Nouvelle Vague, the late Eric Rohmer receives the retrospective treatment starting today, through September 3rd, at New York’s Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center with “The Sign of Rohmer.” Rohmer had a style all his own that was not really picked up on until many years later, and indirectly at that, arguably in the 1990s and now quite prevalently in today’s indie cinema. He started with an idea, and then created a film as an essay about that idea. This is the essence of film as art.

Pictures like “The Kids Are All Right” and “Cyrus,” likely unconsciously, are more mainstream and significantly less-intellectualized versions of Rohmer constructs. They each start with an idea, or conflict, and then we watch characters discuss that idea—with plot only functioning as a means to bring us different sides of the arguments.

Highlights are obviously watching classics like My Night at Maud’s and Claire’s Knee on the big screen, but watch out for some you can’t find on DVD or elsewhere: The Sign of Leo, Catherine de Heilbronn, Perceval le Gallois, Marquise of O. Promising items taking place over this weekend include Q&A’s for La Collectionneuse and my personal favorite, his short film The Bakery Girl of Monceau. If you’re not in the neighborhood, here’s what you’ll be missing: (click here for showtimes)

Wednesday Aug 18
2:15 The Sign of Leo
4:30 The Romance of Astrea and Celadon
6:45 Pauline at the Beach [Comedies and Proverbs]
9:15 My Night at Maud’s [Moral Tales]

Thursday Aug 19
2:00 My Night at Maud’s [Moral Tales]
4:15 A Good Marriage
6:15 The Tree, the Mayor and the Mediatheque
8:45 Perceval le Gallois

Friday Aug 20
2:30 Six in Paris
4:30 My Night at Maud’s [Moral Tales]
6:45 Catherine de Heilbronn
9:30 The Marquise of O

Saturday Aug 21
2:45 Shorts Program
4:30 4 Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle
6:30 The Bakery Girl of Monceau + Suzanne’s Career [Moral Tales]
8:45 My Night at Maud’s [Moral Tales]

Sunday Aug 22
2:00 Rendezvous in Paris
4:00 My Night at Maud’s [Moral Tales]
6:15 La Collectionneuse [Moral Tales]
8:45 Sign of Leo

Monday Aug 23
2:30 Pauline at the Beach [Comedies and Proverbs]
4:30 Triple Agent
6:45 My Night at Maud’s [Moral Tales]
9:00 The Tree, the Mayor and the Mediatheque

Tuesday Aug 24
2:00 Chloe in the Afternoon [Moral Tales]
4:00 My Night at Maud’s [Moral Tales]

Wednesday Aug 25
2:00 Perceval le Gallois
4:45 The Marquise of O
6:50 Claire’s Knee [Moral Tales]
9:00 The Romance of Astrea and Celadon

Friday Aug 27
2:15 The Bakery Girl of Monceau + Suzanne’s Career [Moral Tales]
4:15 La Collectionneuse [Moral Tales]
6:15 My Night at Maud’s [Moral Tales]
8:30 Claire’s Knee [Moral Tales]

Saturday Aug 28
2:00 Chloe in the Afternoon [Moral Tales]
4:00 The Aviator’s Wife [Comedies & Proverbs]
6:15 A Good Marriage [Comedies & Proverbs]
8:30 Pauline at the Beach [Comedies & Proverbs]

Sunday Aug 29
2:00 Full Moon in Paris [Comedies & Proverbs]
4:00 Summer [Comedies & Proverbs]
6:00 Boyfriends and Girlfriends [Comedies & Proverbs]
8:15 Eric Rohmer, Preuves a l’Appui

Monday Aug 30
2:00 The Lady and the Duke
4:30 Triple Agent
6:45 A Tale of Springtime [Four Seasons]
9:00 Rendezvous in Paris

Tuesday Aug 31
2:00 Claire’s Knee [Moral Tales]
4:15 Boyfriends and Girlfriends
6:30 A Tale of Winter [Four Seasons]
9:00 Chloe in the Afternoon [Moral Tales]

Wednesday Sep 1
2:00 A Summer’s Tale [Four Seasons]
4:15 Summer [Comedies & Proverbs]

Thursday Sep 2
1:30 Eric Rohmer, Preuves à l’Appui
4:00 Catherine de Heilbronn
6:45 Autumn Tale [Four Seasons]
9:00 Full Moon in Paris [Comedies and Proverbs]

Friday Sep 3
2:00 A Tale of Springtime [Four Seasons]
4:15 A Tale of Winter [Four Seasons]
6:30 A Summer’s Tale [Four Seasons]

8:45 Autumn Tale [Four Seasons]