Every day, AlloCiné recommends a film to (re)watch on TV. Tonight: a little-known but excellent western starring the legendary James Caan and Jane Fonda.
Watching a good old western never hurts. Better yet, it can perk you up for a little while! So why not enjoy one of high quality this Sunday evening, snuggled up on your sofa? Good news: a little gem of the genre, little-known but of high quality, is broadcast on Arte!
The excellent western that Arte offers is Breath of the Storm by Alan J. Pakula. Released in French cinemas in 1979, it immerses the viewer in the aftermath of the Second World War.
Owner of a ranch in the West, Ella Connors (Jane Fonda) is harassed by the wealthy JW Ewing (Jason Robards), who has designs on her land. In debt, the young woman had to sell a plot of land to two demobilized soldiers, one of whom soon died during a scuffle with Ewing’s men. The other, Frank Athearn (James Caan), escapes with an injury and takes refuge with Ella…
We weren’t necessarily expecting Alan J. Pakula at the helm of a western. However, this is the challenge that the filmmaker takes on in the wake of The President’s Men, accompanied by Gordon Willis, illustrious cinematographer of the first two parts of The Godfather. And he does it with success and originality.
A melancholy western magnified by James Caan
Breath of the Storm, in a few shots, resurrects the soul of the greatest films of the genre. Melancholy, focusing on narrating the daily life of cowboys in an unusual period (after the Second World War) in a sometimes almost documentary approach, the film, with a real personality, also offers the opportunity to savor sublime acting performances including the wonderful one of James Caan.
Beautifully crafted Western carried by legendary actors, Breath of the Storm will it rush into your living room? We can only wish…
Tonight on Arte at 9 p.m.