L'honneur De John Huston

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L'honneur De John Huston Document generated on 10/02/2021 2:02 a.m. 24 images L’honneur de John Huston Réal La Rochelle Le tabou du réel Number 90, Winter 1998 URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/23724ac See table of contents Publisher(s) 24/30 I/S ISSN 0707-9389 (print) 1923-5097 (digital) Explore this journal Cite this article La Rochelle, R. (1998). L’honneur de John Huston. 24 images, (90), 36–37. Tous droits réservés © 24 images, 1997 This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ Vidéothèqu, e \ L'HONNEUR DE JOHN HUSTON PAR REAL LA ROCHELLE a belle édition en vidéodis­ remarquable. L'ensemble est en L que de Prizzi's Honor offre sot to voce, murmures feutrés des l'occasion de rendre hommage à dialogues amoureux comme des l'un des plus grands réalisateurs réunions d'affaires, règlements de «hollywoodiens indépendants», comptes et meurtres exécutés à la quand cette épithète contradic­ manière d'arrière-plans (et avec toire et explosive avait encore un revolvers silencieux!). Huston se sens. Huston est disparu en 1987, permet aussi de jolies touches et le statut de cinéaste qu'il a si répétitives de cartes postales, par magnifiquement illustré dans la exemple le ballet des avions aller- grande machine américaine sem­ retour entre le Nord-Est et la ble une espèce en voie de dispari­ Californie, ou encore les clichés tion dans les holdings multinatio­ moqueurs de New York, de Los naux de l'audiovisuel. Angeles et de Las Vegas. Pendant les trois années pré­ Ce style tout en retenue, cédant sa mort, quasiment surve­ concordant avec une philosophie nue sur le champ de bataille, John du crime qui ne veut pas faire de Huston réalise une sorte de trip­ vagues ni salir la beauté du déco­ tyque qui peut se lire avec le recul rum, est magnifiquement rendu comme un immense et lucide dans la mise en scène sonore. chant de la mort: Under the Autour des voix chuchotées et des Volcano (1984), Prizzi's Honor bruits assourdis s'enroulent les (1985) et enfin The Dead, mis en musiques d'une des partitions les /-^•-swswr scène en 1987 par un réalisateur mieux inspirées d'Alex North. En en fauteuil roulant, relié en perma­ plus de ses thèmes originaux, le nence à une bonbonne d'oxygène. compositeur joue avec finesse et Si le premier et le dernier humour d'arrangements de mélo­ volet de cette trilogie respectent dies d'opéras italiens, Rossini en le mode et la forme de la tragédie Kathleen Turner et Jack Nicholson dans Prizzi's Honor. tête, dont les ouvertures du Bar­ (quoique The Dead soit qualifié bier de Seville et de La pie voleu­ de comedy drama), Prizzi's Honor se, qui accompagnent les règle­ pourrait paraître à vue de nez Famille, affaires et gages «in the same line of busi­ ments de comptes, se fusionnent comme une délicieuse et brillan­ musique ness»), tout en étant discordant eu avec des rythmes latinos ou rock. te pochade sur la mafia américai­ égard au sang, car «elle» n'est pas Par ailleurs, l'inquiétant parrain ne, une variation cynique sur un La plus grande qualité de Prizzi's sicilienne! Leur union scelle du des Prizzi, Don Corrado (au de­ thème rabâché. Il n'en est rien. Honor réside dans une écriture coup leur mort: qui tuera l'autre en meurant à l'allure de grand-père C'est une tragicomédie sur fond aigre-douce, classique et maîtri­ premier? À tout couple il faut un laid et grimaçant), est toujours mortifère, où les cordes graves des sée, apte à décaper les vernis de la troisième élément (Anjelica Hus­ entouré de ténors (live ou sur dis­ violoncelles et des contrebasses bienséance et de la richesse du ton). Cette fille fut rejetée de la fa- que), et ses réceptions se font au soutiennent et envahissent les crime organisé pour en montrer la mi gli a pour insoumission et mau­ son des trompettes de la grande volutes légères des violons comme pourriture et les monstruosités. vaises mœurs, mais elle veille au marche d'Aïda de Verdi. des métastases. Dans cette opti­ À cet égard, le thème de grain, attend l'heure et l'honneur Cette mise en scène sonore que, la descente aux enfers de l'honneur familial s'étale et se com- qui lui est dû, sorte de fiancée de est encore plus subtile et appro­ Prizzi's Honor s'entrelace avec plexifie du fait que le couple prin­ sang capable de vampi riser le clan fondie que chez le Coppola de la naturel aux chants funèbres de cipal (Jack Nicholson et Kathleen et l'homme qu'elle convoite. saga des Parrain (où elle est Malcolm Lowry et de James Joyce Turner) est formé d'époux liés par Cette saga sort de l'ordinai­ pourtant judicieuse), et il n'y a ayant inspiré les deux autres films. un partenariat d'affaires (tueurs à re et du cliché grâce à un style peut-être que Scorsese pour 36 N°90 24 IMAGES d inema en poche| APRÈS LE DVD, LE DÉLUGE? PAR REAL LA ROCHELLE Jack Nicholson dans Prizzi's Honor. atteindre ce niveau de complexité. The Dead, était gênée de deman­ a vidéocassette, tout comme subtil Encore de Pascal Bonitzer, Pour John Huston, le génie et la der au réalisateur s'il y avait une L le large vidéodisque, va bien­ premier long métrage dérangeant, grande maîtrise de l'écriture filmi­ adéquation entre le sujet choisi tôt être éliminée par le nouveau éblouissant d'intelligence. que soutiennent, contrairement à par James Joyce et sa propre situa­ support DVD*. C'est ce que dit ses émules d'une plus jeune géné­ tion. Le cinéaste la regarde et lui le refrain commercial des ven­ Une manne ration, une vision originale d'un répond, calmement et posément: deurs de quincaillerie audiovi­ québécoise détachement et d'une sorte de «Vous voulez dire avec ma propre suelle, mais «pas de panique», cynisme narquois devant la mort. mort?» Puis, un large sourire- rétorquerait Woody Allen. Il fau­ À souligner, une initiative singu­ Comme dans les rituels mexicains Dans son dernier triptyque (et dra certes parler avant longtemps lière et encourageante de l'ONF, de Under the Volcano, Huston tout particulièrement dans Priz­ de ce DVD. Il est déjà sur les le lancement de son programme fait sien lyriquement un regard zi's Honor où l'honneur familial rayons, offrant une trentaine de spécial intitulé Cinéma Cinéma sur la mort qui la transfigure en est dérisoire), l'honneur de John films américains, dont plusieurs Prise 1. Vingt-cinq titres de clas­ fête et en joyeuse danse. Huston se situe dans le fait d'en­ excellents classiques. Vraisembla­ siques québécois plus largement La jeune réalisatrice Lilyan trer dans la mort, comme en rêvait blement, son existence ne rendra disponibles dans les vidéoclubs Sievernich, qui tournait les der­ Marguerite Yourcenar, «les yeux pas obsolètes à court terme les sup­ non spécialisés, pour location niers instants de carrière et de vie ouverts». • ports existants, mais elle instaure­ ou achat. Présents entre autres, de John Huston sur le plateau de ra sa cohabitation avec eux. un doublé de Jacques Godbout Pour le moment, il est ré­ (IXE-13 et Le sort de l'Améri­ RÉFÉRENCES VIDÉOGRAPHIQUES jouissant en tout cas de constater que), les classiques Mon oncle l'intérêt soutenu de l'édition de Antoine, Mourir à tue-tête et Prizzi's Honor (1985). États-Unis, couleur, stéréo, 130 min. Édition films en vidéocassette, surtout au Les beaux dimanches, ou Anne vidéodisque produite par Sergio Leemann, Image Entertainment/Summa regard du cinéma québécois, Trister et Le confort et l'indiffé­ Video, 1995. Écran large 1.85:1. Deux disques, faces 1 et 2 en CLV, face rence, ou bien les plus récents 3 en CAV. Suppléments: bandes-annonces cinéma et télé; musique seule secondairement du côté français. sur bande analogique; filmographie commentée de Huston (textes et pho­ S'il fallait attendre le DVD pour J'aime, j'aime pas et La plante tos). Détail intéressant, le sommaire des chapitres numériques indique les les dizaines de titres venus de ces humaine. Voilà un premier feu emplacements de musique; nous savons ainsi que ce film comprend zones, c'est la culture cinémato­ d'artifice, dont les lumières et les 44 entrées du travail d'Alex North. graphique elle-même qui serait sons mériteraient plusieurs autres Il n'y a malheureusement pas d'éditions disponibles en vidéodisque catastrophée. prises. de Under the Volcano et de The Dead. De plus, les éditions en vidéocas­ sette de ces films, toutes en format plein écran, ne rendent pas justice aux Par exemple, de l'Hexagone Ailleurs à l'ONF, dans le originaux. On peut s'en consoler en examinant deux documentaires édi­ nous sont parvenus les excellents catalogue des nouveautés, se dé­ tés en vidéocassette: Ponette et Microcosmos, et le non marquent deux titres, dont Le Observations. Under the Volcano, film allemand de Christian Blackwood, moins fascinant Trois vies et une pays rêvé, de Michel Moreau, couleur, 82 min. Pacific Arts Video, 1985. seule mort. Et même, à cause du journal-essai de la vie du cinéas­ John Huston and The Dubliners.
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