Henri Langlois was one of the most important figures in world cinema history, and the recipient of an Honorary Academy Award even though he never made a single film. Instead, his importance derives from his pioneering advocacy and lifelong actions in both preserving films and encouraging cinema studies as a serious intellectual pursuit. As the founder of the Cinematheque Francaise in 1936, Langlois rescued a countless number of films that would've been lost forever through neglect or intentional destruction (during World War II, Langlois hid American and Russian movies from the Nazi occupiers). He also helped bring belated celebration to films scorned or ignored upon their initial release, most notably the G.W. Pabst/Louise Brooks collaborations. Jacques Richard's definitive documentary pays brilliant tribute to this indefatigable cinema-loving man, making marvelous use of rare newsreel footage showing Langlois in interviews (he was a huge, somewhat disheveled man who literally commanded attention) and action (Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut joined Langlois in halting the Paris street riots of 1968 from spilling into the Cinematheque). Anyone who treasures movies will appreciate this golden portrait of a man who revolutionized cinema. DVD extras include a pair of featurettes on a monument dedicated to Langlois and the Henri Langlois Museum of Cinema. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Henri Langlois: Phantom of the Cinematheque
(2005) 128 min. In French w/English subtitles. DVD: $24.95. Kino on Video (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. Volume 21, Issue 5
Henri Langlois: Phantom of the Cinematheque
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