Published by Cahiers du Cinema on 05.11.22:
“This cinema of experience can only justify itself by constantly relying on the familiar rules of its narrative. Hence the feeling not of a pure sensation, but of a cyclical trip, of a Sisyphean progression which constantly stumbles against its own limits”
The French don’t seem to like Robert Eggers’ “The Northman” very much, but especially the guys over at Cahiers. The film currently has a rating on 3.4 on Allocine, which is the French equivalent of Rotten Tonmatoes. That rating is very low and shows a clearcut divide between the French and American press in regards to the film.
It’s well known that A24 wanted Eggers’ “The Lighthouse” to crack Cannes competition in 2019, but Thierry Fremaux couldn’t be convinced, instead opting to offer it a midnight slot. Oh, the insult.
A24 thus decided to bring “The Lighthouse” over to Director’s Fortnight, which, of course, greeted Eggers’ film with open arms. I mean, why wouldn’t they? It’s A24 and American critics seem to have an infatuation with Eggers’ brand of muscular arthouse cinema. It was a win-win for DF head Paolo Moretti and his ragtag crew of programmers.