"If retirement means you're in a lovely flat in Paris and your fridge is full of foie gras and champagne - I'm okay with that."

In episode 2 of Why This Film?, Ron discusses Jacques Becker's Touchez pas au grisbi (1954) with Ginette Vincendeau, one of the most influential scholars of French cinema working today.

Together, they explore how Grisbi reshapes the gangster genre through efficient storytelling and the routine life away from violent action. They move through the film's pacing, its focus on aging and friendship, and the authority of Jean Gabin's performance.

Ginette brings her expertise to questions of women's roles in French cinema and society, masculinity, and filmmaking of this period.

And as always, Ginette answers the central question: Why is this film included in the Criterion Collection and why does it still matter today?

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“The past is dead!”

In the premiere episode of Why This Film?, I sit down with Dr. Dennis Weiss to explore Chris Marker's La Jetée (1962), a groundbreaking French science fiction short film that redefined what cinema could be. Released as Criterion Collection Spine #387, this 28-minute masterpiece is composed almost entirely of still photographs, creating a meditation on memory, time, and human longing.

Directed by Chris Marker and starring Jean Negroni, La Jetée tells the story of a man sent back in time. Shot in black and white with a photomontage technique, the film influenced Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys and continues to challenge our understanding of cinematic storytelling.

Dr. Dennis Weiss is a retired philosophy professor and curator of the long-running Philosophy, Drinks, & Film series in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He brings his expertise in philosophy and film theory to our conversation. Together, we examine how La Jetée uses form, sound design, and narrative structure to create emotion without traditional cinematic techniques.

We discuss:

• Why Marker chose still images over conventional filmmaking
• The film's exploration of memory
• Its influence on science fiction cinema
• The philosophical questions it raises about time and fate
• Why this film is included in the Criterion Collection.

Whether you're discovering La Jetée for the first time or revisiting this experimental classic, this conversation offers fresh insights into one of cinema's most innovative works.

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