Laura (1979)

Pretty Good

Expected more

A lot of fun.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

PAUL IS STILL BLIND AT THE END.Many viewers fail to realize this, and thus come to erroneous conclusions concerning the final scenes. Paul's removal of the smoked glasses as he examines the leaf is meant to symbolize that he has learned to "see" the world through his sense of touch and no longer feels "blind" as an artist. This is why he pays no attention to Laura as she watches him play in the fountain. His eyes cannot see her. Laura for her part perceives that Paul no longer needs her to serve as his muse, so she leaves.All that aside of Hamilton's 3 plot structured films, LAURA is his best effort. Each frame of film has delicately lit mies-en-scene and purposely resembles impressionist paintings -- particularly those of Degas. This is not an "actor-oriented" movie. It's a "picture-oriented" movie. Hamilton has meticulously choreographed and rehearsed every human movement he captured on this film. All movie-acting should be like this. If I feel the finished product is what the director intended it to be, I give a film a high rating whether I personally enjoyed the viewing experience or not. Regarding LAURA I enjoyed the viewing of it but the score makes me wretch. I despise every note. Patrick Juvet must have become tone deaf by the time he scored it.

Artists are inspired by myths, and this picture-poem starts with an artist having a visionary view of the birth of Venus. To director David Hamilton this is a look at a woman before life leaves its many marks on her. Both Hamilton and the artist wants to freeze this moment of Adam-and-Eve-innocence, and both do it with sensual devotion. The innocence gets lost on the way, as we all know it will be - but in Hamiltons dream, as well as in his life as photographer, the sensuality not only remains, but grows stronger. Maud Adams shows as mother a strong believe in this, watching her daughter growing up. As the daughter, Laura, sees Dawn Dunlap.Other comments shows too much interest for the amateurish acting in this picture-poem. As a mirror reflecting a world where we think too much and too little at the same time. We think too much with our senses turned off, and too little with our senses turned on. Brigitte Bardot was once asked by a journalist: "What do you think about free love?" Brigitte Bardot answered: "I don't think when I make love". If Hamilton was asked about his movie-theory for "Laura", he would probably answer: "I don't make movies, I'm just dreaming". The camera catch the dream and makes it possible to share it - and I'm very grateful that it has been possible for me to share Hamilton's dream.David Hamilton is a child of a time - the 70's - where everybody was searching deep and wide, and he became famous in that time. Men like to see his pictures of girls, but back then it was the mothers who asked him to photograph their daughters. The style in Hamilton's picture-poems was not unusual for European movies in the 70's. A danish movie was inspired by Robert Frost: "The woods are lovely dark and deep / but I have promises to keep / and miles to go before I sleep." Perhaps the meaning in that poem is the reason why Hamilton wants to share his dreams.

Sometimes a movie can be merely about its images, like this one. The story can be about the images too.I was very impressed with the way vignettes were composed. Rather lovely, most of them except for the annoying fade to black at the end of each and every one. To appreciate this, or rather to not be offended, I suppose you have to accept that the female form is appealing, and accept that a young girl can initiate an affair with an older man.Besides the appeal of the balletgirls and the way they are displayed, there's the story.It isn't much of one, surely insufficient for most commentors, and the fact that it is so slight seems to rile them a bit, as indication that the nudity was all that mattered.But the elements of the story that do exist are what I call "folding." Usually the purpose of folding is to place the viewer in the movie, and that's the case here.We have an artist in the writer/director who represents young girls in the nude. He and we have a surrogate on-screen, in a character who is an artist (a sculptor) and represents young girls in the nude. The titular Laura is a dancer, inviting viewers.So far, the fold is ordinary. By the thinnest of plot devices, our sculptor goes blind after starting a sculpture of Laura. So she offers to be the model, allowing him to caress her on every part, sufficiently to make a clay copy, which he similarly caresses. She, meanwhile has a crush on him and seduces him during this process.See the fold? We not only get to look but touch, and that touch is returned.No, ma'am that's not a slight story. No, not at all.Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

As a twenty-year-old woman, I could really appreciate David Hamilton's "Laura" for what it was. Not long ago, I was a girl of sixteen with a major crush on a man old enough to be my father. However, I also know that I am not unique in this aspect and it often happens as a young woman matures. The film is based on Laura, a sixteen-year-old ballet student, and her love for a forty-year-old sculptor. In the beginning of the film, we find that the sculptor, Paul, is having trouble finding inspiration. However, when he sees young Laura his woes are cured. There is a catch. Laura's mother was once Paul's lover, thus she is very protective of her daughter and somewhat jealous. When Paul asks if Laura can model for him, her mother agrees to take photos of her for him, but that is all. Thus, Laura must figure out how to deal with her awakening sexuality and her love for Paul.I felt that the film was rather tastefully done. What could have been crude was handeled with class. I admit that Dawn Dunlap, the actress playing Laura, looked young, however, I do believe that she was of age when the film was shot. Also, there are no explicit love scenes between Laura and Paul. There is a very erotic simulated scene, but that is the extent of it. However, I will say that there is a lot of young women bearing it all for the sake of art. All in all, I really enjoyed the film and was happy to find a used copy. I must also give kudos to Patrick Juvet's score! The music was quiet lovely, and I am considering ordering a used LP from the film.Regardless of what people say about Hamilton, I do think that this subject was handled with class and sophistication. However, that is just one person's humble opinion.