Le Jetée (Chris Marker, 1962) is a 28-minute French science fiction short film. Made up almost entirely from still images, the film tells the story of a dystopian experiment involving time travel after the events of a nuclear war. Within the film, a man is assigned to delve into his past, honing in on a vague memory of a woman the protagonist briefly spotted on a jetty, before witnessing an ambiguously horrific incident. Romantic chemistry develops between the man and the woman during his time in the past, after which he is sent into the future to receive a power unit that should be used to revitalise his present-day society. After the mission is complete, the man attempts to return to the past in an attempt to locate the woman again, before realising that the horrific event he witnessed as a child was in fact his own death.
As previously mentioned, the film is constructed almost entirely from optically printed photos, sequenced together as a photo montage. Alongside this, the only dialogue heard throughout the film is voice-over narration from the protagonist, allowing the viewer to empathise with his experiences and provide expository information. The non-diegetic composed score featured throughout the film is rhythmically sequenced, an example being when the score matches a dissolve effect. Marker’s apt use of non-diegetic sound further conveys a sense of movement throughout the film that is not present on-screen.
Due to the photomontage style of filmmaking employed by Marker, the editing of the film is profoundly stylistic and further supplements the eerie dystopian setting of the film. Marker’s implementation of cut-ins and fade-outs throughout illustrates a sense of unease and uncertainty, enhancing the sci-fi genre that the film adheres to. The film’s twist ending is equally shocking and satisfying, offering a palatable resolution to the narrative.
Personally, I enjoyed Le Jetée for the unique manner of storytelling it offered, and was enamoured by the unsettling dystopia of a post WW3 scenario. The black and white film stock utilised by Marker throughout the film further enhances the unsettling atmosphere created. The film demonstrated to me how still images can be used as an effective means of storytelling.
Otis Morley’s A-Level Film Studies Blog 