Une sale histoire

In this short film from Jean Eustache, unavailable in the US on video (I saw it at a Eustache retrospective), a group of friends sit down and, with little prelude, listen to their friend (Michel Lonsdale) recite a story about when, as a young man, he discovered a peephole in the ladies toilet at a small cafe. He describes the etiquette surrounding this peephole for the resident perverts in the cafe, and relates how viewing female vaginas soon became his sole obsession, and, finally, how he overcame this obsession. His friends listen, discuss, and the movie ends.

At least, the scripted portion does. Then we see the same story, with nearly identical dialogue, related by Jean Noel-Picq, for real. This second monologue is actually a documentary filming: the first monologue was actually filmed second, with professional actors this time. Naturally, hearing the exact same story twice in a row takes much of the edge off. At first, it's a hilarious, oddly compelling story. The second time, we are subjected to it because, according to the introduction to the screening, Eustache wants to show that there's no such thing as objective truth. Fine...but that's not exactly a new idea. By the end of this little experiment, we feel as if we have seen an overly obvious point beaten into our heads. And a bit dazed from it all. A curious short, nonetheless (please, PLEASE attend a Eustache retrospective if you're lucky enough to get one in your town).

Hi, everybody.

A friend of mine told me that a second version of that double part movie exists, also inspired by Jean-Noël Picq' writing. Same story, same director (perhaps, he's not sure), probably same year of production - more or less - and played by Jean-Pierre Léaud instead of Michael Lonsdale. This friend of mine saw the movie at the french Cinematheque. No trace on Internet.

So... someone heard something about that flick ? Or is it a myth, a visual hallucination due to drinking to much Beaujolais ? Great thanks to you by advance for any information. (And pardon me for my o so bad English!).

Claude.

Everything goes by two in Jean Eustache (1938-1981)'s filmography. Two films about his grandmother, two films set in Narbonne, two films featuring former infant terrible Jean-Pierre Léaud, two films showcasing youth as a first role in itself, two other films taking their origin in graphic material, etc, two movies only that were "normally" marketed and released at the time. He even has two sons. Add to this the fact Une sale histoire is twice the same story and you've gotten it all.

How comes it's twice the same story? In itself it is never to be shown. Power of suggestion powered by veteran actor Michael Lonsdale adds a touch of class to a possibly quarrelsome narration. Then there's Jean- Noël Picq, the same guy (yet another double...) who relates about the painting of Bosch in another Eustache short-movie feature. More carried away than Lonsdale is allowed to be, he shows even better the pleasure of the word, either coming from the lips or ejaculating inside the ears of the audience. Great film, qualified on the french Wikipedia as an "action movie".