Unless you’re an obsessive fan of Jacques Rivette, anyone within its wide cast of actors, post-68 France, experimental theater, conspiracy theories, or films that shatter well-established boundaries, Out 1 just sounds intimidating. About 13 hours in length and without a clear plot — or, really, purpose — for its first three-and-a-half, it requires patience that is nevertheless, at a certain point, immediately and overwhelmingly rewarded. If a fake-beard-donning Eric Rohmer serving one of cinema’s great insults doesn’t bring levity, I don’t know what to say.
Out 1 is many things, “great fun” certainly among them when all’s said and done. For proof, look no further than Jean-Pierre Léaud, whose presence is essentially that of an unsupervised child prematurely endowed with paranoia and animal magnetism. (Said Rivette, “Léaud has the suppleness and beauty of movement of some unknown, beautiful beast.”) His presence is highlighted in a new video essay that, as created by Daniel Fairfax and Kevin B. Lee, notes the role of language –“Snnnnark.” “Boo… jum!” “Équipage, équipage, équipage, équipage, équipage, équipage, équipage, équipage.” — and paranoia within the film’s later portions, particularly one sequence that leaves an impression on anybody who comes across it. There are hours and hours’ worth of visual studies one can do, and this captures much of Out 1‘s magic over a handful of minutes.
See it below, and stream the entirety of Out 1 from Netflix: