Rendez-vous à Bray (1971 André Delvaux)

Bray, you notice, not Braye-la-Foret, the actual location Mathieu Carrière travels to to meet his friend Roger Van Hool (rather good), to find only Anna Karina in residence. Flashbacks abound, including those involving delightful Bulle Ogier (particularly when attempting to eat chicken with a fork - in fact, the highlight of the film).

It's 1917 - because he's from Luxembourg he isn't in the army. There's a kind of suggestion of guilt throughout, though he doesn't seem to feel it. And his friend (?more than that) never turns up, despite bad weather having called off the offensive. It's an extremely enigmatic film, or is it less than that?

Based on a novel by Julien Gracq ('Le Roi Cophétua'). And featuring an extract from Fantomas (which Ogier seems to love.)

Superbly photographed by Ghislain Cloquet in a way (like Melville) that seems to strip the colour out of everything; piano music from Brahms, Franck and Devreese.

Seems to link to a child's nursery rhyme, somehow...

I've wanted to see it since I was a teenager. Now I have...