The
concept for this film seems to ensure that it was dated the moment that it was
completed. It is a film which examines the lives of a random polling of people
in a specific place during one specific summer. The things that were happening
at that time in that place are specific to this exact film, and even if another
was made it could never be the same. This is the type of film which cannot be
copied, duplicated or remade. These views are specific to the people in Paris
In some ways the
topics in this film are dated, as well as nationally specific. There is a great
deal of discussion over the French-Algerian War, which had been going on for
nearly a decade already. In other ways, Chronicle of a Summer seems just as
relevant today as it was the day it was made. There are similarities between
the cultural views towards the war than many could make correlate with
Americans and their views on the war in Iraq
But even beyond
the political similarities of the times, there are commonalities which can be
found in mere humans. The most relevant questions asked of the people
interviewed simply seem to probe what they live like, and whether or not they
are happy. In the end, the same issues follow people, regardless of time or
place. There will always be grief and sorrow, just as surely as there will
always be happiness and hope.
Filmmakers Jean
Rouch and Edgar Morin make themselves a part of the discussion, and even expose
their film to criticism and evaluation in the final sequence. Their film is
more of an anthropologic study than a narrative feature; an experiment which
resulted in something of a cinematic time-capsule. The Blu-ray release includes
a new 2K digital master from the 2011 restoration. Also included is a
feature-length documentary about the film, with additional footage. The special
features also include archive and new interviews, with the filmmakers and
scholars. The package includes a 35-page booklet with an essay by Sam Di Iorio.
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