Tag Archives: Johanne Harrell

‘François, show me the choo-choo!’

 

Screen Shot 2017-06-13 at 15.10.26.png

A lovely moment from Claude Jutra’s À tout prendre (Canada, 1963)Johanne and Claude are in love and now a couple. He introduces her to his friends, which include François Truffaut. Johanne asks François to show her how to blow cigarette smoke out,  like in the choo-choo train scene in his Jules et Jim (France, 1962), which must still have been in release when this was filmed. The dialogue in English goes something like this:

Claude: ‘It’s odd but since I’ve fallen in love with you going out pleases me more even though there’s nothing to see.’

Johanne: ‘But there’s more to show’

Claude: ‘What?’

Johanne: ‘Me!’

Claude: ‘You!’

Johanne: ‘What?’

Johanne: ‘I find your friends wonderful’.

Claude: ‘No need to tell me I can see’.

Johanne: ‘They find me beautiful. They have such great taste that they all deserve a little hug’.

Claude: ‘There’s no need for that. Thank you very much’.

Johanne:Don’t be silly I adore you.

Johanne: ‘François? Show me the trick with the train smoke, you know? Like in your film?’

Truffaut: Oh it’s easy’.

Truffaut: ‘blow!’

Johanne:’Oh’

Truffaut: ‘Very good’

 

 

‘Look at me, look at me, look at me’

Claude: ‘look at me, look at me, look at me!’

Johanne: ‘I don’t see you, I don’t see you, I don’t see you.’

 

Who hasn’t felt like this at a party? And why does the voice over still seem so inventive so many years after À tout prendre was released (in 1963)?

 

José Arroyo