a review of 让娜·迪尔曼

1st Annual Criterion Challenge Week 49: Directed by a woman Since I was a little short on continous stretches of free time this week, I opted to watch this one in "episodes" over the course of a couple of days, using the "end of day X" cards as a good stopping point. In some ways this feels like an ideal way to watch, partially synchronizing the rhythms of Jeanne Dielman's day to your own. The beauty of this one is really in just watching her routine and identifying the ways in which it subtly breaks down over the course of two complete days. Although I wasn't necessarily expecting the ending (my strategy of reading nothing about movies beforehand paying off quite well here) I remember feeling a distinct sense of tension during the entire last 30 minutes, as though something drastic was about to happen.