You can start with Jonathan Rosenbaum’s “Film: The Front Line — 1983” (Arden Press) which has a chapter on Rivette. There’s also Joantha’s BFI book of Rivette “Texts and Interviews.” But it’s out of print. If you read French there’s “Jacque Rivette, secret compris” by Helene Frappat.
Many Rivettes are available on DVD including “Wuthering Heights” and “Gang of Four.”
Paris Belongs to Us, his first is excellent and is definitely major Rivette. If you can track down Out 1 it is one of those transformative films that makes you realign your tastes. La Belle Noiseuse is not quite on the level of those 2 but it is still one of the best films about art and artists and is beautifully filmed and photographed. Va Savoir is excellent though not necessarily essential. Much of his early work is difficult to track down but I am working on it. The essentials appear to be:
L’ Amour Fou
Out 1 Spectre
Noroit
Duelle
If you find them please let me know!
Thanks David, I will definitely try and check all those out. Rosenbaum is one of the critics I follow regularly and enjoy the writing of.
Mike,
Out 1 is something I have.
Is this a good time to see it?
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
David, Law et al,
Much of the content of Rosenbaum’s two Rivette books are now on-line here.
Law
I recently have taken great interest in the films of Rivette after enjoying Celine and Julie Go Boating and reading some articles on Rivette. Since time is always a concern with Rivette, where is a good place to go after this?