简介：ThisisnottheendoftheCocteaustory,ofcourse,foraswehaveconstantlywitnessed,heisalwaysorientedtowardsthefutureduetohisundimmedfaithinthecreativeact,andnonemoresothaninthemediumoffilm.Indeed,hewasevenmoreadvancedinhispreparationsfordeathandtheafter-lifeofhisworkthanoriginallythought. Justacoupleofmonthsbeforehisdeath,inAugust1963,hemadeonelastfilm:a25-minuteshortentitledJeanCocteaus’adresseàl’an2000(Cocteauaddressestheyear2000).ThefilmcomprisesonestillandhighlysobershotofCocteaufacingthecamerahead-ontoaddresstheyouthofthefuture.Oncerecorded,thisspokenmessageforthe21stcenturywaswrappedup,sealedandpostedontheunderstandingthatitwouldbeopenedonlyintheyear2000(asitturnedout,itwasdiscoveredandexhumedafewyearsshyofthatdate).IfinTheTestamentCocteauportrayshimselfasalivinganachronism,alonesomeclassicalmodernistloiteringinspace-timeinthesamebuckskinjacketandtiewhilelostinthespectrallightofhismemories,hereheacknowledgesexplicitlytheironyofhisphantom-likestate:bythetimetheviewerseesthisimage,he,J.C.,oursaviourPoet,willlongbedead. Temporalityistypicallyskewed:speakingfromboth1963and2000Cocteauisatoncenostalgicforthepresentthatwillhavepassedandpropheticaboutthefuture.Thereisthusbothadocumentaryaspectandprojectivethrusttothefilm,anothernewconfigurationof‘superiorrealism’andfantasyenhancedbyCocteau’sseamlessperformanceashimselfandhisnow‘immortal’statusasamemberoftheAcadémieFrançaise.Hereiteratessomeofhislong-standingartisticthemesandprinciples:deathisaformoflife;poetryisbeyondtimeandakindofsuperiormathematics;weareallaprocessionofotherswhoinhabitus;errorsarethetrueexpressionofanindividual,andsoon.Thetoneisatoncespeculativeanduncompromising,aswhenCocteaupoursvitriolicscornonthemanyawardsbestoweduponhim,whichhecalls‘transcendentpunishments’.Healsorevelsinthefactthathecansaynowwhathelikeswithabsolutefreedomandimpunitysincehewillnotbearoundtosuffertheconsequences. ThestatusofJeanCocteaus’adresseàl’an2000remainsultimatelyunclear.Isitanewtestamentorconfession,oraheroicdemonstrationoftheneedforhumanendurance,orapure‘farceofanti-gravitation’asheputsit?Oreverythingatonce?ItisentirelycharacteristicofCocteautoleaveushangingonthissuspendedparadox.Whatiscertain,however,andwhatwehaveconsistentlyseen,isthatCocteau’slifeandbodyarehiswork,andhisworkinturnisalwaysmysteriouslyalive.ThisisCocteau’sfinalgifttohisfellowhumanbeings.Letusretainandcelebratetheforceofthatgesture.Heisresurrectedbeforeoureyes,ever-present,defiantandjoyfullyqueer. JeanCocteauisdead,longliveCocteau! (JamesS.Williams)…