简介：InhisinterviewonFacetVideo'sDVDofDiaryofaSuicide(Lejournald'unsuicidé),SerbiandirectorStanislavStanojevicmentionsaFrenchartsbodythatdispensesfundsforcreativefilmmaking,andremarksthatLuisBuñuelreceivedmoremoneythanhedid!Thisearly70sartfilmdependsforitsreputationonaquotebyFrançoisTruffaut,whomayhavenotseenthefilm,buthadhighpraiseforitsscreenplay. DiaryofaSuicideplaysverymuchlikeabriefepisodeinaBuñuelfilm,butpaddedtofeaturelengthandcommunicatinglittlebeyondavaguenihilism.BusyactorSamiFreyisahandsomeyoungmanonapleasurecruiseontheeastcoastofSpain.Heflirtswithanattractivefellowpassenger(DelphineSeyrig).Neitherisgivenaname.Nomatterhowmuchthemancoaxes,thewomanrefusestoremovehersunglasses.TheyvisitachurchinBarcelonabutmostlytalkonboardshipwhilewatchingseagulls. Thesmilingwomanencouragestheyoungmantoentertainherwithabeautifulstory.Herespondswithseveralmorbid,interlinkedanecdotes.Aman(BernardHaller)standsbeforeamirror,unabletomakehimselfsmile.Anothermanfacesafiringsquad.Anarchistlovers(Marie-FrancePisier&RolandBertin)failtocarryoutanassassination.Wounded,shewantstodiebutisgivenalifesentence.Herjailer(SachaPitoëff)cannotsleepbecausehewasbrain-damagedinawar.Thatinfirmityallowshimtowatchhisprisoneraroundtheclock.Thejailerexplainsthathismindholdsonlyonememory,ofabeautifulwomanheonceknew.Shouldheforgetheraswell,thejailerreasons,hislifewillnolongerhaveapurpose. Thefemalecruisepassengerseemspleasedbytheyoungman'seffortstoseduceher,butshehaswithheldawickedsurprise. Unfortunately,DiaryofaSuicideisaweakanduninvolvingsliceofmanneredfilmmaking.Sceneswiththetwomainactorsseemarbitraryandhaphazard.Manyoftheirencountersarestagedagainstblankwalls,andsomedialoguescenesavoidshowinglips,asinthecheapestofpost-dubbedlow-budgetproductions.Exceptforafewcolorinserts,alloftheshipboardscenesareinB&W.Someoftheyoungman'sstoriesaretintedinvarioushues.Thecompositionsarerarelyframedwiderthanamediumshot,producingafeelingofclaustrophobia. Withitsnamelessloversandstorieswithinstories,directorStanojevic'spuzzlepictureismorethanalittlereminiscentofAlanResnais'LastYearatMarienbad,minusthatfilm'seleganceandcompellingdreamlikesurface.Littletensiondevelopsbetweentheshipboardrealityandtheman'sbizarrestories.Amelancholysingerperformingaboardtheshipappearstorepresentthemysterywomanofthejailer'stale.Thesinger'sactor-husbanddressessimilarlytothejailer,andcarriesoutthejailer'ssuicideaspartofhisact.WiththeexceptionofSachaPitoëff'smorosejailer,noneofthestorycharactersconnectwiththeaudience.Thegaunt,sadjailertrulylookslikeamanhauntedbyhislossofmemory. StanislavStanojevic'smaincoupforhisfirstfilmisthegatheringofanimpressivecast.He'ssecuredtheservicesofSeyrigandPitoëff,twoofthestarsofLastYearatMarienbad.SamiFreyandMarie-FrancePisierhaveappearedinfilmsbyAgnèsVarda,GeorgesFranju,WilliamKlein,Jean-LucGodard,H.G.Clouzot,FrançoisTruffaut,AlainRobbe-Grillet,LuisBuñuelandJacquesRivette. DirectorStanojevicmadetwomorefeaturesblendingpoliticalthemeswithaspectsofthefantastic.1979'sSubversionisaboutacountryruledbyaparalyzed,blindpresidentandhiscorruptdaughter.DiaryofaSuicidehasimagesofsoldiersusedascannonfodderandanarchistsdedicatedtoanassassination,butmakesnorealpoliticalstatement.Itsfinaltwistisindeedasurprise,butanalmostpointlessone. FacetsVideo'sDVDofDiaryofaSuicideisanacceptableflattransferwithEnglishsubtitles.Foranextrawe'regivenalengthyvideointerviewwiththedirector.Stanojevicdoesn'tdiscussDiaryatlength,preferringtogiveanunfocusedtalkaboutfilmfundingandfilmmakingingeneral.…