简介：Thefirstmovieofthe"BerlinerSchule"("LaNouvelleVagueAllemande"CahiersDuCinema)thatgainedinternationalrecognitionwithitbeingscreenedinthe"Uncertainregard"-sectionofCannesFilmFestival2004. AftertheverysparsewhiteonblackoftheopeningcreditsweseethebackofSophie'shead.She'sinacar,shespeaksawkwardFrench,thewomanwhodrivesgetsout,getsheramap,ofMarseille.Welearn,verysoon,thattheyareexchangingapartments,theotherwoman,hername,welearnlater,isZelda,willgotoBerlinandSophiewillstay,forafewweeks,inMarseille.Zeldasays:GutenTag,AufWiedersehen,MeinFreund,derBaum,isttot-thelatterphrasebeingaGermansongbyaGermansingerwhodiedyoung.Zeldadisappears,Sophiestays.Zeldaveryliterallydisappearsbecausetherewon'tbeatraceofherwhenSophiewillreturntoBerlin.TheMarseilleapartment,empty,unlivedinasitis,willhavebeenagift,somethinginexplicablygiveninafilmthatendswithsomething-almostalife-taken. Sophie,forthefirstthirdofthefilm,isinMarseille.Shewalksaround,shetakespictures.Shelooksatthepictures,shemoveswithoutadirection,thecameraiswithher,sometimesdistant,sometimesfollowingherclosely.Sophieisastrangerinastrangeworld,shesometimesseemscutofffromhersurroundings.Wehearsounds,weseeherfacebutthebackgroundisblurred.Shedoesnotseemunhappy,shedoesnotseemhappy.Shedoesnottalkmuchandshealwaysthinksforalongtimewhensheisasked.Intheendshewillbeaskedwhatitisshephotographs.Shewillthinkforhalfaminute(orperhapsshedoesnotthink,butsimplyrefusestoanswer,toherself,tothepolicemanwhoasks)andthenshesays:Thestreets. WedonotknowmuchofherandwedonotlearnmuchofherintheseminuteswespendinMarseille,walkingaroundwithher.Shemeetsayoungmanfromagarage,wholendsherhiscar,shedrivesaround,whichwedon'tsee.Thereisalotwedon'tsee-althoughittakessometimetorealizehowmuch.Shemeetstheyoungmaninabar,theydrink,afriendarriveswhoinsultsSophie,fornoreason.SophieandPierre,theyoungman,walkupinastreetthatislitinbrownishgoldenlightandtheysleepwitheachother,whichwedon'tsee(and,really,don'tknow).Thenextnighttheydance. OneverysharpcutlaterSophieisbackinBerlin,sheisapproachedbyayoungwomanwhoreturnsacaptoher,acapshehasleftinaMcDonald'srestaurantbeforeshewenttoMarseille.Thereismoreshehasleft,orrather:shehasrunawayfrom.(Atleastthisiswhatcan-butdoesnothavetobe-inferred.)ThereisIvan,aphotographershemightbeinlovewith.ThereisHanna,anactress,Ivan'sgirlfriend,theirsonAnton.WelearnmoreaboutIvan,welearnmoreaboutHanna.WeseeIvantakingpicturesofwomenworkersinafactory,withoutanexplanation.Wejustseeandwatch.Wewatchthewomenfromasidewardsangle,thenwewatchIvantakingthepictures,thenwewatchthewomanfromIvan'sperspective.Theytalk,butnotmuch.Wejusthearandseeandwatch.Thereisalotwesee-althoughittakessometimetorealizehowmuch.Weareleftwiththeseimages.Theyremainunexplainedandtheydon'texplainwhatwesee."Marseille"hasabewilderingstructure,switchingfromtheellipticalcut(shocking,really)totheinsistentgaze(frustratingfirst,butamazingafterall). Fortenminutes,atleast,wewatcharehearsal.HannaplaysaminorroleinaStrindbergplay.Thesamesceneisrehearsedthreetimes.WewatchthemantalkingtothewomaninanaggressiveStrindbergwayandweseeHannaenteringthestage.ThenthecameramovestotheleftandwewatchthewomanansweringtothemaninanaggressiveStrindbergway.Thistimewedon'tseeHannaenteringthestage.Whenleavingshemakesamistake,sheaddsawordthatdoesnotbelonginherline.Weseeherthenoffstage,cowering.Hannaisnothappy.SheisnothappywithDavid,shesuffersfromunexplainablepain.Wedonotlearnmuchmoreabouther.Sophieisoutofsightforquitesometime.Westartdoubtingifthisisreallyherstorywearetold.Ohyes,itis,butSchanelecrefusestofollowherandherstoryinlinearfashion.Ivan'stakingofpictures,Hanna'srehearsalbecomeimportant,notsomuchasexplanationsfortheirbehaviour,justasthepartsoftheirlivesSchanelechasdecidedtofollow. SophiethenreturnstoMarseilleandafterthemostdaringellipsisweseeheratapolicestation,inayellowdress.Shesits,thenshetalks,thenshedoesnottalkforhalfaminute.Sheisaskedwhatitisshephotographs.Thestreets,shesaysafterwhatseemsaverylongtime.Shecries.Weseeheronasidewalk,thecameramovingparalleltoher.Shecrossesthestreet,thecameraremainsonthesidewalk,Sophieismovingawayfromit.Thenshestopsandthecamerastops.SheenterstheGermanconsulate.InSchanelec's(andcinematographerReinholdVorschneider's)filmsyouseethemostintelligentandsubtletravellingsimaginable-andevenmoreffectiveastheystarklycontrastwithalotofverylong,verystatictakesthatjustmakeyouwatchandsee. "Marseille"endswithaseriesoftakesonthebeach.Itisgettingdark,thestreetlampsareswitchedon.WeseeSophieinheryellowdress,distant,moving,weseetheseaandthereisastrangekindofconsolationinthisimageofthedress,Sophie,thesea.…