Six in Paris, or Paris vu par... is a collection of short films about different parts of Paris from several directors of the French New Wave. It is both what I expected it to be and nothing I could have imagined, a characteristic I often find of new wave films. They have colourful characters with unpredictable personalities and who make unexpected choices. Well, that statement might be a bit broad, but I'm always fascinated by the way these kinds of films take conventions and flip them on their head. One segment by Jean-Daniel Pollet, "Rue Saint-Denis," features a young man who has a prostitute over to his place, and before even getting into bed he serves her an entire meal and even once they're on his bed together, she reads a newspaper. I must say, I have never seen such a thing, nor could I have conceived of it. Reading the newspaper? Another short by Éric Rohmer, who sadly passed away just two days ago, presents us with the potentially abusive capabilities of an umbrella. Because of their difference from mainstream cinema, these films always intrigue me, and though I sometimes don't know why, I almost always delight in watching them.Directors and segments in order of viewing: "Saint-Germain des Prés" by Jean Douchet; "Gare du Nord" by Jean Rouch; "Rue Saint Denis" by Jean-Daniel Pollet; "Place de l'Étoile" by Eric Rohmer; "Montparnasse et Levallois" by Jean-Luc Godard; "La Muette" by Claude Chabrol.
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