L'araignée d'eau aka The Water Spider (1971) in Foreign Horror Forum

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L'araignée d'eau aka The Water Spider (1971)

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Dr Acula	L'araignée d'eau aka The Water Spider (1971)	Lead	[-]
Jun 22 11 8:41 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I recently came across this book, the Water Spider by Marcel Bealu. Apparently about a man who falls in love with a water spider who slowly becomes human, this translated write-up from the following website sounded like it would be a work in the same vein as Marebito. http://www.blogg.org/blog-62569-billet-663804.html The water spider In general, the fantastic tale, the metamorphosis is one that gradually brings the man from the animal, the fact regress and embodies the duality of the hidden creature. The water spider [1] is a reversal of that process fantastic tradition. The author, Marcel Béalu, chose deliberately to pervert the rule and treated as part of a fantastic tale a true metamorphosis magnification; gamble that could drag the plot in this is absolutely wonderful not case. The metamorphosis of this tale is that of a small water spider woman. Prompted by a love of fairy tales (as is the toad prince), it could be considered a positive and spiritual elevation when the man turns out to be the truth of the animal, or rather when the animal is behaving like a human being, then as a god, powerful and immanent. But here is the spider woman, the original animal is a vengeful god who in the wilderness and primitive takes shape. One can not help thinking of the legend of the Black Widow who is also a variety of spider as the praying mantis devouring the male succeeds in mating with her. In addition, the highly symbolic image of a spider weaving its web patiently for its prey to the trap is omnipresent. In this connection explicit, it is expected any time an abrupt tearing, the unleashing of violence contained. Yet the story flirts with surrealism and draws a poetic power, a strong wonderful naivety. The narrator, Bernard, told in first person he met country with a tiny spider that slowly reveals a small human figure, will operate a moult and become his lover down. "Shoot me first by (...) and you will see how I shall please you. " The desire is impossible, but the narrator feels so in spite of a contact "wet clawed " [2], a strange thrill when seeing the unexpected outbreak (mirage?) Of femininity in the animal: "... I thought I saw a tiny face break between the mandibles. " While looking for more information I discovered that there is a film version... as it says in Wikipedia: A film adaptation of L’Araignée d’eau was produced in 1968 by Jean-Daniel Verhaeghe, as interpreted by Elisabeth Wiener, Dutheil Marie-Angel and Marc Eyraud. IMDB has a listing (which indicates it was made in 1971) but no description of the plot of the film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0306875/ Which brings me to this Youtube clip, an apparent scene from the film that certainly makes it out to be one mega-weird film.... has anybody seen it? �
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Koukol 5		#1	[-]
Jun 22 11 2:04 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Wow...looks great Doc. I never heard of it before.
todmichel		#2	[-]
Jun 23 11 3:38 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Yes, I saw "L'araignée d'eau" at one of the Horror & Fantasy Films festivals in Paris, in the 70s. Elisabeth Wiener didn't make a career in the movies but became a famous astrologer, often seen on French TV. Years ago they released a VHS of the movie, but a DVD never materialized, and recently I saw the old VHS proposed on eBay or another similar site for 80€ (more or less $100)... no comment. Last Edited By: todmichel Jun 23 11 4:58 AM. Edited 1 times.
Dr Acula		#3	[-]
Jun 23 11 8:18 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Thanks Todmichel - I thought if anybody had seen it, it might be you or perhaps Doctor Kiss. Would you recommend the film to others, or is it just an interesting curiosity? Great art BTW!
todmichel		#4	[-]
Jun 23 11 11:39 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Of course it was almost forty years ago, and I saw it only once, with two other movies shown the same evening, but I kept the impression of a very artsy movie - in the good sense of the term, and Miss Wiener was a true, almost surreal beauty. The same director made later the much admired TV-movie, "La controverse de Valladolid" - you'll see two little reviews on IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243192/ I also found the following review on a French website, and roughly translated it via Google. Bad English probably, but a lot of informations! Directed in 1971 by Belgian Jean Daniel Verhaeghe, The Water Spider is a strange tale adapted from a story by Marcel Bealu, these tales of rural France who feel the countryside and ancient legends. And stories are sometimes child's fears that become a reality ... Bernard is a writer, he lives with his devoted wife with whom he does not share anything except the routine crushing of a woman too perfect. One day during a walk along the water, he hears a voice pure, angelic, magical, from the pure water like a mermaid. A water spider, the tiny harmless spiders and aquatic called, irresistibly. Dream or reality that is the highlight of the film because we never discern the real from the dream, the fantasy. It means the viewer does not hear. But the spider is there, he picks it up, caress, brings her home, hidden in his pocket. It is a strange relationship that develops between man and the tiny arachnid. The spider cuts right, taking the place of his wife. It fascinates him, he loves her, silent relationship, he keeps the insect in a box before installing the attic and the wedding dress of his wife as a cushion. The spider will flourish as in an oven, an incubator, terrible symbol of transgression to the staggering metamorphosis highlight of the film. One of the most dreamlike sequences ever offered by any film but also one of the most horribly fascinating. Slowly, the water spider is female. It grows, the hairy tarantula that is she becomes a woman. Its legs become arms, his claws are hand her hair is now hair, human eyes .. : - splendide enchevetrement d'images d'arachnide et de femme qui se mèlent et s'emmelent en une fascinante farandole fantastique.">eye lost in a tangle of hair (Asians did not invent anything, LOL) - splendid jumble of images of arachnid and woman who are mixed and entangled in a fascinating medley fantastic. A tower master, an art that great moment of fear, repulsion and fascination of poetry coated mastered by the hand of a master. The spider has made woman, a strange mute girl under savage and spectral color that Bernard will keep locked in the attic when his wife is there. The rest of the film is built on this basis dream / reality. Is this woman really existing, or is it just the projection of fantasies of the writer and his frustrations? If it seems real - her appearances in the garden village witnessed, stealing food, her run in the woods when she takes the features of the bride, her discovery by his wife, Verhaeghe also plays heavily on the register of fantasy, the fantasy that Bernard is a victim and calling the most beautiful moments of the film: The release of his collection of dead butterflies flying ds office, swirling like snow, the attack of the old villagers face weathered, impassive, frozen in church by a horde of unbridled cats, the relationship between the Nady and wife, the Spider Woman to the final, deadly embrace where spider returns but Nadi you it only existed? The writer is alone, alone in the middle of the moor ... desert alone with his thoughts and ours. Beautiful story, beautiful reflection, water spider plays a lot about the perversity of the human being, the frustrations of a life time passes, the failure of a life lived without relief campaign of the early ds of a century in which soaring taboos and fears. He also plays on the relationship between two beings who love each other but failed to mount over their lives until the install routine. Nadi is the catalyst qque kind, real or not, will be the model reveals that love and feelings but also of personalities. The perfect wife to return home conjuguale accepting the intruder in his house but is not it better to destroy it. Femme-araignée/épouse of the spider-woman / Nadi, which is the most spineless? Slow, atmospheric, the water spider can be beautiful like all plans dreamlike scenes of fantasy or of the metamorphosis of course, that the church lost the top of a hill without the empty gray sky down to winter. What is missing in this little film is qqchose this poisonous magic tales, mystery at all. A little damage. The spider will remain as one of the few successful trials of the 70 fantastic, a quasi tentaive successful and why JD Verhaeghe ds will be remembered. Elisabeth Wiener in the strange role of Nadi, Elisabeth of captivating beauty and fascinating supernatural, mysterious brunette with wild eyes and pale complexion. Last Edited By: todmichel Jun 23 11 2:12 PM. Edited 3 times.
Dr Acula		#5	[-]
Jun 23 11 1:51 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	It certainly sounds like a lost classic that will (hopefully) resurface here in the USA on DVD one day...

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