Angelina Jolie Pitt’s By the Sea is an earnest homage to the 1960’s French films that were part of the Nouvelle Vague. As such it incorporates the movement’s preoccupation with consumption and leisure and a distinct directorial perspective. As a nice touch, it even ends with a freeze frame. Understood in this context, By the Sea is reminiscent of Breathless (Jean Luc Godard, 1960) and Last Year at Marienbad (Alain Resnais, 1961).
The plot follows an American couple, Roland (Brad Pitt) and Vanessa (Angelina Jolie Pitt) as they vacation in a seaside town in France. Roland is a writer suffering from writer’s block and Vanessa “used to be a dancer.” Their marriage of fourteen years suffers much in the same way. But something starts to change as they become interested in a young newlywed couple who checks into the same hotel and stays in the room adjacent to theirs.
By the Sea features very little conventional action or plot. Jolie Pitt is engaging in subtle storytelling that requires viewers to maintain a certain level of inquisitiveness. As in Last Year at Mariendbad, By the Sea conveys much through small details. On a purely aesthetic note, the elegance of the period and seaside France is beautifully and romantically photographed by Christian Berger, reminiscent, again, of Last Year at Mariendbad.
Yet, the film’s themes run deeper than romance. By the Sea is a film about commitment, faithfulness and healing through confessions. It is about what it means to love someone, even when they are not being easy to love.
The film develops the theme of commitment and faithfulness mainly through Roland. As the film progresses we see his character frequent the bar across the shore from the hotel. As a consequence, he forms a bond with Michel, the older man who owns the bar. Their conversations usually revolve around marriage as Roland seeks Michel’s advice. Michel tells Roland, “If you really love someone, you want more for them than you want for yourself. Do you understand?” Roland understands. His actions toward Vanessa begin to confess his commitment and faithfulness to her.
Roland embodies a kind of love that is “for the other,” a love that does not relent, because it fully holds and embraces the other as fully known. In this way Roland portrays a love that resembles God’s self giving love for us, a love that remains even whilst knowing our shortcomings and that suffers our pains. A love that ultimately finds its confessions recorded in a book for others to see.
Vanessa’s confessions develop the theme of healing. Her confessions are her awakening from self-denial and literally from a self-medicated state. For Vanessa confessing her pain, anger, helplessness, and even her faith open her up to be embraced by, receive and reciprocate Roland’s love and faithfulness, perhaps because she begins to embrace herself as a result of being truly known by Roland.
By the Sea is a character driven film. It is not a “Hollywood” film. It is an homage to the enjoyable 1960’s art cinema films of the Nouvelle Vague. You might consider watching a few of those films before watching By the Sea.
