Sight & Sound Challenge: La Jetée (1962)

Film: La Jetée (60/250) 

Critics Poll: 50th 

Directors Poll: 174th 

First Time/Rewatch: Rewatch

I must've been half asleep the first time I watched this, because I didn't remember much. I was definitely paying attention this time, because I was able to see it for the masterpiece it is. And at only 28 minutes, that's quite an accomplishment. It is a story of a world destroyed, a love lost, of time travel, of memory, of terror. Its intrigue is only heightened by the fact that it's told almost entirely through still images and voiceover narration. Though it would later go to on inspire films like 12 Monkeys and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind among others, this short original film is perfectly realized and fully told in its compact form. It's incredibly beautiful and moving, and reminds me why I like short films so much. A film doesn't have to be hours long to make you feel like you've lived someone else's life for a while.