La Jetée
A haunting photographic meditation follows a time-displaced survivor whose memory of a woman becomes entwined with humanity's desperate search for survival.
Overview
A haunting exploration of memory and time, where love transcends the boundaries of existence.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- austere
- dreamy
- quiet evening
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the short as an innovative and influential fusion of science fiction, memory, romance, and still-image cinema.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The narrative unfolds through black-and-white still images, creating an unusually static yet cinematic form.
The unnamed protagonist's persistent childhood memory of a woman at an airport pier guides his journeys through time.
After World War III, the protagonist is sent across time to seek food, medicine, and energy for a devastated world.
The protagonist's bond with the woman is repeatedly tied to recollection, death, and events recreated across time.
Films like La Jetée, and why
Twelve Monkeys
shares time travel, post-apocalyptic science fiction, fragmented memory, and a melancholic atmosphere
The Memory of Justice
shares still-image experimentation, philosophical science fiction, and meditation on memory and mortality
The Time Traveler's Wife
shares nonlinear time, speculative catastrophe, romantic longing, and austere visual storytelling
Movie Details
- Director
- Chris Marker
- Release Date
- 1962-02-16
- Runtime
- 29 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (1049)
Cast
- Jean Négroni
- Hélène Chatelain
- Davos Hanich
- Jacques Ledoux
- André Heinrich
- Jacques Branchu
- Pierre Joffroy
- Étienne Becker
- Philbert von Lifchitz
- Ligia Branice
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is La Jetée about?
- A haunting photographic meditation follows a time-displaced survivor whose memory of a woman becomes entwined with humanity's desperate search for survival.
- What is La Jetée like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of La Jetée as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.
- Is La Jetée violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in La Jetée as mild.
- What did critics think of La Jetée?
- Critics broadly regard the short as an innovative and influential fusion of science fiction, memory, romance, and still-image cinema.
- Which films are like La Jetée?
- Films with a similar feel include Twelve Monkeys, The Memory of Justice, and The Time Traveler's Wife.
- How long is La Jetée?
- La Jetée runs 29 minutes.
- Where can I watch La Jetée?
- In United States, La Jetée is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home.
