El valle (1972) Online

Without giving too much away, this is an intellectual road trip movie with a documentary atmosphere in many scenes. It is somewhat muddled for the first 15 minutes, but then you can really get into it (if you're ever going to). It relies on atmosphere more than plot, but it did have a clear meaning to me. Overall it's fairly sobering and I can't say it will leave you happy.

I didn't see this as a "hippie" film, rather a commentary on the human condition. One oddity was the interspersing of French subtitled dialog with segments of non-dubbed English. The scenery was very lush and I don't think a second of the film was shot in a studio.

People who didn't like this are probably in the short-attention-span crowd. I don't think this film has anything to do with being a Floyd fan. The music is mostly in the background and doesn't quite fit what you're watching anyway. Any number of low-key instrumental soundtracks may have made more sense. It really doesn't need music at all, except for the tribal chants. Only a few songs from the Floyd CD were apparent, but I know why they called the album "Obscured By Clouds."

I saw this film at the Plaza in New York City around 1981. I went to hear the Floyd music but I quickly became so engrossed that I forgot about the music. Determined to travel to the mysterious valley that is always obscured from the air by clouds, a group of Caucasians cross New Guinea. They meet isolated tribes (NOT African - this is New Guinea, remember), experience love and loss, discover themselves, etc. And I thought the ending was wonderful. A little Easy Rider, a little Sorcerer, a lot of atmosphere and style. Naturalist-docu-fiction. Unique and unforgettable.

I would bet that most of the people who seek out this film are either Schroeder compilists or Pink Floyd fans. The film follows the odyssey of a bored rich girl who goes looking for rare feathers in a "Mystical" jungle that is covered in clouds. The full title is "The Valley Obscured By Clouds" and the soundtrack(Obscured By Clouds)was Pink Floyd's last soundtrack right before they made "Dark Side of The Moon".

The film contains some generous sex scenes,some nudity and a Pig slaughtering scene that might not appeal to timid viewers but it does have a neat soundtrack and some different versions of Floyd songs can be heard here,if only in snippets. Although it gets a good rating,Schroeder and Floyd fans might be better off with "More" another Schroeder film with a more complete soundtrack.

You know, I actually liked this movie. I wouldn't ever have heard of it were it not for Pink Floyd's soundtrack (I imagine I am in good company here).

This is not an edge-of-your-seat blockbuster. It is a deliberately slow, quiet, meditative film which at times almost hovers on the edge of being an anthropology documentary. I found the transformation of the main character's intentions and mindset from aristocratic, spoiled, and modern, to something decidedly in the opposite direction fairly interesting. The radical transformation of this principal character, is what pulls the plot (what there is of it) along.

People have accused this film of being dated; perhaps it is, or perhaps it's just that less and less people question their civilization-programmed mindset as much. (Or maybe it's just dated, you decide. The question is whether merely questioning some of the things the characters here do makes this dated. The long hair and the dope and so forth, is to me, incidental, but I think you could make the case that this is just a little too "far out, man.") The film is about this woman's change as they search for an uncharted valley, which is a sort of stand-in for the Garden of Eden; a place of reputed paradise from which none return. As they make their way deeper and deeper into the wilds of New Guinea, they slowly slough off their psychological and philosophical predispositions, preparing spiritually for what awaits. They encounter corruption and violence, and experience mankind living in a much more primitive mode (through their experiences with the natives).

This film requires patience, though this is mitigated somewhat by the beautiful scenery and bits and pieces of Pink Floyd throughout (including an extra verse of Free Four, go figure.) Zabriskie Point and More are movies which require serious gritted-teeth endurance in places (both are deeply flawed to the point of annoyance). Not so here. At least, not for me. I think there's more relevant to our modern condition here than may be immediately apparent. If these characters seem like old relics, that says more about where we are now, than the film itself.

(*** Possibly a SPOILER here. Though I doubt IT MATTERS AT ALL. ***)

And I really liked the ending. The story ends with a question mark, but frankly, if I were writing or directing this movie, I'd end it the same way. I think the ending scene is beautifully shot, in the fog, with Pink Floyd's music punctuating the film before the credits roll. I found this not at all dissatisfying, and I commend the filmmakers for resisting the temptation to follow the characters into the valley itself .

(...)

I'd recommend this even if Pink Floyd didn't do the soundtrack, but only to certain people. And frankly, I don't think it makes you shallow if you find this a little too slow and abstract for your tastes. I think you can make a fair case against this film without being a philistine; it is not for everyone, not even for all serious cinephiles, or even all the completely wasted out there (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.) For others who like atmospherics and haunting imagery, and can deal with an extremely anemic plot (which was, as I said, clearly deliberate, and commensurate with the general sense of the film), it's definitely worth a watch. A pleasant surprise, especially after sitting through "More."

This is a very interesting, but (unfortunately) underrated, film from the hippie era of the late 60's-early 70's that would make a great addition to any collector of this genre of film. Along with Schroeder's "More", Max Steuer's "The Committee", Roy Battersby's "The Body", Antonioni's "Zabriskie Point", and George Greenough's surfing documentary "Crystal Voyager", any fan of the music of early Pink Floyd should add this to their collection -- if they can find a copy. Unfortunately it is out of print...again. All 6 of these films *should* be released on DVD. Let's hope the distributors will realize the market potential.

Barbet Schroeder is in danger of becoming a legend in his own lifetime. From this rather beautiful hippie opus, to Single White Female and more recently, an episode of Mad Men, this is a man with no respect for boundaries. The main character in this 1971 film is Vivian (Bulle Ogier), a collector of rare feathers which she sells in a posh boutique. While on holiday in New Guinea she joins a hippie expedition, hoping to add more fluff to her collection. She's the wife of a diplomat, bourgeois, liberal and a 'sport' as she puts it. The primary aim of the trek is to locate a (possibly mythical) paradisaical valley way over yonder, kind of like Richard's pursuit of the perfect beach in the Alex Garland novel, but with a more metaphysical bent.

It's the journey not the arrival that grabs and cameraman Nestor Almendros, whose credits include Malick's Days of Heaven, really comes to the fore as his images compensate for any narrative slack. Eventually the group encounter the isolated but photogenic Magupa tribe, just about to start an incredible festival - cue more stunning images. That's about as dramatic as it gets - there's no manufactured events, just the group interacting with the natives and each other. For Vivian the journey becomes a voyage of self-discovery aided by some local hallucinogenics, though her newly-found freedom is tested both physically and philosophically by her lover as they approach their destination. By this time dialogue is sparse as the film slips into National Geographic mode. But it's Ogier who really keeps things together here, offering a riveting portrayal of a woman in transition. There's some discourse on the relative merits of the contrasting civilisations, and questions which throw doubt on the hippies belief in the superiority of the 'natural' way of life. Pink Floyd contribute the soundtrack (Obscured by Clouds) but its barely audible aside from the closing credits.

I liked 'La Vallée' because it made me ask fundamental questions about my own journey. The central character Viviane (Bulle Ogier) begins with one search and ends with another. The other characters Olivier, Gaetan, Monique, and Hermine each have their own journeys that weave stories of personal transformation around each other in pursuit of spiritual ideals. The open nature of the ending alludes to every person's image of the unknown.

I had the soundtrack album (Obscured By Clouds) in the early 70's and was intrigued by the cover. Now, many years later, I've visited and experienced a little of Polynesian culture for myself, and find that the essential questions about how to reconcile western and indigenous culture are still just as powerful as those played out in the movie. I see the scene just before the final ascent to 'the valley' as the core dialog, namely, can we step inside the world of ancestors and taboos, or are we merely tourists on our own journeys? Can we return with knowledge to paradise, or must we, as Oliver says, 'take a second bite of the apple'to move forward? Can we reinvent ourselves, or are we bound in our world views by jealousy, phobia, hormones, and social convention? I think Schroeder is expressing this dialog within himself against the backdrop of the Mapuga.

Barbet Schroeder's second feature film shares some of the same shortcomings with his first film 'More'. The editing is at times abrupt, and some scenes seem to evaporate into dead-ends with no plot development. Nevertheless, I admire his willingness to make this film in New Guinea. It must have been very progressive for its time.

The Valley is not for everyone's taste but is still worth a look. Sometimes looking like a cross between Jimi Hendrix's Rainbow Bridge and National Geographic, the Valley pretty much centers on the same themes of the former although it exhibits a much more lucid character development, not to mention poetic discourse. The Valley brings up many ideas of its era: free love, mind expanding drugs, psychedelic music, and ontological excursions. However, the foremost point seems to be a clash between the first and last cited, and sometimes presented sporadically.

The film follows a girl who latches on to group of hippies on an expedition for the `Valley obscured by Clouds.' Her primary motive is to collect rare feathers for her husband in France, but she inevitably falls in love with two of the hippies. Amongst their infidelities and hypocrisies, the group manages to find aid with a friendly New Guinea native tribe who slaughter pigs and perform ritualistic dances. Finally, the group makes their way back on the path, but do they?

Although somewhat slow at moments (i.e., the group's interaction with a peaceful African tribe) the Valley primarily has a steady pace; however, this minor flaw is (!) obscured by the beautiful cinematography and scenery. I enjoyed a large percentage of this film (especially the incidental music composed by Pink Floyd) but the ending a bit abrupt, a quality that may upset some viewers wanting more. Nevertheless, the Valley is still a great film with a beautiful story and beautiful images.

Note: about the music, if you're looking for another Pink Floyd album in this movie, forget it! As mentioned above, it's purely incidental and few of the Floyd's songs are in this film. Go buy the complete soundtrack in the stores.

***Contains Spoilers*** Some people who watch this film my not like it if they did not live through the Hippie subculture as I did. This film is a celebration of the free love and drop out mentality that many hippies craved. Also, there is free use of drugs along with some mild sex throughout the film. A young woman of the classic middle class comes into contact with some French versions of hippies while shopping for feathers in New Guinea hinterland. They go on a journey of sexual and cultural discovery among the primitive tribesmen of the region. The young lady is slowly freed from the mentality of restrictiveness to a sexually liberated and open state of mind. The film progresses slowly to the eventual discovery of "The Valley", their own hope of a Shangri-La. There the film ends abruptly leaving the viewer to supply his own ending to the story. This movie is about hippies on drugs and was meant to be viewed by hippies on drugs. In our new world of anti-drug mentality it may sound horrid to suggest that, but we must be charitable and remember that the film world of the late 60's and 70's was very liberal on those issues by our standards. This is a very good and enjoyable erotic film about freedom and that is how it should be relished.

But then again, maybe a bunch of stoned people without a clue got together and decided to make a movie, and this was the result.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD: A beautifully-shot film about indulgence and innocence. The main characters embark on a quest to find this unexplored misty valley. Along the way, they are tempted to give in to the naive, ritualized existence of the natives, who treat them as one of their own. However, one of the characters realizes that there is no way to forget what they already know about the modern world. Some don't see that the seemingly-free lifestyle of aborigines is bound by strict ritual, and that the punishment for breaking these rules is a far more cruel fate than the rules by which we "civilized" societies live. We should never forget our individual place in the world: find out where you belong and stay there. The Pink Floyd soundtrack is excellent, a good reminder to the audience as to what year it is. The dialogue is very poetic, though it is mostly in French, so you may be annoyed at having to read subtitles. But give this film a chance, it may stick with you the next time you gaze at your reflection.

Movies set in PNG are thin on the ground. Movies actually filmed in PNG can be counted on one finger. 'Bruce Lee in PNG' was filmed in Hong Kong, I think; and the wonderful 'Krippendorf's Tribe' was shot in Hawaii. Recently, Alistair Grearson's 'Kokoda' was shot in the hills behind the Gold Coast. Do not let that stop you seeing either of the last two, but anyone who has lived in the Territory will tell you it cannot be replicated on a film set. If this movie wound up as a hippie National Geographic road trip, so what? What else could it be? The joint is unbelievable- their joints are unbelievable! Everyone who has lived there has felt they were privvy to the Last Paradise. As a hippie I would have given it 10 out of 10, but back then, I did not know PNG, I was just interested in The Floyd's latest Album. Now, as an ageing hippie, I give it a 7, but that is more a gauge of what I have lost than a reflection on this extraordinary film.

A must see, on SBS, very late; rather sad, given crap like 'Die Hard XXIV' will screen a zillion times in prime time between repeats of this.

Some movies stand the test of time and are remembered as ageless masterpieces. This is not one of them. It is very much a creature of the early 70s, that difficult transition time between the collapse of hippies' hopes and the birth of new age.

The very loose plot follows the adventure of Viviane, a rich and married French woman, in New Guinea looking for exotic birds' feathers. She meets a group of travellers, heading to a remote valley which cannot be seen from aerial observation because "obscured by clouds".

The group practice free love and sex and soon enough Viviane is entangled in sexual triangles and other geometric figures, while travelling with her new friends towards the valley. Apart from several scenes worth of an anthropological documentary, and a weird "open ending" not much happens.

Obviously, the main reason why this movie still attracts some interest is because of the Pink Floyd soundtrack. Unfortunately, contrary to "More", there is not much music to be heard, apart from the opening scene. The moody, mysterious tune accompanying the opening credits makes you want more, but sadly nothing is to be heard.

Personally, I liked "More" better, despite the unpleasant main characters. The valley is too frayed a plot to gather much interest and missing a robust soundtrack, not much is left.

I've seen thousands of movies. I searched for this one for decades, finally found it, struggled a lot within myself to find just the right frame of mind to start it, and have just finished watching it.

. ~ * ~ .

It's truly difficult to find words to express what a masterpiece, what a gem this is. Seductive, upsetting, inspiring, liberating, mind-boggling, a catalyst for direct immersion into the Otherness; the Dreamtime.

It provides opportunities to get a taste of total and complete absence of a sense of self, both the kind that's embedded in protean, archetypal ways of being AND that which is the goal of contemporary "civilized" humans who are struggling to deconstruct and shed their social and personal conditioning in order to experience the freedom of Being that's free from the dysphoric awareness of being we are trained to carry with us throughout our lives.

"Obscured by Clouds" can only be appreciated if one watches with an open heart. It's only then that you can experience the way in which the movie can hold your mind's attention toward a point, a quest, an enigma, and suddenly flood your senses with totally unexpected torrents of fragments, messages, entire sequences from natural existence; from the Other Way; and from the Transbeyond - all at the same time.

The movie itself is both the journey and the Valley. Homer and Cavafis (the poets) would have probably embraced director Barbet Schroeder without a moment's hesitation.

. ~ * ~ .

Please contact me if you'd like to discuss this; I'd like to write a longer review if there's interest.

Thanks, Petros

The Valley is not for everyone's taste but is still worth a look. Sometimes looking like a cross between Jimi Hendrix's Rainbow Bridge and National Geographic, the Valley pretty much centers on the same themes of the former although it exhibits a much more lucid character development, not to mention poetic discourse. The film follows a group of hippies on an expedition for the `Valley obscured by Clouds.' Interwoven with the story is the relationship of the films two main characters ---- likewise, their infidelities and their hypocrisies. Although somewhat slow at moments (i.e., the group's interaction with a peaceful African tribe) the Valley primarily has a steady pace; however, this minor flaw is (!) obscured by the beautiful cinematography and scenery. I enjoyed a large percentage of this film (especially the incidental music composed by Pink Floyd) but the ending a bit abrupt, a quality that may upset some viewers wanting more. Nevertheless, the Valley is still a great film with a beautiful story and beautiful images. Note: about the music, if you're looking for another Pink Floyd album in this movie, forget it! As mentioned above, it's purely incidental and few of the Floyd's songs are in this film. Go buy the complete soundtrack in the stores.

Set in the highlands of Papua New Guinea where a group of lovebirds go in search of the mystical Valley obscured by clouds. What it ends up being is a poorly made National Geographic tripe with a bit of flesh and feeble photography on the beautiful country.

This movie belongs to a class of movies, obscured by time, which are more portraits than stories. They seem to be made by people without any particular cinematic talent, just a desire to put free love on the screen. The Valley portrays a life of free love and tropical travel. The plot, while present, takes its time advancing. Viewers of a good movie feel attached to the characters, hope anxiously that they do or receive what they should. We felt more attached to the bit characters and spent more time hoping that more Pink Floyd music would reach our ears than that the characters would reach the valley. The soundtrack (Obscured By Clouds) is well worth purchasing, though.

This film is little more than a 105 minute sleeping pill disguised as a psychedelic travelogue (of sorts). The plot (plot,you mean there is actually a plot?)concerns a fashion designer searching for bird feathers, when she happens upon a rag tag group of hippies looking for the valley obscured by clouds. Foolishly, she opts to follow along with them. The bulk of the remainder of the film is taken up by her ingesting copious amounts of drugs,having boring,pointless sex,more drugs,more pointless sex, oh yeah, and seeing some rather pretty scenery (filmed in New Guinea). Honestly,this film was so boring, I actually fell asleep until the end credits. Even Pink Floyd's majestic music doesn't make this exercise in cinematic narcolepsy any easier to swallow. Just buy the soundtrack CD by Pink Floyd, instead (you'll thank yourself). P.S. Barbet Schroeder,who directed this mess would do the film a big favor a few years later with the much better 'Barfly')

While the film is likely most famous for using Pink Floyd for the soundtrack (Obscured by Clouds), this French film (w/ English subtitles) is quite thought provoking if you take the time to understand what the director is trying to say to the audience. Plenty of Utopian idealism in the film, but it is balanced in the end by some interesting philosophical discussions.

Character development is good albeit a bit dated to late 1960's Hippie culture. Excellent cinematography by Néstor Almendros in remote Papua New Guinea. A really good film for a university French film course. Editing was somewhat disjointed at parts, but this may have been due to the version I was able to see. Try searching for it on the internet if you want to watch it.

I can't recall the circumstances under which I saw this in the 70s but I remember being impressed although warning others that it was a bit slow and with murky visuals but a great Pink Floyd score. Memory eh! This moves well with interesting situations and encounters with natives and always looking fantastic, on my Blu-ray anyway. The thing is, where is the Pink Floyd score!? It really is barely noticeable until the end credits and I understand there was some dispute as to how their music had or had not been used and that that is why they called the soundtrack album, Obscured by Clouds and not, The Valley. Film boys got wise though and added that title to their own. Clever. Seen today the film is not only a joy and a stunning picture of New Guinea and its inhabitants but an interesting look in microcosm at the rise and fall of the hippy movement. Surprisingly good dialogue and always brilliant cinematography make this an essential watch - for the adventurous.

Summed up, this is a pretty boring film. Although the acting isn't horrible, overall it has that awful feel of many late 1960's early 1970's films. The beginning is straightforward enough, but soon it spirals into a huge mess of stream-of-consciousness plots and hippie nonsense. Probably the only person who would be interested in this would be a Pink Floyd fan, and that for the wonderful Pink Floyd soundtrack.

A young woman in search of exotic plumage for a boutique in Paris instead finds a group of free living hippies in search of paradise on earth (Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the hippie ideal). The young woman decides to travel with the hippies, with 'mind expanding' results.

On the whole, I do not feel I wasted my time watching this film, so I have to give it a 6 out of 10. There are some very interesting scenes involving a huge native ritual in Africa, which, due to the scale of the gathering, seems to be an event the movie was shot around.

I would be very interested if anyone not a fan of Pink Floyd went out of their way to see this movie.

Side note: there is sadly very little Floyd. Just short bits of songs off the excellent album. I guess I can understand why Floyd did the soundtrack after seeing the movie.

SPOILERS The reasons that pushed me to watch "la vallée" are the same as "more": Pink Floyd composed the original soundtrack. For me, the result is the same: the music is good but this is a boring and lacklustre movie. A boring movie because it's long-drawn-out. It's particularly obvious when the group stays in the Papuan tribe and lays down to its rituals and habits. This movie also reflects Barbet Schroeder's marking taste for the hippy culture which we find here some sides: rejection of the modern society, search for a lost heaven and return to nature. But the movie was launched in 1972 and during this year, the hippy culture tended to disappear so the movie came a bit too late. But the movie suffers due to Bulle Ogier. It was a mistake to have chosen her in the main role. She seems ill-at-ease and makes the spectator laugh several times because she's ridiculous. False feelings, silly cues and blinding contradiction: she dreads snakes but later she holds friendly one around her neck! Besides, the performance lacks of punch. The end reveals itself to be disappointing because we're catching a glimpse of this famous valley after Ogier exclaimed "the valley!". We don't see it properly. In short, as it was the case with "more", we only retain Pink Floyd's music and the beauty of the green landscapes. We can also notice a shy expression from one member of the group against the damage caused by tourists on the native tribes. We're in 1972 and mass tourism is at its height a bit all over the world. Is it a warning for the future?