Episode #34 - Dana Stevens (Letter From An Unknown Woman)

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"In some ways, I just think of myself as a writer. If I could never write about movies again, I'd be terribly sad, but I would continue to write."

As one of the film criticism's public figures, Dana Stevens has carved out a niche for herself with a thoughtful and intelligent approach to contemporary film reviewing. So she joins Peter in the studio for a brief chat about her days as a Comparative Lit. PhD, the 6 hour writing process, and the joy of the occasional Slate-style pitch. Then the two dive into Max Ophüls's opulent drama Letter From An Unknown Woman, which Dana finds majesty in the film's tragic metaphor for love while Peter explores the film's unique texture between the artificial and the authentic. Plus, Peter remembers Alain Resnais by revisiting two of his classics.

0:00-1:20 Opening 

2:01-8:20 Establishing Shots - RIP Alain Resnais / Donations

9:05-36:38 Deep Focus - Dana Stevens

38:34-1:01:32 Double Exposure - Letter from an Unknown Woman (Max Ophüls)

1:01:34-1:03:16 Close / Outtake

Read Dana Stevens at Slate and listen to the Slate Culture Gabfest.
Follow Dana on Twitter.

Notes and Links from the Conversation

-Alain Resnais and Chris Marker's Statues Never Die 
-More information on Resnais's Je T'aime Je T'aime
-Dana Stevens's recent Reddit AMA
-An old conversation with Dana on Fernando Pessoa
-Dana reviews the first episode of The Colbert Show
-Mac Freedom 
-Dana on Inside Llewyn Davis
-A brief Twitter debate on writing and pronouns.
-The Lady in Number 6.
-Dana's Poem to Buster Keaton, "Fall."
-Dana on Nicole Holofcener's Enough Said and Lovely and Amazing.
-Reviews of The Master: First time, second time.
-Dana against flip flops.
-"Slate Pitches"
-Dana on three other Max Ophuls movies
-On Letter from an Unknown Woman as Holocaust allegory.
-Truffaut's Story of Adele H
-Tag Gallagher's video essay can be found on the UK DVD.
-You can buy the Blu-Ray from Olive Films.

Theme Music: “Forward” by Northbound

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