Le berceau de cristal

I enjoyed the mystical imagery and mood of "La Cicatrice Interieure" ("The Inner Scar"), a previous collaboration between singer-actress Nico and director Phillippe Garrel. But "Le Berceau de Cristal" ("The Birthplace of Crystal") is nearly unbearable. Thankfully, it's short for a feature. The film seems intent to treat people as still-life paintings. Most of the footage is lingering shots of actresses Nico, Dominique Sanda and Anita Pallenberg sitting in dim rooms. Garrel himself also appears here and there. Reading, smoking, brushing hair, writing poetry, fingering harmonium and snorting cocaine are among the showcased activities, but the cast mostly just gazes into the distance. Deep in somber thought. There is no discernible plot, and no words beyond a few overlaid, morose poems from Nico. The first word is heard over 20 minutes into the movie, and extended patches are entirely silent. Elsewhere, the Krautrock band Ash Ra Tempel rolls through various organ-based drones that are less than captivating. A "shock" ending just seems like a pretentious, art-film cliche. But admittedly, I saw a rather poor-quality bootleg and would like to find a better copy someday.