Ne Touchez Pas La Hache (Don't Touch The Axe) by director Jacques Rivette is a powerful film about two lovers who don't get the chance to love. At the time Armand de Montriveau confesses his love to Antoinette de Langeais, her stubborness keeps them from falling for each other. And once she shakes off her pride, it's too late and it's him who now plays hard to get. It's a game of love which is never played out. Rivette tells the lover's story beautifully, with the camera slowly moving into the scene, lingering on the beautiful mise-en-scène, while the actors perform on their stage. Especially during the scenes in which noone else but the two lovers are shown, Ne Touchez Pas feels mostly like a theatre play. The actors get to closely interact. As a spectator you can feel their attraction for each other and their constant pulling and pushing. Great are the intertitles in between, which sometimes give the film a comedic touch presenting unfinished sentences which are only finished later, the outcome at times being very funny. The acting is strong. Both Guillaume Depardieu as Armand and Jeanne Balibar as Antoinette shine. Especially Balibar gives a performance which at first seems hard to grasp, her acting being quite different than you're used to. Yet, it keeps her performance fresh and fascinating. Ne Touchez Pas La Hache is a very solid film, with beautiful sets. Some might find it a bit slow, but for those who can appreciate the beauty of takes being longer than usual, will find themselves drawn into a wonderful period piece.
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