From the Journals of Jean Seberg

Rating:
Summary: Good documentary; poor subject
Review: Mary Beth Hurt appears as the postumous voice of Jean Seberg, an actress best known for her lead role in Jean-Luc Goddard's first film, 'Breathless'. Mark Rappaport's film compares her career and political activities with those of the more famous Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave. Rappaport trys to make a case for Seberg as a naïf done in by men, Hollywood, America, and J. Edgar Hoover. He combines file footage with Hurt's narration to create a complex and thoughtful film, but it's hard to work up any sympathy for his subject, especially in her later years when she's running guns for the Black Panthers. He has Seberg say some caustic things about herself, particularly in her choice of men, but she (or Rappaport) remains unapologetic about her political affiliations. Rappaport also defends Fonda and Redgrave through Seberg's voice. This film doesn't defy any convention that I could detect; it simply follows orthodox Hollywood leftism. I found no information about the sources for the words that Rappaport puts in Seberg's mouth. I assume that they're fabricated. The DVD has no extra materials.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: This is a quantam leap for Mark Rappaport from the execrable Rock Hudson's Home Movies. I particularly liked the parallels he makes between Jean, and Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave as political activists. Mary Beth Hurt is an actress I haven't seen enough of so I relished her role here. I remember seeing a documentary about the mystery surrounding Jean's death which included footage I was anticipating, however it's absence is a quibble.