Lions Love

Raab. Director Agnes Varda; Producer Agnes Varda; Screenplay Agnes Varda; Camera Stefan Larner; Editor Robert Dalva; Music Joseph Byrd; Art Director Jack Wright III

Viva
Gerome Ragni
James Rado
Shirley Clarke
Carlos Clarens

Actors in Hollywood were once called lions. Occupying a Hollywood house Viva, Gerome Ragni and James Rado are actors in love. Hence the title.

Into this menage a trois comes filmmaker Shirley Clarke come to Hollywood to make a movie. During a period of about a week, these four plus assorted producers, actors, children and film buffs play themselves in facsimiles of their real lives. Director Agnes Varda presents her fascination with the banal myth and mania that is Southern California.

The result is a pleasant, sometimes humorous blend of style and technique that ultimately is unsuccessful.

Viva playing Viva in one of the Andy Warhol exercises can be hugely revealing of her humor and personality. But Viva playing an actress called Viva as written by Agnes Varda loses much of her meaning. Similarly with Shirley Clarke.

(Color) Extract of a review from 1969. Running time: 115 MIN.

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