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I’d never heard of Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles until now. Which is strange, considering how famous it apparently is, and that I’m a charter subscriber to the Criterion Channel. I happened to catch the start on Criterion 24/7.

The movie is immediately compelling, despite nothing happening except for one quiet, telling event. But I had to make myself stop, because I can’t spare three hours right now.

https://www.criterionchannel.com/jeanne-dielman-23-quai-du-commerce-1080-bruxelles

I’ll set aside the time to start it over and watch through to the end. Something very bad is going to happen. So far, there is no indication of that, but everything is too quiet, so I just know it’s coming.

One of the signature “true crime” events during George W. Bush’s presidency was the abduction of Elizabeth Smart.

It was a strange case that caused an immediate sensation. Along the way, there was a missed opportunity, due to a police failure, to save Smart from further captivity. In the end, Elizabeth was found to be a victim of a dangerous mixture of sex and religion.

Smith’s abductor had used her religion to his advantage. Mitchell claimed to be following the early Mormon Church teachings regarding child brides and polygamy. He just wasn’t as successful at carrying out those abuses as Warren Jeffs had been.

Years later, after Elizabeth had been rescued and resumed as normal a life as possible, the Smart family endured another shock, when the father came out as being gay.

Now a married mom, Elizabeth’s life has taken an unexpected turn. This time, it’s one of her own choosing. She’s gotten into extreme exercise. After giving up running marathons, Elizabeth is hefting weights.

This makes total sense. Having been abused when she wasn’t strong enough to fight, Elizabeth is now physically powerful and in control.

These pictures almost seem as though they could have been taken from Triumph of the Will. They’re frames from 1934’s Eight Girls in a Boat, an American version of the German film, Acht Mädels im Boot.

Starring Dorothy Wilson, Eight Girls in a Boat is a universal human interest tale of an unmarried girl in trouble. It’s a theme that the Hays Office soon banned from movies. Which was silly, considering the New Testament begins with the story of a teen girl in trouble.

I first mentioned the thoroughly charming and disarming Dorothy Wilson six years ago, in a post about the pre-code movie The Age of Consent.

A newly restored print of Eight Girls in a Boat will be screened next Sunday. If a Blu-ray release is forthcoming, I will certainly buy a copy.

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I’ll be flying to Columbus, Ohio in August, to attend the annual National Cartoonists Society awards dinner. Rather than driving to Logan Airport and paying for parking there, I’ll take the Logan Express Shuttle from Framingham. My reservations are on American Airlines, so I won’t be able to take advantage of the new remote TSA security screening.