Watch Quiet Days in Clichy

Quiet Days in Clichy is a 1970 independent film and adaptation of Henry Miller's novel of the same title. The movie was directed by Jens Jørgen Thorsen and stars Paul Valjean, Wayne Rodda, and Ulla Koppel. The film follows two bohemian writers, Joey and Carl, living in Paris in the 1960s, as they navigate the complexities of love, artistic expression, and sexual liberation.

Joey and Carl are expatriate writers living in Paris, both struggling to find success with their work. They spend their days wandering the streets, frequenting cafes, and writing feverishly. Despite the lack of financial stability, they are content with their lives.

The film's central focus is on Joey's intimate relationships with various women. His sexual encounters are depicted in explicit detail, a reflection of Miller's frank writing style. Joey's affairs are never committed, always transitory, and often fueled by an inherent need for a physical connection.

The other central character, Carl, embodies a more intellectual and reserved approach to love and relationships. He is more interested in being accepted as an artist rather than being bedded as Joey is. While Joey is always chasing after the next woman, Carl is content with a simple biscuit and pint of beer in a local café with his friend.

The two writers' lifestyles are juxtaposed by a series of flashbacks revealing the hardships and trauma of their past relationships. Joey's recent broken love affair with a German woman, Ania (played by Ulla Koppel), is at the forefront. This, in turn, affects his new relationship with a Swedish woman (played by Else Petersen) who has started to make him feel things he never felt before.

Amidst the free-spirited, bustling atmosphere of Paris, the characters struggle to come to terms with their own desires and what it ultimately means to be satisfied in life. There are graphic scenes of sexual promiscuity and nudity, but they are part of the gritty realism that the film explores.

The cinematography is striking with many beautifully framed shots of the city and surrounding locations. The movie is depicted in natural and raw colors, enhancing the realistic and character-driven elements of the film. The film is minimalist, mirroring the bohemian, carefree lifestyle the characters depict.

At its core, Quiet Days in Clichy is an exploration of humanity's natural and raw desires. The movie delves deeply into the psyche of its characters, leaving little unexplored. Through Joey and Carl, the audience is invited to examine their own relationship with sex, love, and artistic expression.

While Quiet Days in Clichy was not a commercial success in its time, it has since gained a cult following and is considered by many to be a classic of independent cinema. The film remains relevant years later, as society continues to grapple with similar themes of sex, artistic expression, and sexual liberation.

Quiet Days in Clichy is a 1970 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 31 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.1.