The time of everyday work
Jeanne Dielman, Perfect Days and Modern Times approach repetition differently. Compare task time, breaks and who can change the pace, without treating their views of work as identical.
What to watch for
Keep a repeated gesture and variation in each work. Does an object, speed change or another person redirect attention? Describe before naming emotion.
The order below is an editorial suggestion, not a ranking. Entries provide years, references and documented runtimes.
Plan your sessions
- Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles — 1975 · 201 min
- Perfect Days — 2023 · 124 min
- Modern Times — 1936 · 87 min
412 min — sum of documented film runtimes, excluding breaks and series.
Choose a first screening
These details describe documented editions in our selection. Original languages do not guarantee a service’s tracks or subtitles; check the entry and your edition before viewing.
| Work | Reference year | Cited edition runtime | Languages listed by source | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles | 1975 | 201 min | French | Use one task as a reference and observe its duration and a changed gesture. Compare specific repetitions without immediately assigning emotion. Allow the edition’s runtime and plan any break beforehand. |
| Perfect Days | 2023 | 124 min | Japanese | Notice variations within routine: light, glance, route or song. Repetition provides comparisons. Afterwards describe a day without reducing the character to his job, asking what gestures reveal and what they keep private. |
| Modern Times | 1936 | 87 min | English | Does a useful work gesture become comic elsewhere? Describe the transformation. |
Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Chantal Akerman
Perfect Days
Wim Wenders
Modern Times
Charles Chaplin