Cannes audiences unimpressed by variations on a theme

May 19, 2008 Other artists -- painters, musicians -- turn out work that is intended as variations on a theme, and critics applaud. Such authors as Philip Roth (with his Nathan Zuckerman novels) and John Updike (who chronicled Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom through four volumes) return repeatedly to their literary alter egos, and readers happily follow suit. Auteurists might argue that the great directors obsessively recycle themes and rework techniques, but when a major name unveils a new work, especially in a hothouse environment like the Festival de Cannes, audiences want to be wowed by something new.

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