CONTEMPT
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1997 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2
Director Jean-Luc Godard's CONTEMPT (LE MEPRIS) has been hailed by some critics as one of the best films ever made. A handsome new print of the 1963 film is being shown now in New York City and is scheduled to be making its way to other cities.
As the film opens, two lovers are having an intimate conversation. The nude woman is lying face down on the bed as she queries her husband about various parts of her anatomy. She wants to know if he loves her feet, her ankles, and so forth. The dialog remains more romantic than sexual although with Brigitte Bardot playing the part of the wife, Camille Javal, the audiences at the time of the picture's release may have had trouble concentrating on the lines spoken. (The modicum of female rear nudity may have been a bit shocking at the time, but the movie is quite tame by today's standards.) Godard's film wants to challenge your mind and not titillate your senses, hence the few nude scenes are there more for realism than exploitation.
Brigitte Bardot gives an incredible performance as the 28-year-old typist who does not have a clue about what she wants in life. She is an intelligent woman, no airhead, but her life is aimless. The film works precisely because she convinces us of her disdain for most aspects of her life, especially her marriage. After an idyllic beginning she informs her husband that she despises him and feels contempt for him. Her husband Paul, played beautifully by Michel Piccoli, becomes perplexed. What could he have said or done that made her feel thus? After all, it was only hours ago that they were making romantic small talk in bed.
Her husband is an aspiring but unsuccessful playwright who has agreed to help American producer Jerry Prokosch with a movie that he is making of Homer's Odyssey. When Odyssey's director Fritz Lang, played by the great director himself, starts talking about how cultured the performance will be, Jerry will have none of it. "Every time I hear the word culture, I bring out my checkbook," he declares as he writes a check on the spot to Paul to rewrite the script.
Lacking the smooth refinements of the rest of the characters, Jerry, played by Jack Palance, is crude but believes himself more refined than any of them. "Gods, I like Gods," he says about his movie. "I know exactly how they feel." Jerry carries a tiny book with him everywhere and loves to quote homilies from it.
Godard has a great sense for the visual, and his films are feasts for the eyes. In CONTEMPT several scenes are memorable. One of the best has an ancient Greek statue slowly turning. In another, the blond and tanned Bardot is framed by the rocky coast and deep blue waters of Capri. And then, who could forget the opening scene of her lying on the sheets with her toes twirling in the air.
My personal favorite aspect of the production is the music by Georges Delerue. It has a timelessness and a sweeping grandeur that starts off romantic but becomes increasingly morose as the tragedy unfolds.
The film is about many things. Certainly Godard's love of the cinema comes across in ways explicit and subtle. The film, which is more a dramatic tone poem than a traditional movie, ultimately is about the impact of the death of love. When Paul learns that his wife holds him in contempt, he does not know how to deal with it. Similarly, Camille is confused and just as lost when she realizes she no longer loves Paul. Both are depressed in their own way.
Effusive Jerry couldn't care less about any of this. He loves to sit in his fancy sports car and rev the engine before blasting off. His life can only be lived in the fast lane where love and relationships have no relevance.
CONTEMPT is an entrancing and moving film that leaves its audiences thinking and somewhat devastated. One may forget many of the story's details, but its impact will remain.
CONTEMPT runs 1:45 but feels much shorter perhaps because the story takes place in less than 24 hours. The film is partially in French with English subtitles and partially in English. It is not rated but would be a mild R for some female rear nudity, a little profanity, and a little violence. The film would be fine for teenagers. I strongly recommend you see or rent this marvelous film, and I give it *** 1/2.
**** = A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = Totally and painfully unbearable picture.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: August 16, 1997
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
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