Le Mepris [1963]

Customer Reviews:

A film about Politics.......2006-10-24

The other reviews appear blind to the fact that this is one of Godard's first forays into political metaphor.

The film sets a playwright with an interest in art for art's sake against an American 'movie' maker who ends up stealing his wife. Effectively, the woman caught between them represents European society - I believe. She is shamed by the behaviour of her husband who she feels allowed the US movie-maker to have an opportunity to take advantage of her for personal gain. In the end she leaves him for the American who she otherwise dispises because of that shame and in spite of it.

The movie which is set in Italy, I believe, is a metaphor for Godard's disgust at what some would call the 'revisionism' of mainstream communism. (To give us a clue the playwright discloses that he has joined the communist party). The metaphor demonstrates the outworkings of a European (eurocommunist) left which accommodates to US imperialism (as represented by a foul-minded and base US movie-maker). European society loses faith in the non-idealist European left and turns to the US in disgust - to its inevitable doom.
There are obvious parallels between this movie and the Odyssey itself - which I guess can be made to parallel the political metaphor. Important is the theme throughout that the playwright believes that Homer left to fight at Troy because of existing problems.
Overall a very complex movie operating at several different levels of metaphor.
The shooting is exquisite. The acting by all is very good - although I though Bardot was not as good as some of the other commentators suggest. Jack Palance was the perfect cad.

Classic Godard.......2006-04-17

Generally considered to be Godard's finest work, Le Mépris is a film about film and about the disintegration of a marriage, where neither party is sure why the relationship is falling apart. The acting is excellent, with Brigitte Bardot giving a mesmerising and enigmatic performance. The direction is superb and stylish, particularly in terms of Godard's use of colour. (The film was made in 1963, when colour was just beginning to be introduced, so it was very much a new tool.) This is a film where little happens, but which burns itself into your consciousness.

Fascinating film.......2005-10-11

"Le Mepris" is another superb Godard movie. It tells the story of the marital difficulties of a scriptwriter (Piccoli) and his typist wife (Bardot) as Piccoli's involvement in the filming of Homer's "Odyssey" (directed by Fritz Lang) causes friction between the pair.The film starts off with the couple very much in love, but a perceived slight by Piccoli on his wife and a flirtation by him with the film producer's female assistant him act as the catalyst for the unhinging of their relationship.

"Le Mepris" is filmed exquisitely; its colours are vivid , the mood languid and pensive , the soundtrack haunting. Like in "Au Bout de Souffle", Godard's female lead is capricious and mysterious,beautiful but dangerous. She turns a minor display of indifference by her husband into a marital make or break ,much to his surprise. However as the film unravels ,we see that the harmony and tenderness of the couple in the opening scenes disguises fundamental shifts in the balance of their relationship. Piccoli has a sharper intellect and more ambition than Bardot and she feels he is leaving her behind, only her physical beauty appealing to him. She wants to bring things to a head, restore the marital equilibrium in some way ; Piccoli is merely bemused at her sudden coldness to him.

The viewer never quite knows whether the marital problems are down to Piccoli's insensitivity or Bardot's irrationality, in the same way as the subplot of the filming of the "Odyssey" leads to debate about whether either Odysseus or Penelope were secretly fed up with each other despite appearances to the contrary on the surface and who was most to blame.

An enjoyable film which has much to say about the fickleness of modern relationships and Bardot's portrayal of a selfish,cold bitch/ strong ,liberated woman (delete as appropriate) was ahead of its time by several decades.

good stuff.......2005-06-21

From the very first shot, this film seemlessly blends intense melodrama with a more wistful and abstract feeling of loss. The contempt is never actually explained, and everything ends in a self sabotaging, wonderfully anti theatrical manner that brilliantly undermines the films constant reference to standard cinematic practice (the film is set on a movie set, and stars Fritz Lang as himself. Wonderful!)
Almost every cinematic conciet is deliberately overused, for example the long, flowing dollys (even a standard shot/countershot conversation is shot on a dolly) and the persistant, repetitive main theame music that permeates everything, to the dizzying conflict of the principal chracters different languages (language is portrayed as the barrier here, its more the unxplainable and impeceptable contempt that suddenly flares up in the central chracters previously flawless love.)
Absolute classic Goddard, proberbly his best film, and almost flawless in every respect.

Gorgeous...........2004-04-07

Gorgeously shot, incredibly haunting film. The gliding camera lets you feel as though you're actually there in the film. The colours are rich and sexy, disguising the underlying dark tone of the story.

Still not as good as A Bout de Souffle, but then what is?

Oh, and Brigitte Bardot looks unbelievable as well......

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