Digitally restored
Back in the cinema: Godard’s cult film “The Contempt”
A married couple: Paul (Michel Piccoli) and Camille (Brigitte Bardot). photo
© -/StudioCanal/dpa
For many cinema fans, “The Contempt” from 1963, starring Brigitte Bardot, is cult. Jean-Luc Godard’s film has now been digitally restored and is back on the big screen.
“The Contempt” is one of the most famous films by the French-Swiss director Jean-Luc Godard (1930-2022). The work from 1963 starring Brigitte Bardot is now being returned to the cinema with digital restoration.
In it, Godard primarily tells of the end of a love affair. Above all, however, the film is a reflection on cinema and the relationship between art and commerce. The legendary German director Fritz Lang (“Metropolis”) can also be seen in it – as himself. Georges Delerue’s music is unforgettable.
In “The Contempt” (original title: “Le Mépris”), the author Paul (Michel Piccoli) is supposed to revise the script for a film about Odysseus that Fritz Lang is shooting. For the American producer Jeremy Prokosch, the film is not commercial enough. Prokosch makes advances to Paul’s wife Camille (Bardot), which Paul does nothing about. This turns Camille against her husband. So much so that at some point she feels nothing but contempt for him.
The myth of Odysseus is intertwined with the love story in the film. Some of the protagonists themselves are portrayed as mythical figures.
Lots of experiments
Godard breaks with viewing and listening habits in the film. Soundtracks and colors sometimes change quite abruptly. At the beginning of the film, the credits are not shown in writing as usual, but spoken by a voice from the off. The camera, meanwhile, heads straight for the viewer. There are many such experiments in “The Contempt”.
The coloring of the film is also special. Again and again, the costumes, furniture and other props in “The Contempt” glow in striking red, blue, yellow and white. The director also partly filmed through color filters.
The film is full of references to the film industry and history. So the uncultivated producer Prokosch is probably to be understood as a symbol of Hollywood, which Godard little appreciated.
Interestingly, Godard also reportedly had conflicts with producers while making the film. They complained that Bardot was never seen naked in an original version of the film – which is why Godard did include nude scenes in “The Contempt”, but they acted like an ironic commentary.
Contempt, France/Italy 1963, 99 minutes, FSK from 6, by Jean-Luc Godard, with Brigitte Bardot, Jack Palance, Michel Piccoli, Giorgia Moll, Fritz Lang