Review of Contempt (1963) by Ethan Y — 06 Dec 2008

The film is absolute perfection because of how flawed it is. No piece of cinema has ever come close to showcasing the complexities and tragedies of the human being in the way that Godard did in 1963. The film is presented like a three act play, and each third further decomposes an already painfully rocky relationship.

Godard jabs a finger at the filmmaking which he has watched consume his art, and backs his daring accusation with an enormously talented cast. Still, the film also works in its own way as a visually stunning and often blindingly ambitious look at mortality.

Fate- be it by the Greek gods or something else- is neither gentle nor biased here, and what becomes of our poor characters is both grotesquely unfair and tragically just; herein lies the beauty of the film.