Review of Contempt (1963) by Ducky P — 03 May 2008

Update:

After reading (and enjoying) the Alberto Moravia novel that served as the basis for this movie, I feel a re-evaluation is in order. I'm now forced to admit that my initial review was tainted by my bias against the director and his lofty pretensions. I still think that Godard is a poser, however. The whole enterprise reeks of faux intellectualism and self-aggrandizement. Nonetheless, I no longer detest it. In fact, against my better judgment, I'm beginning to like it. Maybe it's the sun-drenched locations, enhanced by Raoul Coutard's expert cinematography. Or maybe it's the references to Homer's "Odyssey". Whatever it is, I've decided to up my rating to 3 stars.

Original review:

Join artsy-fartsy hack Jean-Luc Godard on this not-so-remarkable odyssey into the life of a self-doubting artist. Watch this film to get a glimpse of Brigitte Bardot's silken posterior if you're really desperate. Other than that, there's not much to recommend here. Jack Palance is underutilized, and Godard's tribute to Fritz Lang is totally misguided. (The rushes attributed to Lang's character actually look more like something out of a Pasolini flick! No offense to Pasolini, but there's a world of difference between his and Lang's directorial approach!) Once again, Godard proves himself to be a total ignoramus by showing that he doesn't know doodly-squat about the artists he claims to admire. All in all, this is a total waste of celluloid that only reinforces my contention that Godard is nothing more than a poser.

P.S. Don't mind if I sound a bit snappy today - I woke up in a bad mood this morning. On the other hand, I must say that writing this review has put a smile on my face! I had almost forgotten how fun it was to bitch about Jean-Luc Godard and his so-called artistic pretensions! (smirk).