criterionforum.org

justeleblanc wrote:Do we get how he feels? My theory was that through his use of politics Godard was more interested in the success of the language and rhetoric as opposed to the policy or morals. I'm not sure if he was a leftist. I think he just studied the left.

I feel like this conversation always comes up on this forum and I keep contributing the same argument each time. Does anyone else have this problem?

Well, one of The Five kills himself and two innocents end up dead (oh shit...er....SPOILERS, action movie fans!), so, perhaps I am being too liberal when I claim that JLG is spoonfeeding me. This one just seems forced though.

Throughout Godard's shows how ineffectual the student radicals are both in theory and in practice, while maintaining a perverse interest in their enthusiasm. It's a film that could only have come from Godard pre-Mai '68

Dammit I made it sound like I dislike this thing. Really, I can't wait to view it again. The last 15mins especially contains some of the most surreal scenes I've experienced in Godard - What the hell was that short scene in the theatre, where Leaud quits his job? There was so much going on there, as he pranced across the ledge. And then, shortly afterwards, we are in a crumbling building, there are glass barriers....um..... Please help me, Domino. Someone.

This is an intensly beautiful film. ie The colours and framing. Is it just me, or did KochLorber make this look better than most Criterions of the era? Blasphemy, I know.

Sweet Jesus, the Venice Film Festival press conference footage deserves a transcribing in this thread. Maybe I'll get to it.....

Is MacCabe's book (Portrait Of The Artist At Seventy) worthy? ie Compared to the other Godard tomes?

It's good but superfluous after the Brody book. Some people disagree. Hopefully this disclaimer stops another "BRODY SUX DIX" digression, of which this board has surely met its yearly quota.

domino harvey wrote:Search on Amazon for "believer 09" in the books section (but not "2009")-- it's the Mar/Apr issue and doesn't have a cover up yet

Super, thanks. Found and ordered it.

domino harvey wrote:It's good but superfluous after the Brody book. Some people disagree. Hopefully this disclaimer stops another "BRODY SUX DIX" digression, of which this board has surely met its yearly quota.

I`m reading the book now and so far I like it, although sometimes he does go off topic too much at certain points.
Wich one is the Brody book?

TheGodfather wrote:Wich one is the Brody book?

Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard

LQ wrote:

TheGodfather wrote:Wich one is the Brody book?

Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard

Ok. I already own McCabe`s book and For Ever Godard so I might pick this up sometime as well, if it adds anything to the books I already have, of course. Does it?

You can page back through this thread to get all the various opinions on the book...like domino said, we certainly don't need to re-open that discussion

TheGodfather wrote:

Ovader wrote:*For anyone interested I just ordered the current issue of the US magazine The Believer (March/April 2009, "The 2009 Film Issue") which includes the DVD called "JLG in USA".

domino harvey wrote:Holy shit, that sounds amazing. You can get it for $8 from Amazon

Brilliant! thanks, will be ordering

-edit- I couldn`t find it on amazon, so I tried to order it directly from the site. Guess I won`t be ordering it anymore:

The Believer 2009 Film Issue $10.00 1 $10.00
Total Purchases $10.00
Shipping & Handling $60.72
Total Payment $70.72

$ 60, for shipping is a bit too much for my liking

There are 2 shipping options. The cheaper takes a few weeks but only cost $13.

Edit: I see that you used amazon. I was so excited about it that I ordered it straight off their own site. I hope amazon wasn't too much cheaper!

Or you could just buy it at a magazine shop. Barnes and Nobles carries The Believer. It's 10 bucks, and if you have a members card, 9 bucks.

LQ wrote:You can page back through this thread to get all the various opinions on the book...like domino said, we certainly don't need to re-open that discussion

Ok thanks for that

cinemartin wrote:Or you could just buy it at a magazine shop. Barnes and Nobles carries The Believer. It's 10 bucks, and if you have a members card, 9 bucks.

since I live outside the US,it`s very hard to find in magazine shops around here. Not a whole lot of store carrie English or US magazines

Hmmmm....attacking The Gay Savior (oh I know), deconstructing language and sounds, the joy of learning, and all that. Very John And Yoko: Two Virgins, this. (Got boring after the second "John".) This is so effing cold and cerebral. You certainly can never be accused of selling out, can you Mr Godard?

And yet, I'm drawn in, compelled to watch to The Bitter End.

In the meantime, Le Gai Savoir Believers, please, do explain your love for this. Help the poor hapless Godard Virgin along his path.

The KochLorber print here stinks compared to La Chinoise. The earlier film was flawlessly presented. Here we see spicks and specks. But, perhaps it's just easier to see such things against A BLACK MINIMALIST BACKGROUND WHEN THERE'S EFF ALL ELSE GOING ON. Sorry, I was a bit on edge just then.

Please profess your feelings for this film. I've searched these forums and found only the odd technical reference. Expand.

Thanks.

Edit: (24hrs later) Yeah, that's what I thought: None of you has ever actually been able to sit through Le Gai Savoir. I understand. Really, I do. "Oh, it was a turning point in his oeuvre." Indeed.

For those who do not have the Kluge set - here is the JLG clip where he points out what of his films could be abolished: Bande à part, Made in USA and Une femme est une femme. Just for the record - no English subs

For anyone looking for the new issue of The Believer: Amazon lists a release date of April 7. I don't know if that is when it will actually be on newsstands or not, but memories of my past life in retail tell me that it may show up sooner.

Got my Believer copy yesterday. I had two of the films before and by comparison these look much better in quality. I'm particularly interested in the Dick Cavett episodes. The Oakland photos and beach home movies are more knick-knacks than anything else but the Cavett episodes and other two films are important JLG documents. For JLG fans, definitely worth the investment.

Noiretirc wrote:In the meantime, Le Gai Savoir Believers, please, do explain your love for this. Help the poor hapless Godard Virgin along his path.

The KochLorber print here stinks compared to La Chinoise. The earlier film was flawlessly presented. Here we see spicks and specks. But, perhaps it's just easier to see such things against A BLACK MINIMALIST BACKGROUND WHEN THERE'S EFF ALL ELSE GOING ON. Sorry, I was a bit on edge just then ...

Edit: (24hrs later) Yeah, that's what I thought: None of you has ever actually been able to sit through Le Gai Savoir. I understand. Really, I do. "Oh, it was a turning point in his oeuvre." Indeed.

Hey now, give the people time! I'm sure someone will come out of the cyber-woodwork and riff a bit on why they maybe appreciate Le Gai Savoir. I haven't seen it yet (unfortunately), so I can't add much to the discussion you've initiated, but your hasty insistence that the politics in La Chinoise are somehow obviously Godard's politics makes me suspicious that your judgement is a little rash... I guess we'll see. I personally will be happy to read some discussion as a prelude to my own experience with the movie.

I don't remember volunteering for the Godard Tutoring Program, so you'll excuse me if I sit some of these out.

domino harvey wrote:I don't remember volunteering for the Godard Tutoring Program, so you'll excuse me if I sit some of these out.

I don't want to waste anyone's time squabbling, but I hope that wasn't directed at me. All I said was that other members' discussion of the film might enrich my own experience of it, perhaps by giving me some items to look out for. Maybe the object of your remark was obvious to you.

Regarding Noiretirc: I think he's definitely being snarky with his words here and isn't after any "Tutoring" that you (presumably?) could dispense. Or maybe you understand that and you're countering with sarcasm. Fuck it, I don't know. No hard feelings.

domino harvey wrote:I don't remember volunteering for the Godard Tutoring Program, so you'll excuse me if I sit some of these out.

Oh for Godard sake Domino.

I've rewatched Le Gai Savoir and La Chinoise, and I'm now less alienated and pissed off. It is terribly disorienting though: Just a few years earlier, Karina and Belmondo are gayly prancing and singing on branches and sand, lush trees and beauty abound, but these later films are suffocating in their unhappy intensity, in classrooms, and dark rooms. But The Beatles did it, and I dug it. The White Album is in a different universe than Revolver, and I must not desire to slap Godard.

I genuinely want to watch these again. On that plane alone, these films deliver.

I was directing my comment at Criterion Backwards, but the internet had other ideas. The films you're struggling with are difficult films, it's normal to feel frustrated, confused, or even angry-- in fact, a lot of Godard fans could never forgive him for his shift in the late 60s. You might be familiar with some of these people, they run the Criterion Collection

domino harvey wrote:I was directing my comment at Criterion Backwards, but the internet had other ideas.

That's why I love the quote button.

Noir Et Irc. Admit it Domino: It's effing genius.

I love to be challenged, confounded, etc. These may become my favourite Godards. Eventually.

For the love of Godard, Domino, submit a short personal-view paragraph on each of these. And do the same for Pierrot too.

^

For those that live in Philly, there will be a screening of Loin du Vietnam at Temple U in a few weeks.

bearcuborg, do you have a link for that? Or further info?

LQ wrote:bearcuborg, do you have a link for that? Or further info?

Sorry, I spoke out of school... I heard that from a friend, but it turns out that it's a screening for her Vietnam class. Apologies...