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There is zero reason to see this in 35mm

But there are 2 or 3 reasons to see this on a big screen & with propper sound -

hearthesilence wrote:I did a cursory search on Google, and apparently a "highlights" compilation was indeed created and transferred to 35mm. This would have been before the spring of 2008, when the first DVDs of the entire thing was released. However, I haven't turned up anything about the entire work being made available on 35mm prints.

The "highlights" compilation is the Moments choisis I mentioned, though it's been reworked enough that I'm leery of that description—it's more than just the best chunks from each episode laid end to end. It doesn't seem to have ever been officially released on video (a Japanese DVD was announced but canceled), though it's circulating unofficially.

domino harvey wrote:There is zero reason to see this in 35mm

There's no reason to see it for the sake of 35mm (though as I've said, I don't think that's what this actually is), but I have seen it theatrically (on video) and felt it worked fine in that context, source quality issues and all. The downside is they'll most likely be using the maddeningly abbreviated original subtitles rather than the more comprehensive jobs seen on some of the DVD releases.

The Fanciful Norwegian wrote:The "highlights" compilation is the Moments choisis I mentioned, though it's been reworked enough that I'm leery of that description—it's more than just the best chunks from each episode laid end to end.

Ah, never mind then. The "highlights" description comes from a review written on the DVD release by James S. Williams. I was not aware of Moments choisis until you mentioned it, but digging deep into what little French I know, I can now see the translation is more or less "choice moments," though I guess it shouldn't be taken too literally.

Any thoughts on Gaumont's "Godard Politique"box set? I bought this with gritted teeth, expecting it to be a chore, but it's proven to be surprisingly enjoyable. I supplemented it with few films that aren't in the box set and did a mini-retrospective.

It's fascinating to see how the films changed as Godard went from a (self-described) "bourgeois making revolutionary films" to "a revolutionary filmmaker."

As mentioned, the extras don't have English subtitles, but Antoine de Baecque's French in very understandable (hélas, not Gorin's) and he provides a lot of interesting background material. One anecdote: Godard really did want to do a "film by committee," so he got together a group of 30, but after two weeks of meetings, they couldn't agree an anything, so he called in Gorin. The result was "Un Film comme les autres" (say what you will :) )

My recommendation so far is 'Pravda,' which is brief (67 min. IIRC) and more focused than some, as Godard's sustained criticism of "revisionists" in the then-Czechoslovakia.

A new short film by Godard has appeared online today: Vent d'ouest.

It's a response to what is happening now in Notre-Dame-des-Landes in France - the destruction of land for yet another airport - and to the collective known as ZAD.

There's a little more about it here.

My French is nonexistent, anywhere I can watch this with English subs?

I imagine they'll follow pretty shortly! It's a poetic text about the passage from the era of cinéastes to that of techniciens, cinema becoming "an organ of capitalism." From gestures to technique, to the visual becoming a realm of surveillance, fear and death. It's very much a continuation of Je vous salue, Sarajevo, where he uses some of the same language regarding "The Rule" and "The Exception" to talk about the chasm between art and 'culture'.

It ends on a more hopeful note:

"Et dans ces structures de béton, fleurit toujours dans les interstices, là où l’humidité subsiste encore, cette herbe que l’on dit invasive, lorsqu’elle ne fait que nous protéger de l’érosion. Et c’est le gourbi, le Far West, les sans nom."

"And in these structures of concrete, still flourishing in the cracks, there where humidity persists, this grass we call invasive, when it does nothing but protect us from erosion. And that's the hovel, the Far West, the nameless."

My translation is lacking, but hopefully that conveys some of it. The word he uses, gourbi, which I'm calling 'hovel', describes a crudely built living structure (such as a tent or a hut) in North Africa (Algeria in particular), but also is used to describe some of the improvised structures (like this, where the sign reads 'Alliance of Struggles,') built by Zadistes at NDDL.

A couple more items: The open letter to Godard (calling for the shut down of the Cannes festival, as in 68) that may have spurred the creation of this short as a response; and the film's press kit featuring, if not exactly a review, then certainly a strong response from critic Bernard Eisenschitz to the film.

Word is coming today that this short is very likely an elaborate (and very well made) hoax!

A couple tweets attest to this, including one quoting Fabrice Aragno.

I was certainly taken in by it! Whoever did Godard's voice is quite convincing. Part of me still won't entirely accept it as fake without some more direct kind of confirmation.

Whatever we find out about it, we know that it is too Godardian to have been made by Michel Hazanavicius.

Are there any decent region A DVD releases of Nouvelle Vague and In Praise of Love? I know there is a New Yorker release of In Praise, but it seems to be an awful PAL transfer.

The only Nouvelle vague DVD I'm aware of is the r2/PAL Cahiers du Cinéma one (sold in a 2-disc set with Passion). Likewise the best transfer of Éloge de l'amour is, by far, the Cahiers 2-disc set with Notre musique. If memory serves, all four titles have english subs included.

Mubi UK to show Godard's The Image Book. It doesn't say when this will air but I'm definitely happy to be able to watch this as it will never show where I live

Fantastic interview with W. Reichart that was allready published via the neue filmkritik website, albeit in german only. Now translated into english. Very interesting in terms of how (public/state) television was involved in the production of many (cinema) filmmakers works -

https://www.sabzian.be/article/speaking-with-godard

https://vimeo.com/291358936
whats this ?

It seems to be a possible trailer for a longer essay/documentary work on Godard's use of the Costa Concordia in Film Socialisme, which was the same tourist cruise ship that wrecked disastrously 3 years later off the coast of Italy, killing 33. If I remember correctly, Godard was later asked about this and declined to make any remarks. Given the ship's symbolic meaning in Film Socialisme (a kind of stand-in for contemporary Europe) its sinking was all the more ominous.

Sympathy for the Devil is out today on Blu-ray

Despite extras and restoration, this release should be avoided because it incorrectly presents the film in widescreen just like their DVD edition. The French Blu-ray is the one to pick up

I thought it was a typical cute and pointless internet thing, but would have been better with the piano music from the 360 shot in Week End instead of the Le mepris score

Documentary of the shooting of Film socialisme, with a different trailer :

http://www.festival-entrevues.com/en/fi ... atastrophe

I never knew Godard was actually on the Costa Concordia! (The shot of him walking off right at the end of the trailer.) I seem to remember reading somewhere that a lot of the original footage in Film Socialisme was gathered without JLG's presence during the shoot, but based on loose instructions he provided to the crew. That's interesting that he was on board the ship after all.

In other JLG news, Mubi is advertising that Le livre d'image will make its debut on their UK service on December 3 (and will, in the absence of proper distribution anywhere else outside festivals and gallery installations, doubtless soon-after be everywhere online). This follows the day after a single night of screenings in various UK cinemas.