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One of the most visually beautiful movies ever


I don't think I've ever been as blown away by a film's cinematography as I was this one. I actually didn't register the scene where Camille kisses Jack Palance's character, because I was so hypnotized by the images themselves! I had to go back when reference was made to this scene later. Truly incredible.

What's the spanish for drunken bum?

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re: What's the spanish for drunken bum? "

Borachon (may not be spelled correctly)

Am I Spanish? no...just a Rio Bravo fan

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The truly beautiful scenes were that of the colorful statuettes from the ficitional "The Odyssey", and that of Brigitte Bardot's @ss.

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I must have seen a bad print on TCM. I thought this was a blurry mess.

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I totally agree that ‘Contempt’ is “one of the most visually beautiful movies ever”.For the past thirty years, every now and then I remember this stunning image of a wonderful house where the flat orange roof overlooks the widest expanse of stunning blue ocean – and I have thought “I saw this some thirty years ago, and I wonder what film it was?” Well, tonight I saw a newly restored print of ‘Le Mepris’ and there it was: that stunning scene.
The house featured is the VILLA MALAPARTE (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Malaparte )

(Also, was the colour in the film influenced by the art of Mondrian, with its flat fields of pure colour, which became popular in the 1950s?)

Apart from the sociological complexities of this film (addressed in other posts at this site) Goddard arguably was making a film that celebrated the very art of film. Thus the future of film is discussed, and results in the casting of the viewpoint that it will live forever. The mechanics of film making are elaborated and shown. And the scenes are chosen with care: at the start, the giant film lot to show the artifice of film, the white flat where the fraught relationship started to untangle, and lastly the Capri island locale because it packs a beautiful visual ‘whollap’ and proclaims the stunning visual quality that film can convey. The film is an act of homage to film itself.

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"Goddard arguably was making a film that celebrated the very art of film."

I'm no expert (just a fan), but I'd say that this is true for all of Godard's movies, or at least the ones I've seen.

What's the Spanish for drunken bum?

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I agree with you completely. I actually think that the cinematography in Le Mepris is the best I've seen. The camera movement is also incredible. The images, the shots in this film are truly a visual poetry. The opening shot where we follow the camera making a tracking shot and all of the sudden changes the focus on us, the viewers gives me a very weird feeling. Also the shots in the apartment, the long takes are phenomenal. That music score also contributes a lot to the beauty of the shots. Godard is a genius.

Every edit is a lie. - Jean-Luc Godard

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I also think Godard is an absolute genius. This movie blows my mind. When you get into the logistics of how insanely difficult it must have been to bring cameras and equipment up to that house in Capri, which is a 1.5 hour walk from Capri, or otherwise only accessible by boat and a 99-step staircase on the side of a cliff. How did they get all the equipment up there? It's amazing the entire cast and crew were able to pull off this challenging project.

Add to that the paparazzi that chased Bardot in boats on her way to work each day. :) :)

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[deleted]

This is the second film from Godard that I've watched, the first being Pierrot le Fou, and both films were exquisite to look at with the use of light, colours, interiors, costumes and cars. Incredibly stylish and with a crispness that is fresh 50 years later.

Never test the depth of the water with both feet

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