You want contempt? Jean-Luc Godard's 1963 prickly film-within-a-film drama is the anti-Day for Night. The film opens with Brigitte Bardot lying naked on a bed talking clinically about her body parts with husband Michel Piccoli, a gratuitous scene that Godard cynically added after producers complained that the film might not be commercial enough without some nudity from its ravishing star. Piccoli stars as a playwright hired by Ugly American producer Jack Palance to rewrite the script for a troubled production of The Odyssey, directed by legendary German director Fritz Lang, who wants to make an art film. As Piccoli compromises himself, he loses his disillusioned wife's respect and love. Obviously, there are some parallels here with iconoclast Godard, who (in this, his only "commercial" effort) is working in Cinemascope with big stars and a big budget. Sporting a pristine DVD transfer, this double-disc set features an audio commentary touching on how Godard deliberately subverts audience expectations and film conventions--as witness the original theatrical preview, one of a treasure trove of archival extras that include a profile of Lang, an hour-long conversation between Godard and Lang, a 1964 interview with Godard, and two behind-the-scenes segments filmed on location. About as "traditional" as Godard gets, this oddball entry from the New Wave pioneer is recommended. (K. Lee Benson)
Contempt
Home Vision, 2 discs, 103 min., not rated, DVD: $39.95 Volume 18, Issue 2
Contempt
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