 |  | this is really worth getting |  |
Setting aside the dim possibility that Criterion might eventually get around to issuing this title, this is a perfectly adequate way to see this great film by Godard. I really don't see how fans of the director can avoid buying it. True, the DVD is an inadequate representation of Godard's achievement, especially when stacked against the recently restored PIERROT LE FOU and BREATHLESS. And yet - for years I have only known this film through a far more debased VHS 'dub' that I got through Facets, because that was the only way I could see it (with English subtitles, at any rate). And the image on this NY Film Annex transfer is good enough that I actually felt like I was seeing the film for the first time. It's not a GRIMY image, in other words. So far as the film itself goes: Godard made so many good films in this period that this one is liable to get lost, especially because, as I mentioned, it has only been available in the US in a shoddy VHS version. And it is a film in a decidedly "minor" key. Nonetheless, I think it is arguably one of his major works from this period, as significant in its own way as CONTEMPT, in terms of Godard's overall trajectory. It constitutes a significant move in the direction of the kind of poetic social analysis that will reach its apotheosis with TWO OR THREE THINGS I KNOW ABOUT HER, a few years later. Many of the images in the film are unforgettable, not least of all the HIROSHIMA, MON AMOUR "quotation" at the beginning - also the various sequences in which Meril seems to merge with the graphic designs of the billboards around her, as she perambulates Paris (which scenes recall CLEO, as well as VIVRE SA VIE). The music is gorgeous, and there is only the occasional hiss and pop from the transfer. $30 is a lot to spend on a so-so DVD - but the film itself more than carries the day here.
March 1, 2008 | | Good DVD, Fantastic Movie | |
Contrary to the other reviewer's comments, this is actually a perfectly good DVD of Godard's early and much-overlooked film -- I wonder if he's actually seen this particular disc or is just basing his comments on the company's reputation in general. The print has some minor damage to it, as you'd expect of an unrestored b&w film from the 60s, but the transfer itself is perfectly good, lacking in the kinds of digital artifacts and mess-ups that sometimes creep into DVD transfers. This is the only DVD release of this excellent film, and it's without a doubt a good buy.
The film itself is of course wonderful, one of Godard's finest works from his peak period, and it's a shame that more people haven't seen it because of its low profile.
February 27, 2007 This manufacturer specializes in multigenerational prints-totally unwatchable. They also have a video of Godard's Le Gai Savior-I honestly cant's see most of the images. I think Amazon.Fr may have it-play it on your computer or get a cheap all regions player like Cyberhome.
November 9, 2006More reviews at Amazon.com ...
Daily Birthdays
(3 reviews)