Jean-Luc
Godard + Jean-Pierre Gorin: Five Films 1968 - 1971
(*/**)/Le Redoubtable
(2018/Umbrella Region Free PAL Import DVD)/Manifesto
(2017/DVD*)/Vigil
(1984/*/**)/Woman Is The
Future Of Man (2004)/Tale
Of Cinema (2005/**all
Arrow Blu-ray/*all MVD)
Picture:
B & B-/C+/C+/B/B Sound: B/C+/C+/B/B Extras: B/D/D/B/B
Main Programs: C+ C C C C/C+/B-/C+/C+
The
following films take on philosophy, intellectual arguments and
challenge the viewer to think, somethings feature films do not do
enough of these days...
We
start with two releases on the beginning of a new era for one of the
French New Wave's most important directors. Fans of Jean-Luc Godard
will want to pick up Jean-Luc
Godard + Jean-Pierre Gorin: Five Films 1968 - 1971,
a new
Blu-ray box set from Arrow that has some of the filmmaker's lesser
known (and previously unavailable) work in high definition.
These
five films (made from 1968-1971) explore Godard's political agenda as
he collaborates with critic and journalist Jean-Pierre Gorin to often
times bizarre results. These projects with these two artists
together became known as the Groupe Dziga Vertov (named after the
early 20th-century Russian filmmaker and theoretician). Granted
these films aren't mainstream in the least and will probably bore
most to sleep, however there is some interesting stuff here.
The
set includes the films:
Un
Film Comme Les Autres
- probably the most interesting entry that weighs on the social
upheaval of May 1968 from the perspective of workers and students,
who of which are protesting.
British
Sounds,
aka: See
You at Mao
- Takes place on a British auto factory assembly line, which is
interesting to say the least. Themes of this film are set against
class-conflict and The Communist Manifesto.
Vent
d'est
(translated Wind
from the East)
- maybe the most bizarre of the bunch that features the process of
manufacturing homemade weapons.
Lotte
in Italia
/ Luttes
en Italie
(Struggles
in Italy)
- centers around a woman who practices both political theory and
political practice in her home. The film brings up several
interesting ideologies but moves at a snail's pace.
Vladimir
et Rosa
(Vladimir
and Rosa)
- an appropriate satirical finale that focuses on the trial of the
Chicago Eight, and features Juliet Berto and Godard and Gorin in
front of the camera this time.
Presented
in 1080p high definition with full frame 1.33:1 aspect ratios, black
and white. Also included are standard definition DVDs. Both are
remastered from their original 16mm film sources, and in that
respect, the films look as best as they can here. T he audio tracks
have been restored to original uncompressed monaural audio tracks
(lossless on the Blu-rays) with optional English subtitles.
Special
Features include...
A
Conversation with JLG
- Interview with Jean-Luc Godard from 2010 by Dominique Maillet and
Pierre-Henri Gibert
Michael
Witt on Godard, Gorin and the Dziga Vertov Group - Professor Witt,
author of Jean-Luc Godard, Cinema Historian, takes an in-depth look
at the films and filmmakers of this collection.
"Schick
After-Shave"
- a 1971 commercial by Godard
Newly
commissioned artwork by Scott Saslow
A
60-page full-color booklet featuring a revised version of a lengthy
essay by Michael Witt never before published in English; vintage
texts by Godard appearing in English for the first time; archival
interviews with Godard and Gorin; and a copious selection of stills
from the films.
and
a collectible box w/discs.
While
not particularly this reviewer's cup of tea, this box set is nice for
film student, Godard fanatics, or those heavily invested in avant
grade and politics.
So
how did Godard go from distinctive French New Wave Auteur to
Maoist/Communist filmmaker who sacrificed his distinct filmmaking and
identity that led to conflict with everyone from The Rolling Stones
to Jane Fonda? Michael Hazanavicius' Le
Redoubtable
(2018) is a new film that dramatizes how Godard (Louis Garrel) had to
choose between staying the international success that had an
uncompromised left-wing opinion and if that had peaked and he needed
to abandon his established cinematic identity to join a more radical
kind of filmmaking.
Whether
those films did or did not work, delivered what they claimed or even
hold up decades later is incidental to what the film portrays, which
is worth exploring. I don't know if it is totally successful at
that, going overboard with visual references to all of Godard's
mostly full-color films to 1967 and despite some good visual color
and performances, this did not ring as true Godard as much as it
could or should have versus the likes of Melanie McDaniel's brilliant
music video for ''Linger''
by The Cranberries. The result is a mixed bag only fans of Godard
(who returned to his former form after his Maoist films cycle and an
analog video cycle ended) and film fans in general would enjoy.
By
ending just before the new stage of films like the ones reviewed
above, we do not get any behind-the-scenes of his Maoist era, which
might have made for an even more interesting film or better half or
conclusion of this one. Either way, it is still worth a look for
those interested.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image looks good for the format and
has good enough color to evoke the Godard films referenced, while the
lossy French Dolby Digital 5.1 sounds good for the format. There are
sadly no extras.
Julian
Rosefeldt's Manifesto
(2017) might seem at first like an anthology film, but instead, the
great Cate Blanchett as thirteen different women stating their own
ideological positions in uncompromised ways. As it is not 13
separate narratives, it is not an anthology film, but what is
impressive is how Blanchett transforms herself into each woman, part
of a group of great British talent including Helen Mirren, Tilda
Swinton, Tracey Ullman and even Annie Lennox who just have an amazing
knack for this.
Also,
it never seems forced (the 13 pieces have overlap as well as
contradictions) and oddly is at least as convincing as any of
Godard's Maoist works, whether anything jere is maoist, Marxist or an
other 'ist' you can suffix onto it. It is just that Blanchett is one
of the best actors (and actresses) anywhere and she just surprises
and even stuns, segment after segment after segment after segment.
It doesn't matter what you believe in, lie or dislike here, she is so
convincing stating all of this that you just cannot stop watching and
this even has some exciting moments that makes it worth going out of
your way for if this is your thing. I hope more people get to see
it!
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image looks just fine for the format
with Blanchett looking good throughout, but I wish a Blu-ray was
issued. The lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is a bit weak, but you
can hear pretty much all she has to say. There are sadly no extras.
The
first film from New Zealander Vincent Ward (The
Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey),
Vigil
(1984) captures a tone closest to what would happen if a Werner
Herzog film and a Terry Gilliam film were mashed together. The
photography is a mix of surrealistic and naturalistic and has very
dream-like quality to it that proves that Ward is an interesting
voice in foreign cinema and that the country of New Zealand really is
one of the most ideal places to film a production in the world (as
Peter Jackson has proved time and time again).
Vigil
stars Penelope Stewart, Bill Kerr, and Frank Whitten to name a few.
The
film centers around a remote yet beautiful valley where things are
quiet and the people are few and far between. When a farmer dies, a
hunter steps forward and helps out the farmer's mother with a bizarre
new invention. But soon, the farmer's family sees the Hunter as a
threat and its decided that he must be expelled from the valley...
things only get weirder.
Vigil
is presented in 1080p high definition with a 1.85:1 widescreen aspect
ratio and a nice sounding LPCM Mono track, both of which have been
created specifically for this release. To my knowledge the film has
never been available on disc and certainly not of a presentation of
this caliber. Arrow continues their high quality standards for
quality, giving us a nice transfer overall for the Blu-ray format.
Special
Features include...
Brand-new
appreciation by film critic Nick Roddick, recorded exclusively for
this release
On-set
report from the long-running New Zealand television programme Country
Calendar
Extract
from a 1987 Kaleidoscope television documentary on New Zealand
cinema, focusing on Vigil and Vincent Ward
Theatrical
trailer
Reversible
sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by the Twins
of Evil
and
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new
writing on the film by critic Carmen Gray
Vigil
is kind of an unusual story but worth watching for its strong
cinematic look and feel. If you enjoyed The
Navigator
(also recently released by Arrow and reviewed elsewhere on this
site), then you may want to give this a watch.
Finally,
two favorites of Martin Scorsese are the interesting Japanese works
of Hong Sangsoo, Woman
is the Future of Man
(2004) and Tale
of Cinema
(2005). Both films tell very natural stories of love and the
complications that arise along the way. Nothing too stylized or
super crazy over the top here, just grounded realism.
In
Woman
is the Future of Man,
two men are in love with the same woman... kind of like Chasing
Amy
but not quite as complicated. And Tale
of Cinema
intertwines two stories one of a suicidal man who forms a pact with a
friend and the other about a Filmmaker who pursues an actress and
ends up falling in love with her. (thus his life is the projected
reality of his film)
Presented
in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray discs with a 1.85:1 widescreen
aspect ratio and Korean 2.0 Stereo tracks and DTS-HD MA (Master
Audio) lossless tracks as well, both films look fantastic on disc and
have been nicely restored as one would expect.
Special
Features...
Newly
filmed introductions to both films by Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns
Interviews
with Kim Sangkyung, Lee Kiwoo and Uhm Jiwon, the stars of Tale
of Cinema
Introduction
to Woman is the Future of Man
by director Martin Scorsese
The
Making Woman is the Future of Man,
a featurette on the film's production
Interviews
with the actors of Woman is the Future of Man
Original
trailers
Stills
gallery
Reversible
sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Scott
Saslow
and
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new
writing on the films by Michael Sicinski.
-
Nicholas Sheffo (Manifesto,
Redoubtable)
and James
Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/