Le Mépris 4K UHD And Blu-ray Bundle Review
“Le Mépris” is pure Godard. Make of that as you will.
Based on the novel “Contempt” by Alberto Moravia, 1963’s “Le Mépris” (AKA “Contempt”) revolves around a French playwright named Paul who is asked by a pompous jackass American movie producer (Jerry) to work on the script for Fritz Lang’s big screen take on “The Odyssey.” As Paul ponders whether or not to take the job for money on the picturesque island of Capri in Italy, his relationship with his bombshell wife (Camille) takes a turn for the worse. The two begin to feud to the point where their marriage begins to crumble.
French New Wave filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard has long been an arthouse favorite, but he often makes challenging films that can be difficult to absorb (or just downright pretentious). “Le Mépris” is arguably his most accessible effort with its movie within a movie plot that features sex symbol Brigitte Bardot. At the same time, it’s also an uncomfortable story about a marriage breaking apart. It’s a very talky piece with characters frequently arguing, wandering and lounging around, but it’s also a visual film. Godard showcases the paradise-like Capri amid the ugly marital collapse.
The problem with “Contempt” is that the movie within a movie and movie business element that starts out the film becomes secondary. The marriage aspect quickly dominates the film and it’s decidedly less engaging. Yes, there’s a lot of metaphors and symbolism that connect the two storylines, but the movie aspect (albeit cynical) is the more compelling story.
Cast wise, the movie is aces. This is easily one of Brigitte Bardot’s best performances as she has a layered character to work with. Jack Palance chews scenery to the best of his abilities. The actor always went for it. Michael Piccoli (who plays Paul) does a fine job as the lead. Last, but not least Fritz Lang is fantastic playing a version of himself.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.35:1 2160p. How does it look? The 4K restoration is a deeply impressive transfer that boasts rich colors. The Capri scenes are especially gorgeous.
Audio Track: French and English Mono. How do they sound? The English track has some crackles and lacks the depth of the French Mono track (which is the best option). It’s not perfect, but it’s adequate.
Extras:
The 4K release only contains an introduction by Colin MacCabe and a Digital copy. The Blu-ray contains a wealth of bonus features, however, such as a trailer, the Colin MacCabe intro, a conversation with Fritz Lang from the set, a fascinating hour long chat between Godard and Lang in “The Dinosaur And The Baby,” a 52 minute documentary (“Once Upon A Time There Was…Contempt”) which features Godard’s musings and plenty info about the film, and a making of featurette titled “Contempt…Tenderly.”
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