One of Julia Restoin-Roitfeld's favorite films is Le Mépris
(Contempt), by Jean-Luc Godard. This film is also a favorite of mine and if you have not yet seen it, I urge you to do so at your earliest opportunity. Le Mépris works on so many levels that it is impossible to adequately describe, you must view it for yourself. We first feel Godard's contempt for the current filmmaking techniques through his lack of respect for the Jack Palance character and all that he represents. We also feel the power of the burgeoning contempt of the main character, Brigitte Bardot, towards her husband, played by Michel Piccoli. Her loathing of him develops convincingly against the counterpoint of the soothing teal blue waters of the Mediterranean and the memorable beauty of the island of Capri. Finally, there is the theme of money versus creativity as represented by the conflict between Piccoli (screenwriter) and Palance (producer); money triumphs as usual, a state of affairs which an artist will naturally despise. As Criterion states, Le Mépris is a brilliant study of marital breakdown, artistic compromise, and the cinematic process.
Original film poster source: filmsdefrance.com
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