Contempt a.k.a. Le Mepris is a 1963 movie directed by Jean-Luc Godard.
WHAT HAPPENS?
The marriage between a screenwriter and his wife falls apart during a trip to Italy.
ONE LINE REVIEW
Contempt is a stylish, lush, honest but bleak portrayal of damaged relationships.
THE ACTORS
Michel Piccoli and Brigitte Bardot play Paul and Camille, a young couple whose relationship craters during the production of an Odysseus movie. Piccoli portrays Paul in a sort of suspended state: he takes on a writing job in lush Capri solely for financial gain, which stifles his creativity – and he learns his wife doesn’t love him anymore. Piccoli conveys a continual dread and depression about his life – which is brilliantly contrasted by the immaculate beauty surrounding him.
Bardot assumes the role of Camille, who after meeting Jack Palance’s churlish Jeremy – the producer of the movie – senses the downfall of her own relationship. Bardot’s character is interesting given her rapid emotional fluctuations – she expertly conveys a heavy sadness throughout the movie. She assumes a female role familiar in many Godard works, yet she maintains an appealing grace and power.
Palance and German director Fritz Lang round out the cast. Palance is terrific playing Jeremy – a producer who despises the artistic nature of filmmaking. He is fixated only on the erotic appeal of art, which translates to his continued pursuit of Bardot’s Camille. Lang plays himself – only here he is the director resigned to the commercial limits placed on his art. His dialogue – which he patiently delivers – serves to endorse the truths of the auteur, rather than its system of delivery.
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