Le mépris

George Delerue’s sumptuous, recurring string theme form just one of many iconographic motifs in Godard’s “treatise about the classical film milieu” (JLG). This treatise revolves around French author Javal (Michel Piccoli) being commissioned by American producer Prokosch (Jack Palance) to write the script for a film about Odysseus, whose commercialization is being resisted by aging German director Fritz Lang (who plays himself). The central figure is Camille (Brigitte Bardot), Javal’s wife, who turns away from her husband once it’s clear he can be bought. A film of linguistic confusion in French, English, Italian and German, a wealth of different quotes, allusions and ruptures and a film about filmmaking. (mg)