Film Review
Depending on your predisposition towards Jean-Luc Godard, or your stamina, this is either
an intriguing development of Godard's art form, challenging the fundamentals of film making,
or an absolutely appalling piece of cinema.
In a sense, this film illustrates a logical continuation of Godard's cinema and is no
less radical than some of his early New Wave masterpieces, such as
Pierrot le Fou
or
La Chinoise. Over the 1970s and 1980s, the Swiss director's approach becomes
increasingly attracted towards an abstract concept of the cinematographic art, and the
necessity to adhere to the principle of narrative form becomes less and less important
- at least in Godard's mind. What Godard appears to be seeking is something akin
to the Impressionist movement of late nineteenth century art - to capture the essence
of life with imagery and form, without having to tell a story.
Unfortunately, however noble this objective might appear, it just doesn't seem to work
- and certainly not in the cinema of the 1980s. Unlike another medium, film places
very severe limitations on what can be achieved and what an audience will tolerate.
This is because film, like a novel, is a medium which requires a great investment, in
terms of time and concentration, from its intended target. If a film-maker strays
too far into the abstract, he risks alienating himself from his audience - which is more
or less what happened to Jean-Luc Godard in the 1980s. The great director was so
overwhelmed by his creative impulse that he lost the ability to communicate to his audience
- a tragic mistake.
Passion is a film that illustrates this point very well, and it is interesting
how self-conscious Godard is about what he is doing. Jerzy's thoughts about the necessity
to tell a coherent story are clearly Godard's own thoughts, and the film is really nothing
more than an overly self-indulgent examination of Godard's philosophy about film-making
at the time.
© James Travers 1999
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Next Jean-Luc Godard film:
Prénom Carmen (1983)
Film Synopsis
A Polish film director, Jerzy Radziwilowicz, is making a film in France during the political
upheaval in Poland of the early 1980s. The director's lack of inspiration is reflected
in the film he is trying to make, “
Passion”, which appears lifeless and dull.
The film crew are staying at a hotel owned by Hanna, whose husband runs a factory where
a young woman, Isabelle works. Both Hanna and Isabelle are attracted to Jerzy, who
ultimately wonders why a film must have a story.
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.