Michel Piccoli, Capri, and the Mediterranean Sea in Contempt, Jean-Luc Godard, 1963
The impulse behind posting this image does not, for once, reside in this blog’s obsession with Godard and Godardiana. As it happens, I was up at the headquarters of the Criterion Collection yesterday, researching an article about high-definition video for a Big Legitimate Print Magazine (I’ll tell you more about it as it progresses), and among other things, I got a taste of this film in its pre-downconverted-to-standard-definition Hi-Def master, and was knocked out not just by the beauty of the movie itself but the beauty of how Criterion brought it to video. This is one of the titles that may be part of Criterion’s first foray into the Blu-ray world, and I hope it is—as gorgeous as the SD disc is, the Blu-ray will be better, and breathtaking.
In the meanwhile, the white of Piccoli’s cigarette in the scene prior to this one makes a good reference point by which to calibrate your monitor.
I must confess to not knowing anything about this film, but that image has completely captured my imagination.
@Owain
Honestly, the title sums up my feelings towards the picture overall, but it’s worth seeing once.
FYI: http://www.criterion.com/blu-rayannounce.html
http://thehorrordrunx.yuku.com/topic/753
Forgive me for intruding, Glenn, but I was wondering what you made of this.
I know the article is ridiculously long and self-indulgent, but there seems to be a legit chain here. Of course, this raises the question of whether or not somebody’s going to steal the damn print.
The prospect of Le Mepris in Hi-Def is the first time switching to Blu-Ray has appealed to me; especially given that Criterion’s DVD of the movie is probably the best release of a canonical Godard available…
Of all films, I’d imagine that those great ‘Scope films from the 50s & 60s probably would benefit most from Hi-Def transfers…here’s hoping versions of L’Avventura and La Dolce vita start arriving soon…
Blogs are good for every one where we get lots of information for any topics nice job keep it up !!!