King Lear
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Synopsis
Jean-Luc Godard’s first English-language narrative feature is a radical anti-adaptation of Shakespeare’s masterpiece that finds the visionary filmmaker continuing to reinvent the syntax of cinema. In a post-Chernobyl world where culture has been lost, William Shakespeare Jr. V (played by theater director Peter Sellars) attempts to reconstruct his ancestor’s play, abetted by a cast that includes Molly Ringwald, Burgess Meredith, and Godard himself as a crazed avant savant. Through a dense layering of sounds, images, and ideas about everything from language to the economics of filmmaking to the very meaning of art in a ruined world, Godard fashions a puckish and profound metacinematic riddle to be endlessly analyzed, argued over, and savored.
Picture 9/10
Making its long-awaited home video debut in North America, Jean-Luc Godard’s King Lear has been newly restored in 2K and is presented here on Blu-ray in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio on a dual-layer disc. The restoration comes from a scan of the 35mm original camera negative.
While it’s a bit disappointing (if not entirely surprising) that the film hasn’t received a full 4K restoration and release, Criterion’s 1080p/24hz high-definition presentation still impresses. The restoration has done an excellent job of cleaning up the image, and aside from Godard’s own stylistic choices, no significant print damage remains. Colors at times can seem to lean towards teal, yet not overly so and overall remain nicely saturated, while black levels are rich and deep without crushing out shadow detail.
The encode is surprisingly strong overall, with sharp, well-rendered grain that remains clean even in highlights. In fact, this is one of Criterion’s better encodes of late, making it all the more frustrating when macroblocking sneaks into some of the darker sequences.
That said, this is still a terrific presentation and a fantastic home video debut for one of Godard’s most elusive films.
Audio 8/10
Criterion presents the film’s original 2.0 surround soundtrack in DTS-HD MA. In his included interview, Richard Brody mentions that the film also had a monaural mix, though Criterion has not included it as an option here.
The film’s sound design is, for lack of a better description, all over the place. Dialogue sticks primarily to the front channels but fluctuates between clean and sharp to muffled and flat, often layered with narration and sound effects in Godard’s signature, chaotic fashion. One moment, the film is quiet and reflective, only for a sudden, ear-piercing seagull screech to disrupt the mood.
It’s an intentionally erratic mix, and Criterion’s audio presentation captures all of its unpredictability perfectly, ensuring that every jarring shift—however absurd—is delivered with full impact.
Extras 7/10
Criterion has recorded several new interviews for this release, including one with perhaps the film’s only true champion, Richard Brody, author of Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard. Over 30 insightful minutes, Brody delves into the film’s production history, from the now-legendary napkin contract between Godard and Cannon Films’ Menahem Golan, to Norman Mailer writing (and then abandoning) the script, the film’s casting, and its eventual release. From there, he explores what Godard—through the film—has to say about art, adaptation, and, of course, cinema, breaking down key images, editing techniques, and sound design choices along the way. It’s an incredibly valuable discussion, much of which Brody also summarizes in his included essay found in the release’s insert. That said, I almost wish this had been presented as a visual essay rather than a traditional talking-head interview, though it still serves as a great primer for the film.
Criterion also includes new interviews with two of the film’s stars, Peter Sellars (25 minutes) and Molly Ringwald (19 minutes). Throughout these features, it’s mentioned that Godard had originally wanted Orson Welles for the film, not only to play Lear but also to serve as an informal Shakespeare consultant, as Godard had never actually read the play—only seen interpretations of it. Welles’ passing left a void, and Sellars, who ultimately took over Mailer’s role, appears to have helped fill that space. In his interview, Sellars shares anecdotes about his collaboration with Godard, including the director’s interpretation of the Cordelia/Lear relationship (which was a major reason for Mailer’s departure), the editing process, and the film’s casting—confirming, hilariously, that Woody Allen had no idea why he was there for his role but participated anyway.
Godard also seems to have been especially taken with Ringwald, something Sellars believes comes through whenever she’s on screen. In her interview, Ringwald recalls first meeting Godard and working on the film, confessing that she wasn’t always sure what was happening—she typically received her scenes and dialogue the night before filming. Despite the mystery surrounding the process, she found it rewarding and enjoyed working with Godard, even if he rarely spoke to her on set (she got the impression he was just shy). Though she admits that some elements of the film only fully made sense to her after reading Brody’s book, she’s clearly proud of it and laments how difficult it was to see for so long—it sounds like even she only caught it during its brief theatrical run (dragging her friends along, too). Both interviews are excellent and insightful, and it’s great to see both actors take the time to reflect on the production.
Finally, Criterion includes audio from the 1987 Cannes Conference, running 36 minutes, played over a still image of Godard. Here, Godard—alongside Sellars—takes questions from the press. While he does his usual thing of dancing around direct answers, he’s surprisingly forthcoming at times, explaining that the film is a study, or an “approach,” to the play and art in general. He even goes as far as to explain some of his creative choices—including the constant seagull cries on the soundtrack. It’s clear that many in the audience don’t quite know what to make of the film (at one point, someone even asks if what they saw was finished, prompting Godard to admit that the audio mix wasn’t final due to technical issues). Awkward pauses abound—sometimes due to translation delays, sometimes just because of the film itself—but overall, it’s a fascinating inclusion.
Disappointingly, Criterion doesn’t include the film’s bizarre teaser trailer (which looks more suited for Masters of the Universe than Godard's take on King Lear) as a standalone extra, only showing a snippet of it in Brody’s interview. Still, despite that omission, Criterion has assembled a well-rounded set of features, all of which are worth exploring.
Closing
On its own it's a minor miracle that the film is finally available on home video, yet Criterion didn’t just phone this release in—they’ve put together a deserving edition, featuring a strong presentation and a well-curated selection of analytical features. Very highly recommended.
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