Film Socialisme (Jean-Luc Godard, 2010)

[Peacock]

Kino said on their facebook page that they are going to respect Godard's wishes and release the Blu/DVD only with navajo subtitles, after I asked if an alternative full english sub track could be included as well. I'm not sure if Godard was really that specific, like if he was only referring to the theatrical release and they just figured he'd want all ways of viewing the film with the same subs; but it's sad to see they won't include normal subs. Hopefully New Wave Films can be convinced.

[knives]

Did he put the Navajo style subs for any of the other languages?

[Alan Smithee]

English Subs can be found online but it would be nice to have an approved translation.

[Hans M.]

I recently saw this in advance of its Florida premiere (It debuts in Miami Beach at an art house here on June 10), and I found the best thing you can do to enjoy a movie like this is try not too hard to make sense of it. Though in writing about it for my blog, I had to resist getting analytical of JLG's message. I only got a little analytical with a bit with a YouTube video featurign cats "talking" and a character (possibly Algerian) saying: “Poor Europe/Corrupted by suffering/Humiliated by Liberty.” But there is a statement in there from the autumnal JLG expressing his frustration with the false hope socialism offered in the those revolutionary days of 50 years ago that he seemed to celebrate in his early films, and how it has been exploited by "socialists" like that former IMF president now under arrest at some fancy condo in Tribecca, who headed the freaking world bank of all things! Then he abuses his power to take what he will of service workers and proclaims his innocence. It's just one of the timely examples JLG seems to rail against with this brilliant film. Then there is the subject of vapid culture that is so popular in this day and age. It's a great movie and let me know if anyone wants to see a link to my full review.

[snokem]

Yes. Please post a link to your review. Also: where does JLG make the statement about the "false hopes of socialism"?

[Hans M.]

Yes. Please post a link to your review. Also: where does JLG make the statement about the "false hopes of socialism"?

OK, since you asked, here it is.

I PM'd you with my interpretation of the movie...

[Hans M.]

For those who might want more insight into JLG's intentions with this movie, here is a recent English translation of an interview he did for a French magazine.

[snokem]

Two questions:

1: Does anyone know what film the shots of the soldier with the horses in the snow come from?

2: Does anyone know of a Godard list-serve/discussion board?

[Production601]

1: Does anyone know what film the shots of the soldier with the horses in the snow come from?

Goryachiy sneg

[snokem]

Thanks for that tip.

Any thoughts on what the heck it's doing in the film?

[John Cope]

Full English translated dialogue (in pdf format).

[Peacock]

New Wave Films have confirmed on their Facebook page that they will be releasing this film on DVD with both sets of subtitles (Navajo and fully translated) - so that's one thing they have up on Kino.

However; they did mention before that they would be doing a Blu (like Kino are doing), so it's a bit worrying they didn't mention that now. Maybe the sales of the Uncle Boonmee Blu weren't so good. Hopefully they'll change their mind...

[domino harvey]

Well, not a lot of discussion here about the actual film, which isn't surprising, because this is one of the more inexplicable Godard works. Once again Godard has presented his film in parts, and had the whole film maintained what he does in the first 45 minutes or so on the cruise ship, this would handily be his best work since Nouvelle Vague twenty years prior. But then Godard packs up and moves to an extended, pained, borderline parody of himself with the gas station kids milling about and poorly reciting Godard's words-- sorely missed are the witticisms of the young Alisse in the first part ("Meow is how the ancient Egyptians called their cats," or something close), replaced by trite Balzac posturing and a negation of the observancy of youth. And I get that that's likely the idea, but it's strained here. The first part of the film has an anarchy of equality, as vignettes stack against each other with little narrative sense (that link John Cope posted a few pages back was invaluable post-watch to piece together some of the more disparate elements), but then we get something more born out of a recent misstep like For Ever Mozart, and everything grinds to a halt. The third part tries to tie things together while invoking Godard's better, more successful essay films, but isn't enough. I look forward to revisiting it soon, but I suspect this is going to end up like Notre musique, where I like the first part so much that I only ever end up rewatching that section.

[knives]

You only watch the digital section of Notre Musique?

[domino harvey]

Though Notre musique works better on the whole than most of his post-Helas pour moi work, yes, I usually just rewatch the opening ten minutes-- I think it's the most successful use of the essay video format Godard's been employing for the last couple decades.

[knives]

I'm surprised. Out of the twenty or so Godard's I've seen I feel that it's the best put together with everything working and building in a really great way. If his style could achieve perfection I'd accuse that film of reaching it.

[Jeff Bailey]

An article about the "Navajo English" subtitles at Senses of Cinema.

[Noiretirc]

Does anyone have the Mongrel Media (Canada) DVD of this? Thoughts? It sits at HMV beckoning me, but I want the film as JLG intended, with Navajo subtitles and all, and the exterior packaging of this tells me nothing about that.

[bottled spider]

I watched this a month or two ago. I was in the video rental yesterday and confirmed that it was the Mongrel edition. It had the Navajo subtitles, which can be switched on or off, and no other English subtitle options, and no French captions.

I found the subtitles annoying, which was probably the point. Even with my absolutely pitiful French, I could pick out more words than were provided by the subtitles, so after a while I switched them off and floundered on without them.

[sdyoung]

It looks like they will have both Navajo sub-titles and full sub-titles

[domino harvey]

Yesssssssssss, good news indeed!

[knives]

Hazzuh, now to do something about that terrible cover art.

[zombeaner]

Hazzuh, now to do something about that terrible cover art.

My screener has already been sent out, so I think we're stuck with that terrible art.

[Noiretirc]

Well, not a lot of discussion here about the actual film, which isn't surprising, because this is one of the more inexplicable Godard works. Once again Godard has presented his film in parts, and had the whole film maintained what he does in the first 45 minutes or so on the cruise ship, this would handily be his best work since Nouvelle Vague twenty years prior. But then Godard packs up and moves to an extended, pained, borderline parody of himself with the gas station kids milling about and poorly reciting Godard's words-- sorely missed are the witticisms of the young Alisse in the first part ("Meow is how the ancient Egyptians called their cats," or something close), replaced by trite Balzac posturing and a negation of the observancy of youth. And I get that that's likely the idea, but it's strained here. The first part of the film has an anarchy of equality, as vignettes stack against each other with little narrative sense (that link John Cope posted a few pages back was invaluable post-watch to piece together some of the more disparate elements), but then we get something more born out of a recent misstep like For Ever Mozart, and everything grinds to a halt. The third part tries to tie things together while invoking Godard's better, more successful essay films, but isn't enough. I look forward to revisiting it soon, but I suspect this is going to end up like Notre musique, where I like the first part so much that I only ever end up rewatching that section.

Fascinating! My experience with this (after 3* viewings) is quite the opposite to yours. The first part I find, er, difficult......people poncing about, spouting off various theories and political views, going to the disco, being not interesting at all, stiff, rehearsed, but there are parts in the middle section that genuinely moved me. People loosen up, something warm and human is going on. I don't know what the hell is going on in this film, but the kid is the absolute star here. His handling of a long take just before part 3 is masterful. The stream of images in part 3 do for me what the first part of Notre Musique does for you. *I've rewatched the the last 20min several times, a dazzling mindfuck summary, man's inhumanity to man, or something like that. The last 20min convinces me to go back to the start and look deeper for the meaning of life....I may find it yet. Difficult and somewhat frustrating? Yes. Boring? No. I marvel at Godard's 80yr old vision. Whatever this film is saying, it is superbly ridiculous that he made it. What's next?

[domino harvey]

Beaver on the Blu (and final confirmation of both sets of subs)-- sad to have to celebrate such a common sense approach, but thank God all the same