William L
(For the entire series): An ambitious dissection of film as an artistic medium, as an industry, and as a piece of human history, as well as one of Jean-Luc Godard's most obscure works (it's fascinatingly difficult to procure a digital or physical copy at present). While the scale of the total narrative is substantial and many of the individual stories are interesting, Histoire(s) du cinéma is designed as a montage incorporating short clips, a series of film stills, modern purpose-shot excerpts, and interview footage, often overlaid and repeated for narrative effect and featuring very rapid transitions (to the extent that it unironically might not be in the best interest of those prone to epileptic seizures to indulge in this particular film). It never feels bound to a single time period, area of focus, or medium, and is more interested in drawing connections between what appears on the screen and a greater context (sometimes objective, often not). As such, it falls pretty securely in the territory of what can be referred to as an 'auteur documentary', exploring increasingly intangible relationships and influences in the history as film; simultaneously, it is intended to be a revised interpretation of film as a whole, as a reflection of the artists that contribute to it, the commercial, cultural, and political motivations behind it, and the eventual effects that film leaves once disseminated.
It's difficult, and it's dense. Typically, when I see too much of the documentarian in a documentary, seeing them attempt to swing opinion towards some desired end, I immediately write it off as inferior (this is the problem I have with a lot of Herzog's documentary work, with his subjectivity coming across as a series of vague ruminations that are left too open to interpretation to be substantial). However, there's definitely a vision and an underlying level of sincerity in Godard's jumbled editing style (probably my least favorite part of the film, along with the repetitive use of the film's title), not to mention an enviable knowledge of film history from its origins to the then-modern day; it is impossible to contest the substantial level of influence that film has had on human culture, and the potential for film as a reflection of that culture. Not a personal favorite, but far more than a vanity project.
Shoutout to the random footage of the Baltimore Inner Harbor via water taxi that serves as the conclusion for the third chapter (2(a)). That is certainly not something that I would have expected to see in a Godard film.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
06/18/22
Full Review
Audience Member
Couldn't find a more coherent spot to put this but the film (series) is Godard's Histoire(s) Du Cinema. It's done in 8 segments and runs about 4 hours total. For some people this will be nothing but flashes of gibberish and frustrating confusion. If however you have some knowledge of film history you'll probably find the film entrancing at the very least. Trying to fit the entire history of cinema into 4 hours is impossible, and I think Godard kept that in my as he barrages the sense with music, images (both still and moving), words and narration. It's beautiful and intriguing but it's alienating at times. The first two segments in particular I found a bit on the annoying side. 3-8 I flew through with hardly any breaks. Most people will be able to tell if this is for them in the first two minutes.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/28/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Histoire(s) du Cinéma is less of a history of cinema and more of a history of the 20th century. Furthermore, it's less of a history of the 20th century and more of a critique of the 20th century.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/16/23
Full Review
Audience Member
http://filmreviewsnsuch.blogspot.com/2012/04/histoires-du-cinema.html
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/25/23
Full Review
Audience Member
bon à voir lorsqu'on est ivre... comme un Resnais ou un Tarkovski... très poètique, un autre rythme, très beau
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/24/23
Full Review
Read all reviews
>
