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Contempt

Play trailer 1:54 Poster for Contempt Released Dec 18, 1963 1h 43m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 66 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Scenes from a marital breakdown between screenwriter (Michel Piccoli) and his wife (Brigitte Bardot), as both become enmeshed in the behind-the-camera struggles of a director (Fritz Lang) and producer (Jack Palance) as they film an adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey.
Contempt

What to Know

Critics Consensus

This powerful work of essential cinema joins "meta" with "physique," casting Brigite Bardot and director Godard's inspiration Fritz Lang.

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Critics Reviews

View All (66) Critics Reviews
Kevin Maher Times (UK) Bardot and Piccoli are deeply sympathetic as a couple in free fall, the locations are invariably stunning and the score by Georges Delerue is so heartbreaking and epic that Scorsese borrowed it, re-using it with equal power in Casino. Rated: 5/5 Jun 26, 2023 Full Review Anton Bitel Little White Lies Godard, himself working with American co-producers and facing demands to insert nude shots of Bardot (whose fees constituted half the film’s budget), turns this conflict between culture and cash into an ironic, self-reflexive odyssey. Jun 19, 2023 Full Review William J. Nazzaro Arizona Republic Contempt could not be termed good or poor. It seems a little remote, and unless you are interested in films, or want to view some beautiful scenes of tasteful sensuality, you can pass it by. Aug 19, 2021 Full Review William Stottor Loud and Clear Reviews 60 years on from its initial release, Jean-Luc Godard’s elegant and layered Le Mépris (Contempt) remains a landmark achievement in his career and the French New Wave. Rated: 5/5 Sep 3, 2024 Full Review Diane Carson KDHX (St. Louis) Iconoclastic, Godard reinterprets formulaic cinema and creates his own idiosyncratic technical and thematic approach. May 6, 2024 Full Review Mike Thorn Vague Visages Contempt is a daunting and formally labyrinthine work, calling its own fallibility to question even as it submits completely to the romance of cinema. Dec 12, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (719) audience reviews
elana k This is a hard no for me. I say this not with contempt but with frustration and boredom. That song felt transcendent and in the first few seconds I felt like I was in for something big: thinking that Godard may have some lofty views when it comes to the art of cinema. But that's not true- he's doing this for himself and material like this doesn't age well. Et mon Visage? Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 05/28/24 Full Review Yellowfur D Ordinary apartments are photographed to create a complex sense of space. The layout and echo of red, yellow and blue are used throughout the film. The character positions and camera movements may seem random but are exquisitely arranged, the product of the superposition of money, time and talent. The plot also has its own ingenuity and hints. Whether it is love or the situation of the movie, they are all buried in the "great" blue. But I really hate using female nudity as a gimmick to sell movies. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/04/24 Full Review Jim E This was very interesting to watch the 1963 thinking about male oppressive movies, and the two gorgeous females dealing with the situation of the times! Bardot is stunningly attractive in her role with a forceful attitude and gorgeous curves! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/25/23 Full Review Joo P Good film, but dated. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/03/23 Full Review Thomas V Visually interesting and Bardot is great set decoration, but this is thoroughly unlikeable. Palance is miscast, the writer and his hot but irritating wife are repulsive, and there's no one here to care about. I feel like Antonioni treated this kind of material in a much more compelling and interesting way. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Shioka O Revisited in 2022 with "Day for Night", good comparison. Whether this is good or not good, this film it super iconic in many ways. Full sophistication. Great cinematography. All the colours and figures imply something obscure and sexuality, it's unfortunate that they can't make like this now. The translator's existence emphasises tense and awkwardness. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/30/22 Full Review Read all reviews
Contempt

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Movie Info

Synopsis Scenes from a marital breakdown between screenwriter (Michel Piccoli) and his wife (Brigitte Bardot), as both become enmeshed in the behind-the-camera struggles of a director (Fritz Lang) and producer (Jack Palance) as they film an adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey.
Director
Jean-Luc Godard
Producer
Georges de Beauregard, Carlo Ponti, Joseph E. Levine
Screenwriter
Jean-Luc Godard, Alberto Moravia
Distributor
Strand Releasing, Criterion Collection, Embassy Pictures
Production Co
Rome Paris Films, Compagnia Cinematografica Champion
Genre
Drama
Original Language
French (France)
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 18, 1963, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Jun 30, 2023
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 20, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$247.8K
Runtime
1h 43m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Scope (2.35:1)