Contempt (Le Mepris) 4K UHD (1 Viewer)

[Angelo Colombus]

One of my favorite Godard films is having it's 60th anniversary with a theater and disc release. Have the Lionsgate Blu-ray from 2010 and it looked ok but needed a restoration.


STUDIOCANAL Announce The 4K Restoration of Jean-Luc Godard’s New-Wave Masterpiece LE MÉPRIS
May 5th, 2023

STUDIOCANAL announced the 4K restoration of Jean-Luc Godard’s new-wave masterpiece, LE MÉPRIS, selected as part of the Cannes Classics Selection 2023, in celebration of the 60th anniversary. The restoration of LE MÉPRIS is to be released on 14th June 2023, starring Brigette Bardot, Michel Piccoli, Jack Palance, Giorgia Moll, Fritz Lang.

STUDIOCANAL announces the release of the 4K restoration of Jean-Luc Godard’s (Breathless, Pierrot Le Fou) new-wave masterpiece, LE MÉPRIS (1963), in celebration of its 60th anniversary. To commemorate the anniversary and the highly-anticipated restoration, LE MÉPRIS will be featured in the Cannes Classics selection at this year’s festival.

The new restoration will roll out theatrically and on home entertainment across UK, France, Germany and the US. The restoration is complimented by an exquisite new poster created by Belgian artist, Laurent Durieux, which will be available for purchase from May 2023.

A landmark in world cinema, and set around the extraordinary Villa Malaparte on Capri; LE MÉPRIS tells the tragic romance between Paul and his wife, Camille. Paul is enlisted the task of re-writing a film script. Whilst he becomes engrossed in writing, he appears oblivious to the film producer’s interest in his irresistibly beautiful wife, Camille. In turn, we witness the hurtful unfolding of Paul & Camille’s marriage.

LE MÉPRIS features highly-acclaimed style icon; Brigitte Bardot (And God Created Woman, Viva Maria!) as Camille, and legendary French talent Michel Piccoli (Belle De Jour, The Things of Live) as Paul. As well as, strong supporting cast featuring ‘master of darkness’ German-speaking Director, Fritz Lang as himself, renowned American actor Jack Palance as Jeremy, and the infamous Giorgia Moll as Francesca. The restoration also features the original and unforgettable soundtrack, ‘theme of Camille’, which has gained worldwide admiration in its own right, by multi-award winning composer, Georges Delerue.

ABOUT THE RESTORATION

LE MEPRIS was restored by STUDIOCANAL, with the support of the CNC. The image was scanned and restored in 4K at the HIVENTY laboratory. In order to optimize the 4K restoration, the original 35mm negative and the interpositive were used, as well as the reference print re-worked in 2002 by Mr. Raoul Coutard, Director of Photography on LE MÉPRIS. The restoration took 220 hours, allowing to compensate for the defects linked to the wear of time, such as deviations in colours and lighting. This new restoration will enable audiences to discover LE MEPRIS as it was intended to be viewed.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Il était une fois… Le Mépris (52mn) on the Blu-ray UHD

An introduction by Colin MacCabe (6mn) UHD

Paparazzi by Jacques Rozier (22mn)

Le parti des choses by Jacques Rozier (10mn)

THEATRICAL RELEASE DATES

France: 24th May 2023 via Carlotta

UK: 2nd June 2023 via BFI, (British Film Institute) as part of their Michel Piccoli retrospective

Germany: 8th June 2023

US: 30th June 2023 via Rialto Pictures

HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE DATES

France: 14th June 2023

UK: 26th June 2023

Germany: 29th June 2023

US: September 2023 via Lionsgate

 

[Keith Cobby]

I have the Studiocanal blu ray which looks very good. Will wait for reviews of the 4k disc before deciding whether to upgrade, I hope it's worthwhile. Interesting film, particularly for fans of the leads or the great Fritz Lang. Top tier French film.

 

[david hare]

I am totally comforted by this announcementvwhich confirms that Hiventy are doing the scan and restoration, including the encode for eventual UHD. Hiventy is 100% reliable for uncompromised color grading, and there is zero chance now of yet another piss stained LUt mess from Bologna. The new 35 mm master prepared by DP Coutard carried a number of defects smong them inconsistent reds for Prokosh’s sports car which shifts in shot to shot from red to pink to purple. They have Tech IB reference prints so it should come up beautifully.

 

[lark144]

I have the Studiocanal blu ray which looks very good. Will wait for reviews of the 4k disc before deciding whether to upgrade, I hope it's worthwhile. Interesting film, particularly for fans of the leads or the great Fritz Lang. Top tier French film.

While I like the Studiocanal Blu of Le Mepris very much, it kind of pales by comparison--I know memories--to a print, possibly archival, from France, I saw at MOMA which was dazzling beyond belief, especially the color of the Mediterranean seen through the windows of that villa in Capri, which in the Blu-ray seems faded to me. Anyway, Hiventy did an amazing job on Le Cercle Rouge, making it even more lovely looking than release prints, and completely accurate and quite different from the previous Blu-Ray, so I'm looking forward to this.

 

[mskaye]

I am totally comforted by this announcementvwhich confirms that Hiventy are doing the scan and restoration, including the encode for eventual UHD. Hiventy is 100% reliable for uncompromised color grading, and there is zero chance now of yet another piss stained LUt mess from Bologna. The new 35 mm master prepared by DP Coutard carried a number of defects smong them inconsistent reds for Prokosh’s sports car which shifts in shot to shot from red to pink to purple. They have Tech IB reference prints so it should come up beautifully.

Such great news. One of my favorite films - I have a tattoo of Le Mépris on my forearm. "Critic Colin McCabe called ''Contempt'' ''the greatest work of art produced in postwar Europe.'' This film is like a late Beethoven string quartet-it is singular and so deep and layered. It will never exhaust itself. One of the great ruminations on art/cinema and life, on love and marriage, on color, on Brigitte Bardot, on the quest to produce art. And Fritz Lang is in it playing himself. Sigh.

 

[titch]

Excellent news - and one of Criterion's DVDs they've never upgraded to high-definition. On Scorsese's Top 10 List

Martin Scorsese’s Top 10

Martin Scorsese is an Academy Award–winning filmmaker who has directed more than twenty features, including The Last Temptation of Christ, available from the Criterion Collection.

www.criterion.com

May Criterion will pick this 4K master up - they've done so with Breathless and Le Circle Rouge. As regards the latter, much of the hullabaloo about colour grading on that one was from blu-ray.com - and they should not be taken seriously.

 

[lark144]

Such great news. One of my favorite films - I have a tattoo of Le Mépris on my forearm. "Critic Colin McCabe called ''Contempt'' ''the greatest work of art produced in postwar Europe.'' This film is like a late Beethoven string quartet-it is singular and so deep and layered. It will never exhaust itself. One of the great ruminations on art/cinema and life, on love and marriage, on color, on Brigitte Bardot, on the quest to produce art. And Fritz Lang is in it playing himself. Sigh.

My father took me to see this film when I was very young, oh, maybe 12 or 13. We had seen Breathless prior to this, which we both adored. It was dubbed into English and made no sense. It was all chopped up, as if someone had watched A Hard Day's Night one too many times. There were images that held a profound beauty as well as sense of unease, but it had been completely reassembled and rendered obscure. The music had been replaced by a jazz combo doing curdled bossa nova crossed with acker bilk. It all seems like some kind of weird dream now, but I think it really happened. I remember people booing at the end. Then, years later, I saw that print at MOMA. It was a completely different film. I think, long ago, when I was in my twenties, I considered Le Mepris a masterpiece, but now, it seems more like the Mediterranean that graces its many images towards the end; eternal, enigmatic, a source of inspiration like that changing light in Bardot's eyes; you can't really grasp it, but you can't ignore it either. It's different every time I see it. I don't really know what it means, but I can't stop watching it. Is this the end of cinema or the beginning?

 

[Angelo Colombus]

One of my favorite lines from the film comes from Jack Palance who plays a film producer. "Whenever i hear the word culture, I bring out my checkbook".

 

[lark144]

One of my favorite lines from the film comes from Jack Palance who plays a film producer. "Whenever i hear the word culture, I bring out my checkbook".

There's also, as Jack Palanace tosses film cans like a discus thrower, Fritz Lang's line, "Now Jerry, you have a feeling for real Greek Culture."

 

[JoshZ]

I'm surprised to see anyone speak positively of the Studio Canal/Lionsgate Blu-ray. At least half the movie looked to be badly upconverted from standard definition, and the soundtrack was ear-bleedingly shrill. Awful disc.

 

[mskaye]

There's also, as Jack Palanace tosses film cans like a discus thrower, Fritz Lang's line, "Now Jerry, you have a feeling for real Greek Culture."

Lang's little buts

I'm surprised to see anyone speak positively of the Studio Canal/Lionsgate Blu-ray. At least half the movie looked to be badly upconverted from standard definition, and the soundtrack was ear-bleedingly shrill. Awful disc.

It was definitely a disappointment. Something was off never quite put my finger on what the faults were. I found myself preferring the out of print Criterion esp with its great supplements.

 

[Angelo Colombus]

I'm surprised to see anyone speak positively of the Studio Canal/Lionsgate Blu-ray. At least half the movie looked to be badly upconverted from standard definition, and the soundtrack was ear-bleedingly shrill. Awful disc.

Viewed the Lionsgate Blu-ray late last year and it's a mixed bag of some scenes looking barely ok and other scenes looking soft and faded.

 

[david hare]

Here's the trailer. I was weeping at it.

 

[Angelo Colombus]

The trailer looks nice and seeing the restoration for the first time.

 

[mskaye]

Here's the trailer. I was weeping at it.

Me too ! Wow. I really can't wait to see it again in a theater (and more than once if possible.)

 

[JoshZ]

It's kind of strange to call a 60-year-old movie a "modern classic."

 

[mskaye]

It's kind of strange to call a 60-year-old movie a "modern classic."

I think it's both incredibly, eternally modern and a classic.

 

[JoshZ]

I think it's both incredibly, eternally modern and a classic.

That's not what "modern" means, though.

I'm also a little puzzled by the Scorsese quote calling the film "romantic," unless that blurb was taken out of context and he was referring to some aspect of the film other than the narrative, which is decidedly an anti-romance. I mean, the movie's called "Contempt" for a reason.

Personally, this is my least favorite Godard. The whole thing is basically Godard's attempt to rationalize and justify his terrible treatment of Anna Karina, pushing the blame for his own behavior onto the victim.

 

[Keith Cobby]

I think it's both incredibly, eternally modern and a classic.

I agree, it's a timeless film with wonderful immersive cinematography and a fabulous score. I'm definitely in for the 4k after watching the new trailer (about a dozen times already!).

 

[mskaye]

That's not what "modern" means, though.

I'm also a little puzzled by the Scorsese quote calling the film "romantic," unless that blurb was taken out of context and he was referring to some aspect of the film other than the narrative, which is decidedly an anti-romance. I mean, the movie's called "Contempt" for a reason.

Personally, this is my least favorite Godard. The whole thing is basically Godard's attempt to rationalize and justify his terrible treatment of Anna Karina, pushing the blame for his own behavior onto the victi

That's not what "modern" means, though.

I'm also a little puzzled by the Scorsese quote calling the film "romantic," unless that blurb was taken out of context and he was referring to some aspect of the film other than the narrative, which is decidedly an anti-romance. I mean, the movie's called "Contempt" for a reason.

Personally, this is my least favorite Godard. The whole thing is basically Godard's attempt to rationalize and justify his terrible treatment of Anna Karina, pushing the blame for his own behavior onto the victim.

Oh it's romantic all right. It's one of the most perceptive truthful movies about love ever made. I think those words "modern" and "romantic" are very nuanced.