The Image Book

Last updated
The Image Book
Le Livre d'image.png
Film poster
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Written byJean-Luc Godard
Produced byin association with

Hamidreza Pejman

George schoucair
Cinematography Fabrice Aragno
Edited byJean-Luc Godard
Fabrice Aragno
Jean-Paul Battaggia
Nicole Brenez
Production
companies
Casa Azul Films
Ecran Noir Productions

In association with Hamidreza Pejman

George Schoucair
Distributed by Wild Bunch
Release date
  • 11 May 2018 (2018-05-11)(Cannes)
Running time
85 minutes
CountriesSwitzerland
France

The Image Book (French : Le Livre d'image) is a 2018 Swiss avant-garde essay film directed by Jean-Luc Godard. Initially titled Tentative de bleu and Image et parole, [1] in December 2016 Wild Bunch co-chief Vincent Maraval stated that Godard had been shooting the film for almost two years "in various Arab countries, including Tunisia" and that it is an examination of the modern Arabic world. [2] Godard told Séance magazine that he was shooting without actors but the film would have a storyteller. [3] It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. [4] [5] [6] The film was positively received by film critics. It was the final film directed by Godard before his death in 2022.

Contents

Synopsis

In line with the rest of Godard's late-period oeuvre, The Image Book is composed of a series of films, paintings and pieces of music tied together with narration and additional original footage by Godard and Anne-Marie Miéville. Similar to his earlier series Histoire(s) du cinéma (and sometimes using some of the exact same film quotes), the film examines the history of cinema and its inability to recognise the atrocities of the 20th and 21st centuries (specifically the Holocaust, ISIS and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict), the responsibilities of the filmmaker and the advances in political discourse with the introduction of consumer-grade digital cameras and iPhones.

Release

Producer Fabrice Aragno presenting The Image Book at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival Fabrice Aragno 1.jpg
Producer Fabrice Aragno presenting The Image Book at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival

The Image Book premiered on 11 May 2018 at the Cannes Film Festival. [7] Although it did not win the official prize, the jury awarded it the first "Special Palme d'Or" in the festival's history. [8] According to Godard, the film is intended to be shown on TV screens with speakers at a distance, in small spaces rather than in regular cinemas. [9] It was shown in this way during its first run at the Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne in November 2018. [10]

The film was released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber in the United States on May 21, 2019. [11]

Reception

The film has a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 88 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The critics' consensus on it being stated as, "Potentially insurmountable for viewers not attuned to the director's wavelength, The Image Book is typically confounding - and ultimately rewarding - late-period Godard." [12] It also holds a 76/100 on Metacritic. [13] It was named the best film of 2019 by Cahiers du cinéma .

Richard Brody of The New Yorker gave high praise to the film, seeing it as "a sort of epilogue or sequel" to Godard's earlier work Histoire(s) du cinéma , and stated that the film centers around one theme: "the inadequate depiction of what he calls 'the Arab world' and, in particular, the dearth of iconic movie images from the Middle East—which he presents as a failure of the cinema itself, as well as of the world at large." [14] For Bilge Ebiri, film critic for The Village Voice , the film was engaging in its editing of footage taken from varying sources, but Ebiri also shared an initial bafflement toward the film and the meaning of its chosen imagery until he conversed with Egyptian critic Joseph Fahim; Fahim shared to Ebiri that with the film's informed use of images from Middle Eastern cinema, Godard was attempting to deconstruct the Western narrative given to Arab societies and the Western influence on how cinema's history is recorded. Fahim added that "The images introduced by Godard in here are unknown to most Western critics who waxed poetic about the film." [15]

On the other hand, Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter gave it a negative review stating that: [16]

"As with his previous idiosyncratic, often inscrutable late works, this will be seen only by a highly select audience of dedicated Godardians, and genuinely liked by just a fraction of those; one can essentially name them."

David Sexton of The London Evening Standard called it "a magic lantern show gone wrong". [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Luc Godard</span> French and Swiss film director (1930–2022)

Jean-Luc Godard was a French and Swiss film director, screenwriter, and film critic. He rose to prominence as a pioneer of the French New Wave film movement of the 1960s, alongside such filmmakers as François Truffaut, Agnès Varda, Éric Rohmer and Jacques Demy. He was arguably the most influential French filmmaker of the post-war era. According to AllMovie, his work "revolutionized the motion picture form" through its experimentation with narrative, continuity, sound, and camerawork. His most acclaimed films include Breathless (1960), Vivre sa vie (1962), Contempt (1963), Band of Outsiders (1964), Alphaville (1965), Pierrot le Fou (1965), Masculin Féminin (1966), Weekend (1967) and Goodbye to Language (2014).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Pierre Léaud</span> French actor

Jean-Pierre Léaud, ComM is a French actor best known for being an important figure of the French New Wave and his portrayal of Antoine Doinel in a series of films by François Truffaut, beginning with The 400 Blows (1959). He has worked with Jean-Luc Godard, Agnès Varda, and Jacques Rivette, as well as other notable directors such as Jean Cocteau, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Bernardo Bertolucci, Catherine Breillat, Jerzy Skolimowski, and Aki Kaurismäki.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palme d'Or</span> Highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival

The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film. In 1964, the Palme d'Or was replaced again by the Grand Prix, before being reintroduced in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 Cannes Film Festival</span> Film festival edition

The 58th Cannes Film Festival took place from 11 May and ran until 22 May 2005. Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica served as jury president for the main competition. Cécile de France hosted the opening and closing ceremonies.

The International Federation of Film Critics is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world for "the promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests." It was founded in June 1930 in Brussels, Belgium. It has members in more than 50 countries worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dardenne brothers</span> Belgian film directors, screenwriters and film producers

Brothers Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, collectively referred to as the Dardenne brothers, are a Belgian filmmaking duo. They write, produce, and direct their films together. They also own the production company Les Films du Fleuve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)</span> Award given to feature films

The Grand Prix is an award of the Cannes Film Festival bestowed by the jury of the festival on one of the competing feature films. It is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d'Or.

<i>Histoire(s) du cinéma</i> 1998 film by Jean-Luc Godard

Histoire(s) du cinéma is an eight-part video project begun by Jean-Luc Godard in the late 1980s and completed in 1998. The longest, at 266 minutes, and one of the most complex of Godard's films, Histoire(s) du cinéma is an examination of the history of the concept of cinema and how it relates to the 20th century; in this sense, it can also be considered a critique of the 20th century and how it perceives itself. The project is widely considered Godard's magnum opus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 Cannes Film Festival</span>

The 48th Cannes Film Festival took place from 17 to 28 May 1995. French actress Jeanne Moreau served as jury president for the main competition. French actress Carole Bouquet hosted the opening and closing ceremonies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 Cannes Film Festival</span>

The 33rd Cannes Film Festival was held between 9 and 23 May 1980. The Palme d'Or went to the All That Jazz by Bob Fosse and Kagemusha by Akira Kurosawa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1988 Cannes Film Festival</span>

The 41st Cannes Film Festival was held from 11 to 23 May 1988. The Palme d'Or went to the Pelle erobreren by Bille August.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 Cannes Film Festival</span>

The 40th Cannes Film Festival was held from 7 to 19 May 1987. The Palme d'Or went to the Sous le soleil de Satan by Maurice Pialat, a choice which was considered "highly controversial" and the prize was given under the jeers of the public. Pialat is quoted to have retorted "You don't like me? Well, let me tell you that I don't like you either!"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1982 Cannes Film Festival</span>

The 35th Cannes Film Festival was held from 14 to 26 May 1982. The Palme d'Or was jointly awarded to Missing by Costa Gavras and Yol by Şerif Gören and Yılmaz Güney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Cannes Film Festival</span> Film festival

The 64th Cannes Film Festival |took place from 11 to 22 May 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition. American filmmaker Terrence Malick won the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, for the drama film The Tree of Life.

<i>Goodbye to Language</i> 2014 film by Jean-Luc Godard

Goodbye to Language is a 2014 French-Swiss narrative essay film written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard. It stars Héloïse Godet, Kamel Abdeli, Richard Chevallier, Zoé Bruneau, Jessica Erickson and Christian Grégori and was shot by cinematographer Fabrice Aragno. It is Godard's 42nd feature film and 121st film or video project. In the French-speaking parts of Switzerland where it was shot, the word "adieu" can mean both goodbye and hello. The film depicts a couple having an affair. The woman's husband discovers the affair and the lover is killed. Two pairs of actors portray the couple and their actions repeat and mirror one another. Godard's own dog Roxy Miéville has a prominent role in the film and won a prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Like many of Godard's films, it includes numerous quotes and references to previous artistic, philosophical and scientific works, most prominently those of Jacques Ellul, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Mary Shelley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Cannes Film Festival</span> Film festival

The 67th Cannes Film Festival took place from 14 to 25 May 2014. New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion was the head of the jury for the main competition. French actor Lambert Wilson hosted the opening and closing ceremonies. Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan won the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, for the drama film Winter Sleep.

<i>Sembene!</i> 2015 film

Sembene! is a 2015 documentary film focusing on the life of Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembène, who is considered to be the father of African cinema. It is co-directed by Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman. The film's world premiere took place at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2015. It also played at the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival.

<i>Redoubtable</i> (film) 2017 film by Michel Hazanavicius

Redoubtable, released in the United States as Godard Mon Amour, is a 2017 French biographical comedy-drama film written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius about the affair of filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard with actress Anne Wiazemsky in the late 1960s, during the making of his film La Chinoise (1967). It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Cannes Film Festival</span> Film festival

The 71st annual Cannes Film Festival took place from 8 to 19 May 2018. Australian actress Cate Blanchett served as jury president for the main competition. Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda won the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, for his drama film Shoplifters, marking Japan first win after more than twenty years.

<i>Girls of the Sun</i> 2018 film

Girls of the Sun is a 2018 French war drama film directed by Eva Husson. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

References

  1. ↑ "Ciak News 295: cos'è il cinema". RSI Rete Uno (in Italian). Radiotelevisione svizzera. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  2. ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie (27 December 2016). "New Jean-Luc Godard, Omar Sy films on 2017 Wild Bunch slate". Screen Daily. Screen International . Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  3. ↑ Derzhitskaya, Antonina; Golotyuk, Dmitry (4 December 2016). "Жан-Люк Годар: "Это уже не цитаты, а археологические остатки"". Séance (in Russian). Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  4. ↑ "The 2018 Official Selection". Cannes Film Festival. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  5. ↑ Debruge, Peter; Keslassy, Elsa (12 April 2018). "Cannes Lineup Includes New Films From Spike Lee, Jean-Luc Godard". Variety . Penske Business Media . Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "Le Livre d'Image (Image Book)". Cannes Film Festival . Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  7. ↑ Kilday, Gregg (14 May 2018). "Cannes: Jean-Luc Godard's 'The Image Book' Goes to Kino Lorber for North America". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  8. ↑ Steve, Pond (19 May 2018). "'Shoplifters' Wins Palme d'Or at 2018 Cannes Film Festival". SF Gate . Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  9. ↑ Derzhitskaya, Antonina; Golotyuk, Dmitry (9 June 2018). "Jean-Luc Godard: Des mots comme des fourmis". Débordements (in French). Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  10. ↑ "Le livre d'image, une projection très Godard au théâtre de Vidy" (in French). Swissinfo. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  11. ↑ Lumbard, Neil (13 June 2019). "The Image Book Blu-ray Review". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  12. ↑ "The Image Book (2018)", Rotten Tomatoes , Fandango , retrieved 10 October 2021
  13. ↑ The Image Book , retrieved 9 May 2019
  14. ↑ Brody, Richard (25 January 2019). ""The Image Book," Reviewed: Jean-Luc Godard Confronts Cinema's Depiction of the Arab World". The New Yorker . Condé Nast . Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  15. ↑ Ebiri, Bilge (24 May 2018). "A Tale of Many Godards". The Village Voice . Cannes, France. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  16. ↑ The Hollywood Reporter
  17. ↑ Cannes 18: The Image Book review - Jean-Luc Godard's latest is a magic lantern show gone wrong |London Evening Standard
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.