458. The Image Book (Le livre d'image); movie review

THE IMAGE BOOK (LE LIVRE D'IMAGE)
Cert 15

85 mins
BBFC advice: Contains  strong violence, sex, nudity, threat, images of real dead bodies

I feel like the kid at the back of the class who hasn't been listening properly and feels compelled to put his hand up and say: "Please, sir... I don't get it."
Jean-Luc Godard's The Image Book has been greeted with universal plaudits by those who clearly know more about cinema than me.
They relate it not only to his previous work but to the human relationship with film, culture and politics.
To me, it is akin to one of those art installations which leaves your average Joe scratching his head over the value of an unmade bed or a sheep dipped in formaldehyde.
I have to be honest and admit that I found The Image Book almost unwatchable.

This was because of its presentation rather than the left-wing messages which are contained with it.
Indeed, the concept of Godard narrating his worldview, backed up by his intimate knowledge of screen imagery, would have worked, if he hadn't made it almost impossible to follow.
After only a few minutes, my eyes were struggling with the stroboscopic effect of being bombarded by images which are on screen for only a split second.
In addition, some of the film is subtitled, some of the French is not and sometimes the screen simply goes blank.
To some this is part of Godard's artistic interpretation. To me, it was art for art sake.
In this difficult world, the public needs plain messages - but, hey, I am presuming that The Image Book wasn't created for the hoi polloi.
It was aimed fair and square at the art world and, as a consequence, it picked up a special award at the Cannes Film Festival.
I wonder whether the judges were secretly wondering what it was all about.

Reasons to watch: It's Jean-Luc Godard, innit?
Reasons to avoid: It really is just for the connoisseur

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: Only 3/10 from me, I'm afraid

Director quote - Jean Luc Godard: "“In the next 10 years, we think in a very few movie theatres, which are quite avant-garde, they will screen my films and films in general."

The big question - Do these type of movies even make money?

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