A farewell to Jean-Luc Godard

The passing of the late, great, Jean-Luc Godard; a death that at this point was unfortunately expected considering his age but seeing it in writing last night hurt. Not just in terms of the incredible and influential body of work he left behind, but Godard’s death was one of, if not, the final nail in the coffin in terms of films and filmmakers from the classic era of cinema.

I wasn’t sold on to his style when I first came across his films, but they eventually started to grow on me, and when they did, I was motivated to rewatch the ones I hadn’t enjoyed and from then on, there’s been no turning back for me. Le Petit Soldat may have been the first Godard film I truly enjoyed but Contempt was the first Godard that I truly fell in love with. Its a top 100 film for me and just one of my favorite films ever, which is why I chose to return to it today.

In terms of editing, its definitely his least stylish that a lot of his other films are oversaturated with (in the best way possible), but this and Pierrot Le Fou are his most moving films. The cinematography is so incredibly beautiful, especially just seeing some of the shots when they’re on the island of Capri in Italy. The Mediterranean sea, cliffs and nature are just eye-candy each time they’re on screen. Brigitte Bardot’s most iconic performance too, just the poster alone solidifies that.

Camille’s theme is one of the best pieces of music for a film ever. Yes, its overplayed way too many times but just like hearing Laura Palmer’s Theme or Falling in an episode of Twin Peaks, it never once gets boring and you never want it to go away. Which is also how I felt once the film ended.

To that, I raise my glass and say thank you Jean-Luc Godard, for being an inspiration, an icon, a rule-breaker and a giant of cinema. You were one of the greatest of all time and your work will live on forever. Rest in Peace.