Hi everyone!
Welcome back to One Movie Punch. One Movie Spouse is taking a break for the rest of the quarter, going back to her secret identity as an educator. Actually, that’s probably her superhero identity, as we all know teachers are heroes. So, while she’s taking a break from her weekly reviews, I’ll be starting a new series of reviews on Saturdays called “Under The Kanopy”.
One of the greatest kept secrets in the United States is a streaming service called Kanopy. Kanopy is funded by your local library and has become a great source for films that might lack commercial appeal, but definitely have critical appeal, with content agreements with heavy hitters like A24, Kino Lorber, and many others. Every month, you get six free views from a variety of mainstream and independent features, along with other great content. Starting today, and for the next six weeks, I’ll be bringing you a series of films you probably wouldn’t consider, but are freely available on Kanopy.
Like today’s film, from Jean-Luc Godard, the French-Swiss film director from France’s incredibly influential New Wave, and for his boundary-pushing avant-garde filmmaking style. The only recommendation I will make for today’s film is “Faces Places” (Episode #454), from street artist JR, and the late Agnes Varda, another member of the French New Wave. The film actually contains a sly reference to Jean-Luc Godard.
Before the review, we’ll have a promo from our friends at the Donna Martin Graduates podcast. Every episode, Kelly Senatra breaks down an episode of the pop-culture sensation, “Beverly Hills 90210”. Subscribe and get caught up as they continue their journey through season one. And definitely check out their guest appearance for Reign of Terror 2019 in Episode #599, with her review of “Scream 2”.
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Here we go!
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Today’s movie is “The Image Book”, the avant-garde video essay written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard. Built from a combination of color-saturated film, heavily edited video, selected musical pieces, and manipulated narration, Godard uses the cut-up film technique to say something... something that only film studies majors and the philosophically minded will appreciate.
No spoilers, but I’m not sure how I would spoil anything in this film.
I took a class in college called “World of the Arts”, which was a general education course that gave an overview of the artworld, everything from the first cave paintings to today’s intense postmodernism. One of the lessons we learned was that technologies made many art movements possible, whether that’s creating the first dyes or placing a used toilet on a pedestal. Technologies have given us new kinds of art, including photographs, computer-rendered art, and, of course, the motion picture. Another important lesson we learned was that art movements were rarely confined to one medium, and often bleed into other media, sometimes pushing boundaries and sometimes shattering them altogether.
This latter group of experimental films can be loosely called the avant-garde. Avant-garde filmmaking was a simultaneous rebellion against the exceedingly formalist films being produced and distributed by major studios, as well as an independent revolution in filmmaking discovering new uses for old tools, and new techniques for old media. It wasn’t just film, either, but also music and stage and paintings and poetry and literature... all over the world, artists either rejected or ignored so-called rules in the pursuit of something new. But not always something accessible.
One of the leaders of avant-garde cinema, if there can be such a thing, is Jean-Luc Godard. Godard began as a film critic, something I can certainly relate to, but began to get tired of seeing films that seemed intent on recreating the stage experience on screen. Godard, and many others, knew the potential of the tools available for filmmakers, and rather than wait for permission, they took to creating films however they wanted, in whatever configuration, founding the French New Wave that raised a virulent middle finger to the establishment. Forget three act structures. Forget morality plays. Forget the standard templates. And because of that, there’s no real way to say what the avant-garde is, as it is mostly defined by what it is not, and takes on many, many forms.
“The Image Book” is reminiscent of the work by William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin with audio and literary cut-up style. A five-part essay unfolds, mashing up and juxtaposing heavily saturated film segments, sometimes mismatched with audio, sometimes cut away from the audio altogether, on a range of topics loosely based around European notions of the Arab world. And, much like the cut-up literary style, it will confound or frustrate viewers and readers who don’t abandon any hope of instant understanding to let the experience wash over them. This isn’t a film to enjoy. This is a film to study and compare and contrast and defend or decry. And that limits its audience to a small, elite few who are willing or able to spend the time to understand it.
Of course, Godard’s own work can’t be relegated to any one particular film style, however. If you knew nothing about Godard, it’s very likely someone could pull three films from his filmography and you wouldn’t know it’s the same director, at least not without a little study and knowledge. If “The Image Book” doesn’t seem like your thing, and it very well may not be, perhaps try a film from the French New Wave period from 1959 to 1967, and see what you think. Results may vary!
“The Image Book” is an avant-garde video essay from the legendary Jean-Luc Godard. Using multiple experimental film techniques to communicate a complex topic, the overall style and themes may be inaccessible for those frustrated by avant-garde cinema as a whole. Fans of avant-garde or experimental filmmaking, however, will absolutely gobble up every frame of this film, which still manages to show a master at work.
Rotten Tomatoes: 89% (CERTIFIED FRESH)
Metacritic: 76
One Movie Punch: 8.2/10
“The Image Book” (2018) is not rated and is currently streaming onKanopy.
