Anyone who has even a passing familiarity with the films of Jean-Luc Godard would not be surprised that the eternal \o7enfant terrible\f7 of France's New Wave has turned his survey of the cinema of the 20th century into one long Godard movie. Indeed, his admirers would have expected nothing less.
His 260-minute "Histoire(s) du Cinema," which the UCLA Film Archive screens in two parts Friday and Saturday, is not like any other history of the cinema, such as Martin Scorsese's masterly, straightforward survey of Italian films ("My Voyage to Italy"). Throughout its entirety, Godard's "Histoire(s)" verges on the surreal, a soaring collage of clips, stills, images of great paintings, classical and modern, accompanied by passages of music and dialogue.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday February 08, 2006 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 41 words Type of Material: Correction
Godard -- The text of a review of Jean-Luc Godard's two-part "Histoire(s) du Cinema" in Tuesday's Calendar said that the film screens Friday and Saturday at UCLA. Part 1 screens at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Part 2 at 7 p.m. Sunday.
"Histoire(s)" seems at once deeply intuitive yet bristlingly intellectual; Godard has given free rein to his vast knowledge and imagination, resulting in a deluge of visual and aural associations, yet there is always a sense that he knows exactly where he's going. For him the contemplation of the history of the cinema, the great 20th century art form, becomes a way of commenting on the century's catastrophes and follies. "Histoire(s)," made between 1988 and 1998 for French television, ends on a note of pessimism, more for the world than for the movies, that strikes a most timely note.
It has a tremendous evocative power, typical of Godard's best work, and, as he always does, Godard trusts to the viewer to make connections as best he or she can. It's a good thing the film has such visual and emotional effect because Godard's characteristic superimposed printed declarations are not translated into subtitles, and the observations Godard and others, such as the late actor Alain Cuny, make on the soundtracks are only partly rendered into subtitles. There's no question that many ideas are lost in translation, but "Histoire(s)" is available on DVD accompanied by Godard's text in German and English as well as French.
Godard pretty much restricts himself to the classic American, French, German and Italian cinemas, and, while devoting a section to a most eloquent tribute to Hitchcock ("the only accursed poet who was successful"), dismisses the British cinema as "nothing." Naturally, the more familiar a viewer is with the works from which Godard quotes the more rewarding "Histoire(s)" will be -- never mind that in watching it Godard himself has said, "The less you know, the better."
