Goodbye to Language 3D (Jean-Luc Godard)

johnny_ultimate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mB5Grs_neA

I thought the fact that this went straight to DVD last year was pretty much the greatest cinematic tragedy of recent times, given it's a film you pretty much have to see in 3D to understand properly (not that it's a film you're ever going to understand fully). But miraculously - and weirdly - it's getting a limited release this week. Probably only IFI, but better than nothing, especially for anybody in Dublin.

No point beating around the bush: Goodbye to Language is obtuse, maddening, trollish and proudly impenetrable. It'll probably take multiple viewings to understand the damn thing, and that's assuming you don't hate totally despise it in the first place which is a very real possibility. But it's the most startling and surprising film I saw last year, and while I only had the vaguest notion of what was going on first time around, I've been itching to see it again ever since (thanks in no small part to David Bordwell's exemplary interpretive efforts). Formally and narratively it's like nothing else I've seen, breaking every rule of cinematic storytelling with endlessly intriguing effect. And this is the film for 3D non-believers (of which I am one) because it pushes the potential of the format in directions nobody else has come close to.

Not for everybody is an understatement here. But if you're in Dublin next week (or happen to be one of those five people with a 3D television ), you owe it to yourself to at least give this a chance, if only for some of the most audacious 3D experiments you're ever going to see.

The Strawman Argument

Thanks a million for letting me know about this! Can definitely make a detour up to Dublin for this.

RE: the Bordwell stuff, is there anything to be gained from reading that before seeing it? Probably won't get another chance to see it until lord knows when.

jas376

It's on at The Lighthouse cinema in Smithfield as well.

johnny_ultimate

The Strawman Argument wrote: »

RE: the Bordwell stuff, is there anything to be gained from reading that before seeing it? Probably won't get another chance to see it until lord knows when.

It's definitely not the sort of film where plot spoilers are an issue, although I think there are still surprises that are worth not knowing about in advance if you can avoid it. Entirely up to yourself, and after all once you have seen it in 3D you can always check out the standard version after if you need a second (third, fourth) go-around.

jas376 wrote: »

It's on at The Lighthouse cinema in Smithfield as well.

Ah forgot to check! I'd definitely recommend going there instead, because IFI screen 2 (their usual 3D one) isn't very comfortable. And supporting the Lighthouse is always worthwhile

e_e

https://40.media.tumblr.com/5555fdfd2a25d4f6beba0e8364365199/tumblr_nky805EGhe1s5x79oo1_1280.png

Lighthouse put up the wrong poster earlier in the week (yet strangely they're not even playing Chappie). If you told me it was Godard making a post-modern joke on the nature of copyright and film ownership I would have believed you tbh. :pac:

e_e

I've seen 11 Godard films so far and this just might be my favorite. It really is like no cinema experience I've ever had and it brings 3D to its logical conclusion, embracing just how distracting and alienating a medium it really is. I got the sense of it being a film about communication breakdown in modern life and the form the film takes really emphasizes that. It's a barrage of jarring images and sounds that is fun as hell to pick apart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkbD1D1CLi8

Also fwiw this is what plays over the closing credits, says a lot about how playful and absurd a film it is.

johnny_ultimate

I watched it again tonight. While I'm not going to pretend to suddenly have a perfect understanding of it (it is an extraordinarily dense film that genuinely demands multiple rewatches), I felt it all came together in a way that surprised me all over again. More prepared for that beautifully abrasive design (and evidently less tired than I was first time around), suddenly the thematic and narrative links came together and more apparent in hugely rewarding ways, akin to the second viewing of Upstream Colour. The final ten minutes in particular serves as an absolute masterclass in pure cinematic storytelling - the way the cinematography, sound and editing come together to explore and probe the ideas that have driven the film. e_e is right - it's a film all about communication, and the challenges therein. It explores the way we communicate - and fail to communicate - with others (through that troublesome 'language' mentioned in the title). How we use art to understand the world and express ourselves. How animals and children have this completely different perception of the world.

Perhaps above all, it's about what cinema is able to communicate - Godard aggressively breaking all the rules to have us re-evaluate what exactly makes film tick (one of the most potent scenes in the film has a silent horror film playing in the background while the characters in the foreground struggle to express themselves). To be honest, as I became more aware of the characters and narratives working away in Goodbye to Language, I even found some moments strangely poignant and insightful - which is quite unexpected from a filmmaker who, on a surface level anyway, can come across as a cold-hearted cynic. There are moments of great beauty in this film, and the 'variations on a theme', dual-narrative approach works wonders. And it's worth repeating that much of it is great fun, and plenty for dog lovers to enjoy.

On that note, in terms of form it remains a masterpiece of modern cinema. As mentioned above, the often disorientating visuals and soundtrack are there to serve the themes and characters. The mixed media approach results in captivating imagery from beginning to end. But the 3D... the sheer force of the cinematography and framing astounds just as much second time around. Many of the compositions are magnificent, some made even more so by their fuzzy, distorted digital delivery. This looks non-descript in a still image, but in action I reckon it might just be the most nuanced 3D framing I've ever seen:



(not to mention those exhilarating moments when he breaks the rules all together).

I cannot recommend this film enough, and it demands to be seen in a cinema as it will legitimately lose much of its power with home viewing (although not all - its structural and stylistic depths can still be appreciated). If you have even the slightest interest, check it out ASAP as this is a rare chance to see a great film (I'd be inclined towards masterpiece) as it should be seen.