Word: moi
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Film, according to Jean-Luc Godard, is the truth 24 frames per second. In his latest film, "Helas Pour Moi (Woe is Me)," Godard examines perhaps some higher truths--the nature of God's existence and His love...
...Helas Pour Moi" is a far cry from a George Burns-style "Oh God!" flick. Instead, it uses Simon's transformation into God as a springboard for an examination of the heavy topics of faith and love. The townspeople in the idyllic Swiss village where the film is set act as a Greek chorus, offering commentary on the Donnadieus' story and the issues that arise from it. The film is full of tableaux of talking heads filmed against lush backdrops, uttering French-film fortune-cookie phrases like "Love equals prayer. Wrapping one's arm around someone, and clasping hands...
Godard consciously complicates the narration of the Donnadieus' story. The director has a history of experimenting with traditional narrative conventions. In his classic New Wave film, "Breathless," for instance, he mixed elements from the detective, comedy, and suspense genres. But "Helas Pour Moi" is far less straightforward than "Breathless." Godard plays with chronology and with point of view, shifting from the Donnadieus to the townspeople to the publisher and back in forth in time. The already fragmented narrative is further broken by repeated chapter titles and words on the screen. While a straightforward plot is by no means a requirement...
Despite its convoluted narrative, "Helas Pour Moi" is visually mesmerizing. Stunningly photographed on the banks of a Swiss lake, with vivid, rippling blue water and fields of poppies, the film looks gorgeous. The cinematography, combined with the Bach, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky soundtrack, makes the movie a sumptuous, sensual experience. The performances are also superb. Instead of being loud and bombastic, Depardieu's performance is unusually restrained and quite compelling...
...Helas Pour Moi" has been called Godard's most contemplative and spiritual film to date. This may be so, but it is also highly inaccessible and abstract. After sitting through all 84 minutes, the film's title never seemed apter...