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Contempt

1963 ‘Le Mépris’ Directed by Jean-Luc Godard

More Bold! More Brazen! And Much, Much More Bardot!

A philistine in the art film business, Jeremy Prokosch is a producer unhappy with the work of his director. Prokosch has hired Fritz Lang (as himself) to direct an adaptation of "The Odyssey," but when it seems that the legendary filmmaker is making a picture destined to bomb at the box office, he brings in a screenwriter to energize the script. The professional intersects with the personal when a rift develops between the writer and his wife.

Brigitte Bardot Michel Piccoli Jack Palance Giorgia Moll Fritz Lang Raoul Coutard Jean-Luc Godard Linda Veras

Alternative Titles

Sen täytyi tapahtua, Desprezo, El menyspreu, Jag föraktar dig, I perifronisi, Περιφρόνηση, Keibetsu, Презрение, Prezir, Die Verachtung, Keskipäivän aave, Il disprezzo, O Desprezo, Föraktet, El desprecio, Η Περιφρόνηση, 蔑视, A megvetés, Презирство, Nefret, Презрението, Pogarda, 사랑과 경멸, Pohrdání, הבוז (הגוף והלב), 軽蔑, 輕蔑, Panieka, Nicinājums

Genres

Drama Romance

Themes

Humanity and the world around us Powerful poetic and passionate drama Captivating relationships and charming romance Passion and romance Erotic relationships and desire Surreal and thought-provoking visions of life and death Show All…

Theatrical limited

22 Feb 1976

Portugal

Theatrical

29 Oct 1963

Italy14+

20 Dec 1963

FranceTP

27 Mar 1964

FinlandK-16

22 Nov 1964

Japan

27 Nov 1964

Denmark

18 Dec 1964

22 Jan 1965

Germany16

23 Aug 1965

Uruguay

17 Dec 1966

Sweden11

08 May 1972

Turkey

25 Jul 1974

PortugalM/12

27 Jun 1997

21 Nov 1997

PortugalM/12

26 Dec 1997

FinlandK-16

29 Aug 2002

Germany6

04 Apr 2003

Brazil16

27 Jul 2011

FranceTP

20 Nov 2013

FranceTP

18 Jan 2018

Netherlands12

14 Sep 2023

Netherlands12

Digital

24 Aug 2011

France

Physical

20 Apr 1999

France

24 Sep 2009

Netherlands12

03 Nov 2009

France

05 Apr 2010

Netherlands12

14 Jun 2023

France

Brazil

04 Apr 2003

Theatrical16 Re-release

Denmark

27 Nov 1964

Theatrical

Finland

27 Mar 1964

TheatricalK-16

26 Dec 1997

TheatricalK-16 Re-release

France

20 Dec 1963

TheatricalTP

20 Apr 1999

Physical DVD

03 Nov 2009

Physical Bluray

27 Jul 2011

TheatricalTP Re-release

24 Aug 2011

Digital VOD

20 Nov 2013

TheatricalTP Re-release

14 Jun 2023

Physical 4K UHD

Germany

22 Jan 1965

Theatrical16 West Germany

29 Aug 2002

Theatrical6

Italy

29 Oct 1963

Theatrical14+

Japan

22 Nov 1964

Theatrical

Netherlands

24 Sep 2009

Physical12 Bluray

05 Apr 2010

Physical12 DVD

18 Jan 2018

Theatrical12 Re-release

14 Sep 2023

Theatrical12 Re-release (Digitally Restored Version)

Portugal

25 Jul 1974

TheatricalM/12

22 Feb 1976

Theatrical limited Cineclube do Porto

21 Nov 1997

TheatricalM/12 Re-release

Sweden

17 Dec 1966

Theatrical11

Turkey

08 May 1972

Theatrical

USA

18 Dec 1964

Theatrical

27 Jun 1997

Theatrical Re-release

Uruguay

23 Aug 1965

Theatrical

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Popular reviews

Review by Josiah Morgan ★★★★★ 3

Don't forget: the Gods have not created men. Men have created Gods.
Review by cuckoochanel ★★★★ 7

There seems to be a prevailing, dual impression of self-therapy at play in Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt, which on the surface is a backstage tragedy about the simultaneous strife on the set of a multinational film shoot and the disintegration of the marriage of the film’s new screenwriter.
I wondered how much to believe my boyfriend when he assured me that Contempt was Godard’s “most commercial” film (a big-budget production starring international superstar Brigitte Bardot); and although it is commercial in a sense, the accessibility I scarcely dared to anticipate was cannibalized by an exploration on making the scope of picture befitting Godard’s American idols (Howard Hawks, Nicholas Ray, and Vincent Minelli are mentioned in the movie, along with the presence of Austrian-American…
Review by el ★★½ 2

IF I HEAR THAT MAIN THEME ONE MORE TIME IM GONNA RIP MY HAIR OUT.
Review by Marcissus ★★★★ 14

As is tradition with experiencing (:surviving) godard films, they must first persevere through a rigorous "what was that, that was ok, that was great, that was the best thing i've ever seen" rewatch regimen, and then and only then can i even begin to think about writing words about its stuff and things. east of eden and west of the west, beyond radical honesty and messianic proliferation, lives a spaceman who thought the world was round but still managed to get stuck in the place he landed. That's what we call inspired flight, by the pigeons that gotta eat pizza crust every night. because baby, this is not 33, this is 63, only yesterday there were kings here, now is only us, and we're making a pig's ear of it thank you very much. Accompanying will be a phantasmagoria... like the assassination of two birds with one stone.

what's a king to a godard. . ?
Review by megan ★★

i feel contempt
Review by Zoë 🐝 ★ 16

I love melodrama! I feel I've made my shameless love for it very clear on my Letterboxd. I find it to be the ideal genre for a transparent look at some of the most intense emotions, and I love the tense relationship dynamics that slowly bubble to the surface for explosive arguments. Jean Luc Godard makes a melodrama here (more accurately a satire of melodrama I suppose), but with none of the elements I love. It's hollow and shallow, with no depth to the husband and wife at the core of the film, let alone chemistry. The music cues are unbelievably glaring, with a loud and sumptuous romantic music motif stifling nearly every scene. It's a miserable and painfully boring…
Review by Hershey ✡️ 5

“Why don’t you love me anymore?”
“That’s life.”
I don't think john luke got hard knows that women are people.
This movie is pretentious, masturbatory, and pointless. It's the worst combination of things. It looks nice, but that's about all it has going for it. I've really liked what I've seen of Godard so far other than this. I really hope the rest of his work isn't as contemptible.
Jean-Luc Godard, Ranked
Criterion Channel, Ranked
Review by noen ★★★★ 3

A HUGE metaphor, typical Jean-Luc Godard film, all the deep exploration of art, the relationship and the nature of cinema itself, are extremely strong points for the film, all these complexities of intimate relationships and the naked way it is treated, along with the fragility of love as it evolves into these conflicts between artistic integrity and commercial interests, are simply admirable. Of course, I still think there are some details that fades during the film, both for the content and for the production, but they are just my opinions.
The story follows a screenwriter who is hired to adapt Homer's Odyssey, but as tensions increase between him and his wife, his relationship begins to mirror the struggles of the…
Review by Janica ★★★★★ 12

Contempt was one of those films that blew me away from the first frame. Godard brings forward a sort of fearlessness that no one else can. Contempt was the first commercial venture for Godard, having built a notorious reputation as a ruthless new wave director responsible for Breathless, the film accused for kickstarting the French New Wave (alongside Truffaut’s The 400 Blows). But Godard is Godard. Even with a near million-dollar budget, he faithfully sticks to his arsenal of jump-cuts, long takes, casual improvisational acting and his constant jabs at the longstanding clichés of Hollywood-established cinema technique.
Contempt is an epic in its own right. It is shot entirely in Italy in the rich tones of Technicolor, thus the entire film is visually stunning, especially…
Review by Quintin ★★★ 2

The scene where the American is giggling with joy at a naked woman on screen saying "This is amazing, do you think the general audience will understand?" sums up the movie perfectly.

As a general audience member I didn't understand why all the women were naked and everything was overly sexualized, and I picture those that loved it had the same joy as that American.
It wasn't for me but I still loved the production design and the camerawork in the film. So many long shots to help make the scenes feel contained.
Greatest Films of All Time
Review by KYK ★★★½ 2

How surrounding yourself with movie people will change you for the worse.
Review by BananaPudding ★★★★

Sometimes all you need in a movie is a girl, a gun, and a different interpretation of Homer's Odyssey that unknowingly change the trajectory of both of the protagonist life.

Where to watch

Contempt

Synopsis

More Bold! More Brazen! And Much, Much More Bardot!

Cast

Director Director

Producers Producers

Writer Writer

Original Writer Original Writer

Editors Editors

Cinematography Cinematography

Assistant Director Asst. Director

Additional Photography Add. Photography

Composer Composer

Sound Sound

Costume Design Costume Design

Makeup Makeup

Studios

Countries

Primary Language

Spoken Languages

Alternative Titles

Genres

Themes

Theatrical limited

22 Feb 1976

Theatrical

29 Oct 1963

20 Dec 1963

27 Mar 1964

22 Nov 1964

27 Nov 1964

18 Dec 1964

22 Jan 1965

23 Aug 1965

17 Dec 1966

08 May 1972

25 Jul 1974

27 Jun 1997

21 Nov 1997

26 Dec 1997

29 Aug 2002

04 Apr 2003

27 Jul 2011

20 Nov 2013

18 Jan 2018

14 Sep 2023

Digital

24 Aug 2011

Physical

20 Apr 1999

24 Sep 2009

03 Nov 2009

05 Apr 2010

14 Jun 2023

Brazil

04 Apr 2003

Denmark

27 Nov 1964

Finland

27 Mar 1964

26 Dec 1997

France

20 Dec 1963

20 Apr 1999

03 Nov 2009

27 Jul 2011

24 Aug 2011

20 Nov 2013

14 Jun 2023

Germany

22 Jan 1965

29 Aug 2002

Italy

29 Oct 1963

Japan

22 Nov 1964

Netherlands

24 Sep 2009

05 Apr 2010

Director

Producers

Writer

Original Writer

Editors

Cinematography

Assistant Director

Additional Photography

Composer

Sound

Costume Design

Makeup