tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361087063517934891.post8532732779008606223..comments2024-01-09T05:41:10.873-05:00Comments on The Blue Vial: Godard Marathon Day 15: Nouvelle Vague (1990)Drew McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07054307044280470117noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361087063517934891.post-73912993790432548472010-04-25T20:38:51.027-04:002010-04-25T20:38:51.027-04:00Specifically, the dead bee line is quoted from To ...Specifically, the dead bee line is quoted from <i>To Have and Have Not</i>, where Walter Brennan's character repeats it throughout the film much as it recurs here. I love how Godard's quotes work perfectly well when you have no idea where they come from (as most of the ones in this film function for me) but acquire even more resonance in relation to their original source.Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361087063517934891.post-51320507556235934312010-04-24T15:32:35.456-04:002010-04-24T15:32:35.456-04:00Thanks Ed! I've heard about the complete sound...Thanks Ed! I've heard about the complete soundtrack getting a release, and it's fascinating to me that this work is able to remain solid and engrossing without the presence of its images. I suppose that's a testament to the craft that went into this fascinating film that, as you point out, seems to be the apex of Godard's cinematic soundscapes. It's certainly one of my very favorites so far.<br /><br />I was also wondering where that dead bee bit came from, thanks for clearing that one up for me!Drew McIntoshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07054307044280470117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361087063517934891.post-37597677760840464352010-04-23T09:51:09.227-04:002010-04-23T09:51:09.227-04:00Great writeup, Drew. This movie should be among Go...Great writeup, Drew. This movie should be among Godard's most challenging based on its high-concept formalism, but in fact it's surprisingly entertaining and engrossing despite the way the narrative keeps slipping away, lost in a sea of borrowed language. It's striking, of course, that Godard is able to tell a story that's even this clear using only other people's words, and make it emotionally resonant if not always clear in its details. <br /><br />It's worth noting that the soundtrack to this film — the <i>complete</i> soundtrack, with all dialogue and music and other sounds — has been released as a CD, and it's amazing how well the sound design in this film stands up even without the images to accompany it. Godard has always been as interested in sound as in images, and has thought, perhaps more than any other director, about the relationship between these two components of cinema and the relative balance that should exist between them. But this is the Godard film where the sound comes into its own, reaching symphonic levels of sophistication. The relative unimportance of what's being said frees up Godard to truly treat the words as just another element in the sound mix, and the result is a sublimely musical soundtrack where words, music, and noise weave together beautifully. I've always loved the way he borrowed Hawks' "dead bee" gag, too.<br /><br />Incidentally, I can highly recommend the Cahiers DVD; the second disc, with <i>Passion</i>, has been rendered unnecessary by the Lions Gate box set, but the Cahiers double feature is still the only official way to see <i>Nouvelle Vague</i> on DVD.Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361087063517934891.post-90924894829419248932010-04-16T14:46:49.813-04:002010-04-16T14:46:49.813-04:00Erich - I downloaded my copy online, but it appear...Erich - I downloaded my copy online, but it appears as though Cahiers du Cinema released a double disc <i>Nouvelle Vague</i>/<i>Passion</i> set on PAL some years back.<br /><br />But yeah, I strongly recommend catching this one however you can. It's definitely my favorite of the post-60's Godard I've watched along with <i>Passion</i>, and probably one of my favorites overall. Gorgeous stuff.Drew McIntoshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07054307044280470117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361087063517934891.post-2686797826098427922010-04-16T13:50:18.896-04:002010-04-16T13:50:18.896-04:00my Argentine ex-wife was always raving about this ...my Argentine ex-wife was always raving about this movie, but there was so little mention of it back in those days I thought she was making it up... is it available anywhere? Your review made it sound quite scintillating.Erich Kuerstenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02850572368098319317noreply@blogger.com