Socialism(2010)
Dir:Jean-Luc Godard
Country:Switzerland/France
A symphony in three movements. Things such as a Mediterranean cruise, numerous conversations, in numerous languages, between the passengers, almost all of whom are on holiday... Our Europe. At night, a sister and her younger brother have summoned their parents to appear before the court of their childhood. The children demand serious explanations of the themes of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Our humanities. Visits to six sites of true or false myths: Egypt, Palestine, Odessa, Hellas, Naples and Barcelona
One of cinema's most renown directors, Jean-Luc Godard, has brought his most recent (and perhaps final) film, titled Film Socialisme, to the Cannes Film Festival. The early word from critics is that the film is classic Godard: fascinating, brilliant, and somewhat impenetrable. Peter Brunette of Reuters wrote: "[Film Socialisme] is all over the place and (purposely) impossible to follow, but the master is adept at making you feel that if you don't understand it, it's your fault, not his." Roger Ebert said of Film Socialisme, "Jean-Luc Godard's new film is about what you think about when you watch it...some shots...are so beautiful and glossy they could be an advertisement." The film was shot around the Mediterranean sea, takes place largely on a cruise ship, and features stops in Egypt, Israel, Odessa, Greece, Naples and Barcelona. Film Socialisme has been described as a kaleidoscopic mosaic of art, history, and culture. It's a symphonic, non-linguistic triumph. Oh, and it features a mule and a llama living in a garage.