Godard and Lang

There's a great interview with Godard and Lang, two cinema giants on the critereon collection** dvd of contempt.

Godard has a great bit when he talks about what kind of films you can do in france that you can't do in America, England, or Russia...but he also talks about movies that you can do in America that you can't do in France. Some of the interesting things - you can't depict a cop, a general, or anyone in a position of "providing safety," as doing something corrupt, taking a bribe or anything like that. You can't depict a French prime minister. You cannot address the issue of occupation or liberation in WWII. But you can show TITS and ASS! I guess none of us can have it all.

They both talk about cinema being a medium for youth.

Lang, interestingly, like most directors of his generation, saw himself as a worker, not an artist. He attempted to make films that were relevant for his time, not of all time. The extent to which films last, he thinks, is not up to him, but the public.

They discuss their different styles, Godards penchant for improvisation versus Lang's careful planning.

They touch upon what it means to be a director, but more in a negative way - ie, what a director is not. Lang says a director is not a traffic cop, that he arranges a world, but doesn't force people in one direction or another.

Good stuff. I think you could practically get a film school education by watching the CC DVDs.

**one note, in looking at the list of CC DVDs, you notice a very low percentage of films made in the US. I guess I can't really complain about a lack of US representation in movies, but it is telling that the "masters" are widely foreign. I wonder what that's all about. Oh, I know, a contempt for the US within the art community. But seriously, take away John Cassevettes and the US representation in the CC is pretty weak. But as an ardent nationalist and an amatuer film buff - it about balances itself out. To be honest, I don't really care all that much. It was just something I noticed when looking at this big list. But come on, a Howard Hawks film needs to be on the list...and for chrissake, I don't think I saw a John Ford film. And those are just some the obvious ones...we could go on. But I LOVE that the Long Good Friday is on the list.