American Cinematographer - September 2004 - 24

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is more complicated than it seems at
first; not wanting to recreate the normal

conditions of

shooting on a soundstage,
Godard demanded that the film's main

apartment set be built without wild
walls and

a

ceiling. This approach
of the studio

feel

makes

some

more

like location work than the

sequences
location.

that

scenes

actually shot

were

on

when it

comes

to

all other

areas

of

The most

marketing as he is in
filmmaking.
exciting extra feature

is Godard's 1957 short Charlotte et

Veronique (also known as All Boys Are
Called Patrick). This film, Godard's third
short and his first shot in Paris, is a
charming romantic comedy written by
fellow New Wave icon Eric Rohmer.

Several of Godard's interests

This DVD features

highdefinition transfer supervised by
Coutard that is vastly superior to the
earlier Fox Lorber DVD pressing.
Although a few scratches are visible,
the print looks mostly pristine and the
transfer captures all of the nuances of
Coutard's lighting, which ranges from
extremely dark night exteriors in practi¬
cal locations to brightly lit interiors in
sets with white walls.

a new

are

evident in this

early work, particularly
his fascination with the way the media
intrudes

on

his characters' lives, his

allusions to other films, and

his

pessimism regarding romantic love.
The audacity of A Woman Is a Woman
is largely absent in Charlotte et
Veronique, but the themes that would
consume

Godard for decades

are

already apparent.

One of the most

-

Jim

Hemphill

significant improvements over previous
DVD and video incarnations of the film

is

new English-subtitle translation
provides easier access to the film's
many allusions and puns. Incomplete or
a

that

www.filmairsales.com

incorrect subtitles

Dcode®
Trilevel

SB-T

Syncbox

of

are

director

disastrous in the

precise with
language as Godard, so it's wonderful to
see a translation that more accurately
captures the expressiveness of his
dialogue.
case

a

as

The monaural sound mix exhibits
For
or

High Definition

Standard Definition Shoots

improved clarity and allows close study
of the film's experimental sound design.
Godard constantly puts images and
sounds to cross-purposes, and some
shots even play over noise made by the
crew. Ironically, his willingness to
expose the filmmaking apparatus
makes the human drama at the center

of the film

all the

involving
though
we're being let in on something private.
The movie works simultaneously as a
document of its own making and as
deliriously romantic and joyful picture.
Most of the supplements on the
DVD are related to publicity for the film;
these include an amusing but not partic¬
ularly illuminating documentary on
Anna Karina, and production and public¬
ity stills. There's also a trailer narrated
by Godard and a promotional recording
that proves he is as unconventional
seem

more

and real, because we feel as

Generates Trilevei
1920

x

Sync in all

1080 and 1280

x

720 formats,

composite PAL and NTSC, as well as all
standard frame rates.

and jams to all the
including 23.976
High Definition video.

Reads, generates

standard frame rates
for

Denecke, Inc.

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North Hollywood, CA 91601
Phone: (800) 866-3525
E-mail: info@denecke.com
www.denecke.com

NEXT MONTH
IN DVD PLAYBACK
Three Women (1977)

Cinematographer:
Charles Rosher Jr., ASC
The

Leopardi 1963)
Cinematographer:
Giuseppe Rotunno, ASC, AIC
Gun

Crazyi 1949)
Cinematographer:
Russell Harlan, ASC
American Cinematographer - September 2004

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - September 2004
