At the height of her fame, Brigitte Bardot is every inch the devastating screen siren on Georges Allard's sumptuous and sought after poster for the country of origin release of Jean-Luc Godard's masterful New Wave drama Le Mépris (released in the US as Contempt). Based on the 1954 Italian novel Il disprezzo, the widescreen epic follows the breakdown of a marriage during a film shoot in Italy. Starring Michel Piccoli as screenwriter Paul Javal, Bardot as his beautiful young wife, Jack Palance as an arrogant American producer and legendary director Fritz Lang as himself, the film within a film also presents a study of filmmaking itself, jampacked with movie references and observations on the cinematic process. Released to universal critical acclaim, Sight & Sound critic Colin MacCabe hailed Le Mépris as the greatest work of art produced in postwar Europe.
Condition
Excellent (A-)
Conservation backed on linen. Backing and very minor colour touching has smoothed and diminished the usual machine folds for display. Spots of light colour touching to pinholes at upper corners. Image and colours excellent.