Le Mepris cover art

Le Mepris Details

1963 DVD Certificate 15.gif
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 1624 members

Widely acknowledged as a classic, LE MEPRIS is the story of Paul, a writer, and Camille, a couple in a tempestuous marriage. When Paul accepts a job to review a big screen version of Homer's Odyssey, the arguments over how the script should turn out mirror the arguments in Paul's relationship. Read more

Starring Brigitte Bardot, Jack Palance, Michel Piccoli
Director Jean-Luc Godard
Genres Drama, World Cinema

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Le Mepris

Widely acknowledged as a classic, LE MEPRIS is the story of Paul, a writer, and Camille, a couple in a tempestuous marriage. When Paul accepts a job to review a big screen version of Homer's Odyssey, the arguments over how the script should turn out mirror the arguments in Paul's relationship.

Starring Brigitte Bardot, Jack Palance, Michel Piccoli
Director Jean-Luc Godard
Studio OPTIMUM HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 1 hr 39 mins
Blu-ray: 1 hr 43 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 15.gif
Genres Drama, World Cinema
Language French
Subtitles English
Released DVD: 26 Jan 2004
Blu-ray: 28 Sep 2009
Production year: 1963
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (2) of Le Mepris

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  • 3 stars out of 5

    Jean-Luc Godard's weird satire on Hollywood's invasion of Europe stars Jack Palance as the American producer who says: “When I hear the word culture I reach for my cheque book.” Fritz Lang plays the director of an intended version of Homer's Odyssey, while the sex interest is provided by — who else? — Brigitte Bardot. It sounds relatively straightforward, and probably would be if Godard didn't veer off at tangents in his desperate attempt to retain his modishness and not be swamped by his biggest budget and cast to date.

    • Radio Times
  • A film about - among other things - integrity. The basic situation, faithfully adapted from Moravia's novel A Ghost... read more on Time Out

    • Time Out
  • Most helpful member's review of Le Mepris

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  • 9 out of 11 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    Non-vintage Goddard

    This film may not be up to vintage Godard from the French new Wave, but it is still a fine example of 60s cinema. The quality of the print and extras are great too. Worth seeing for the stars, Bardot, Jack Palance and the wonderful Fritz Lang. Much better than many of todays blockbusters. Worth renting for the stunning scenery of Capri if nothing else.

      • Graham Taylor from Stratford-upon-Avon
  • Most recent members' review of Le Mepris

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  • 5 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    Not quite the genuine article, this...

    Lovers of French cinema and admirers of B.B. and Godard are likely to find this second-rate stuff. It just doesn't quite work. B.B. smooches in her sultry way; the camera adores her; the dialogue meanders pleasantly if a bit ponderously, but this is a high-effort fim that really doesn't repay the viewer's input.

    It was disappointing to find this version of the film dubbed into English, robbing us of the chance to hear Bardot's fabulous French, and (as other reviews accidentally demonstrate) I found myself more interested in the print quality and the glories of Capri than in the dialogue, plot and characterisation.

    No, Godard must have been unhappy with the end result here: you have to care about the characters, even if you don't particularly like them, and you need to get involved in the plot. For all the qualities of the writing (and in English it sometimes sounds decidedly stilted) Le Mepris just doesn't get off the ground.

      • Clerico from Dunbar
  • News and features

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    Wings

    The It Girl

    • 12 Mar 2007

    The producers of Factory Girl, which opens in cinemas this Friday, did one smart thing. They found a genuine twenty-first century It Girl (Sienna 'Drugs are f*** loads of fun' Miller) to play a 1960s variety (Edie 'Sex and speed. Wow' Sedgwick). But what is 'It', and who else has got 'It'? Sienna herself is not much help ('I've never understood the definition,' she told a USA Today reporter recently.) But then neither was Clara Bow, the original It Girl back in 1927, who also claimed not to... Read more

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1,624 Member ratings
  • 100
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  • 90
142
  • 80
258
  • 70
229
  • 60
273
  • 50
170
  • 40
131
  • 30
98
  • 20
89
  • 10
44

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    • Le Mepris - BLU-RAY Version
      Widely acknowledged as a classic, LE MEPRIS is the story of Paul, a writer, and Camille, a couple in a tempestuous marriage. When Paul accepts a job to review a big screen version of Homer's Odyssey, the arguments over how the script should turn out mirror the arguments in Paul's relationship....

    • Le Mepris
      Widely acknowledged as a classic, LE MEPRIS is the story of Paul, a writer, and Camille, a couple in a tempestuous marriage. When Paul accepts a job to review a big screen version of Homer's Odyssey, the arguments over how the script should turn out mirror the arguments in Paul's relationship....