The Image Book
Directed by JEAN-LUC GODARD
Released 2 DECEMBER
In a year of seemingly unmitigated horrors, there’s a perverse comfort to be had in the arrival of a new film by New Wave godhead turned cut-and-paste collage maestro, Jean-Luc Godard. And based on this evidence, the French master hasn’t mellowed in old age, still displaying a steadfast belief, is a fitting companion to his previous feature from 2014, , which was filmed in 3D. In his winter years, it appears the auteur is working through the senses. The images contained within are pulled largely from newsreels and cinematic history. Sometimes they dance atop one another, and sometimes they’ll appear in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it flash. It’s all topped by a voiceover from the director himself. It’s a lot to take in, and viewers might wish for footnotes to help fill in the blanks, but the film ultimately invites us to sit, watch and go along with the alternately incendiary and calming tableaux.
