Jean-Luc Godard is well-known for his string of classic 1960s features like Breathless and Band of Outsiders, which have proved incredibly influential and enduring art house classics. Unfortunately, fewer people seem to realize that Godard has continued to produce high-quality work, always at the absolute vanguard of cinema. These 4 short films are all relatively recent, dating from 1992 to 2001, and they are perhaps the best examples of Godard's "essay" style. These films are all constructed from a mix of film clips, documentary footage, and still photos. The soundtracks are equally complex, using voiceover and classical music to communicate Godard's ideas about cinema, history, war, and art. "On the Origin of the 21st Century" is the masterpiece here, a 20-minute examination of 20th Century history that counts back to 1900, using iconic images along the way to represent pivotal years. Godard's commentary discusses, in lovely poetic language, how this history informs the present. "Je vous salue, Sarajevo" is a short examination of a single still image which depicts soldiers kicking a refugee lying in the street. The voiceover condemns Europe for standing by and allowing such atrocities to happen; the sense of outrage is mirrored as the photo is pored over in detail. "The Old Place" and "Liberty & Fatherland" are less overtly political than the other two pieces, being concerned more directly with art, creativity, and expression. All four films capture a very important element of Godard's subversive cinema of ideas. This is an absolutely essential DVD, and one of my most prized possessions. All 4 films look (and sound) as beautiful as they should, and the DVD is packaged inside a great book which provides interesting essays and translations of all 4 film's texts in English, French, and German.