Jean-Luc Godard's Sympathy For The Devil is an exhilarating provocative pastiche of a motion picture. While the focus of the film is on The Rolling Stones song after which the film is titled a series of abstract fictional vignettes in the second half of the film allows Godard to probe topics as diverse as Black Power pornography and the irony of interviewing celebrities. These extended sequences elevate the film above a simple portrait of the English rockers constructing a
Jean-Luc Godard's films from after 1967 are generally considered too politically radical and formally daunting to be really enjoyable, but this film quickly puts the lie to that idea. Godard has combined studio footage of the Rolling Stones (in the early stages of recording their epic hit "Sympathy for the Devil") with a series of political and philosophical vignettes. The latter are mostly set in a junkyard populated by Black Panthers, and the juxtaposition of their extreme-left politics with the musical radicalism of the Stones is a compelling one. Of course, Stones fans (as opposed to Godard fans) will primarily enjoy the film for its candid studio footage, and for the possibility of following the song through various incarnations towards its more recognizable form. But Godard stops short of playing the finished song, making the point that both revolutions -- musical and political -- are as of yet unfinished.
The DVD itself is excellent, featuring a pristine transfer of the film itself. Also included is the complete alternate cut of the film made by Godard's producers, in which the principle difference is that the finished song IS played at the end of the movie. It's doubtful whether Godard fans will ever want to watch this cut in its entirety, though Stones fans may prefer it, and its inclusion is appreciated for comparative purposes. Rounding out the extras is an informative making-of documentary about the film's production.
All in all, a fascinating document from one of Godard's least-appreciated eras, and a welcome introduction to the famous director's post-67 films.
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French director Jean-Luc Godard's deconstruction of the process of construction, both of film narrative and The Rolling Stones' song 'Sympathy for the Devil'. The film presents a collage for the viewer to engage with as they like. Interweaved is footage of the Stones in the studio, writing, rehearsing and recording the famous song, and footage of a group of Black Power protestors in a used car lot, brandishing guns and reading revolutionary tracts.
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