For Ever Mozart - Jean-Luc Godard

(aka 'Forever Moart')

France / Switzerland 1996

A grizzled film director sets out with several members of his household (including the fictitious granddaughter of Albert Camus) to stage a Musset play in embattled Sarajevo.

As these modern-day Quixotes proceed on their fool’s quest through the bloody chaos of Bosnia, Godard provides witty, wintry updates of earlier masterpieces, including Weekend, (journey of Bourgeois buffoons through an apocalyptic, neo-barbarian landscape), Les Carabiniers (absurdist war film with offhand atrocities) and Contempt (contentious filmmaking by the sea, with ranting producer, exasperated actress, and pornographic dialogue).

For Ever Mozart mixes fast-paced intellectual vaudeville and graceful philosophical reflections and startling moments of quiet beauty that pierce through the rapid fire barrage of quotation and gunfire.

Gary W. Tooze

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Theatrical Release: September 9th, 1996 - Toronto Film Festival

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DVD Review: New Yorker - Region 1 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	New Yorker Video - Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:21:00
Video	1.61:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.30 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Audio	French (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: New Yorker Video Aspect Ratio: Ratio 1.61:1 Edition Details: • NY'er trailers DVD Release Date: August 23rd, 2005 Keep Case Chapters: 16

Comments:

NOTE: The correct aspect ratio of the film, as for every Godard since 'Tout va bien' (which may have well been
composed for 1.66; ditto 'Week-end' in 1967), is 1.37. While the compositions still look decent in the stills posted in the Beaver review, they simply don't reflect the intended aspect ratio of the film -- *regardless* of whether it was masked to 1.66 upon its original European release. (Thanks Craig!)

NOTE: I agree that the image is suitable for the tube viewing. It looked rather nice on my set, however I have a complaint about the subtitles on this. The subtitles simply dropped out or rather large spaces of dialogue. I know that in some parts, like when Godard has multiple dialogue drowning each other out, its not as vital or desired to cram the screen full of multiple subtitles. However I'm referring to portions were only one character is heard. A basic understanding of some French would assist a few short parts, but there were some lines where I was left puzzled as to what was being said. Now I admit, I don't think it completely ruined the viewing experience. I still understood most of what was occurring. But in a Godard film, especially from this time, I find the interspersing of philosophy one of the most intriguing parts and I feel I may have missed something. (Thanks Nick!)

*****

Like the NY'er Weekend, this not a progressive transfer (combing visible in last capture) and I suspect that it is also a PAL -> NTSC conversion, although obvious 'ghosting' was not observed. It is not overly hazy and colors are acceptable although could be brighter. Subtitles (see above) and the image is only suitable for tube viewing. There are no extra features. Being a later Godard film one might have expected more, but most will be content with this DVD for the ability to see the film.

Gary W. Tooze

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