Soigne ta Droite

The relationship between Godard and his audience has for ages been that of teacher and pupil, with Godard the invariably foul-tempered prof, and his audience the recalcitrant C stream, regarded as bringing nothing to the encounter except their own shortcomings. This is modified in those films where Godard is an on-screen participant: teacher starring in the school play. Here his role is a film director, referred to as 'The Idiot', who'll make any rubbish assigned him, and who Godard renders via a rather good imitation of Harry Langdon (or possibly Pee-Wee Herman). The film comprises a series of charades (as opposed to 'scenes') which never achieve a middle ground between the over-obvious and the over-obscure. (Air travel as a metaphor for - what? Life?) As in One Plus One much time is spent with a bunch of musicians trying to get their sound right. But the hail of allusions, quotes and gnomic declarations seldom coalesce into more than a groan of schoolmasterly dissatisfaction over things in general.