At the start of Jean-Luc Godard’s 3D-fantastique, ADIEU AU LANGAGE, a statement is posed as a subtitle, then a surtitle, that we (society, Western society, 21st century products of the 20th century, filmmakers, pet owners… it could be any of us) have relinquished complete control to the state. The example being used to justify this assertion: Hitler was democratically elected into a position of power. Persecution follows. War follows. Language is diminished. The US rises in power. Where does philosophy live in a world where we are saying goodbye to language? Perhaps it lies in the re-emergence of 3D in cinema?

There’s a comparison to be made here between this notion of the state having complete control, and watching Godard’s latest film in 3D. The director has complete control over how we view the images on the screen. If we want to watch this film through to the end, we must subordinate ourselves to the director’s/state’s vision of the film/world. The editing is snappy and disjointed and then cohesive again. Murmurs abound in the cinema at the start of the film. Is the sound playing up in one of the speakers? It jumps from top left to bottom right. Have we lost the image on the screen? Perhaps the projector is broken? The new digital projector heralding the dawn of, not the planet of the apes, but the re-visit to the land of 3D on the silver screen. No, thank god. It’s not broken. It’s just a Godard film and he’s playing with our expectations.

This is pretty damn cool. I can’t think of too many films which use 3D in this manner.

The image on the screen appears blurry at times, and it’s not until a key scene by the seaside, which we do love to be beside in this film, that it becomes apparent there are two takes being used in a number of scenes. Close one eye, and you can watch one take of the scene, and in the other, a shadow of the scene, or a completely different shot. This is pretty damn cool. I can’t think of too many films which use 3D in this manner. William Castle’s 13 GHOSTS (1960) does a similar trick where the ghosts are invisible on screen if you take the glasses off, but very much visible if you keep them on. In Goddard’s film, this particular scene where it becomes apparent that there is a choice of scene to watch involves picking a flaccid penis, or a pair of pert nipples. You really do choose the path to your own philosophical erogenous zone.

Roxy the Dog is the true star of the film. His adventures down to, and into the river, have an innocence and charm that makes the film feel more accessible than the bickering couple that, in a fragmentary sense, are the assumed protagonists. If the subtlety of some of the bright red surtitles that flash up every so often in the film stating “3D” or “Metaphor” are anything to go by, I’d happily see “Rocky: Star of the Film” illuminate the screen. But it’s not my choice, your choice, our choice. It’s Monsieur Goddard’s. I’m fine with that. Adieu.

httpvh://vimeo.com/92157115