HELAS POUR MOI (1993) by Jean-Luc Godard
This masterwork is a tale of love and betrayal between humans and gods in this desolate age. GERARD DEPARDIEU, as the Greek god Zeus , may have entered the body of Simon (also played by Depardieu) to experience love and sexual desire with Simon's wife Rachel. In a modern Swiss lake side resort, a book publisher arrives to investigate and solve the mystery of this happening. Did this event occur? Has Rachel been unfaithful to her husband, herself and her God?
This 90 minute masterpiece in 1994 was the first feature film by Godard to be theatrically distributed in North America in ten years.
Much of the credit to the recent rebirth of interest in Godard's later work must be credited to HELAS POUR MOI which had a rather rocky production with Depardieu departing the set early in frustration with Godard's work habits and then forcing Godard to fight his way out of the ruins of one film by again creating yet another film within a film.
One of the most critically praised feature films theatrically released
in 1994 this poetic and profound quest for spiritual meaning is a timeless
masterpiece.
Caryn James, NEW YORK TIMES " About the search for faith , memory, truth and love. A surprise to anyone who thinks Godard as a cold and cerebral filmaker...warm and more quietly provocative than he has been in years. The rewards are profound."
Kevin Thomas, LOS ANGELES TIMES " A stunning experience... no one can charge an image with so much emotion, so much thought. Confounding, utterly demanding and finally stunning expression of a longing for emotional and spirtual redemption.
Ray Greene, BOXOFFICE " **** A masterwork. Like almost every great spiritual artifact, HELAS POUR MOI is a beautiful riddle."
For rental 35mm stereo dolby SR. For sale VHS NTSC, Cinema Parallel.