When one enters a movie theater with the intention to watch a Godard film, one has to bear in mind that: 1)it will not be a 'regular', that is 'industrial' film, with linear narrative; and 2)there will be a strong reaction from the viewer (usually negative, especially from people who are not used to watching this authorial/Nouvelle Vague/Cinema Novo type of film, and even more especially on those that says 'mise-en-scène: Jean-Luc Godard' somewhere during the credits.
"Wind From the East" ("Le Vent D'Est", "Vento do Leste") is a very deep and highly political discussion about communism, capitalism, art, revolution, intellectualism, Maoism, USSR, tradition, paradigms, poetry... It's hard to put it in terms of "it's about...", since the sequence of images is not based in any form of traditional narrative. In fact, it's the very opposite of it, its essence sprouting from the need of subversion, a need directly connected to the social/historical/political/artistic context of the 60's and 70's: to show things in a different way leads the viewer to see differently, therefore to think differently. A experimental cut, poetic even, given the metaphorical quality of the images. The frontiers of film language fades and encounters those of other art forms, not to weaken the film unity nor its message, but to strengthen them both.
One highlight (attention, should NOT be taken as a spoiler): the featuring of Glauber Rocha, director representative of Brazilian Cinema Novo (whose political attitude towards cinema establishes the proper dialog with Group Dziga Vertov's intention), singing Gal Costa's "Divino, Maravilhoso" (something like "Divine, Wonderful").
Long story short: a wonderful film, Godard in tip-top shape! For stuff alike watch "Sympathy for the Devil:One Plus One" [1968], featuring the creative process in which the Stones made song number one from "Beggars Banquet".
"Wind From the East" ("Le Vent D'Est", "Vento do Leste") is a very deep and highly political discussion about communism, capitalism, art, revolution, intellectualism, Maoism, USSR, tradition, paradigms, poetry... It's hard to put it in terms of "it's about...", since the sequence of images is not based in any form of traditional narrative. In fact, it's the very opposite of it, its essence sprouting from the need of subversion, a need directly connected to the social/historical/political/artistic context of the 60's and 70's: to show things in a different way leads the viewer to see differently, therefore to think differently. A experimental cut, poetic even, given the metaphorical quality of the images. The frontiers of film language fades and encounters those of other art forms, not to weaken the film unity nor its message, but to strengthen them both.
One highlight (attention, should NOT be taken as a spoiler): the featuring of Glauber Rocha, director representative of Brazilian Cinema Novo (whose political attitude towards cinema establishes the proper dialog with Group Dziga Vertov's intention), singing Gal Costa's "Divino, Maravilhoso" (something like "Divine, Wonderful").
Long story short: a wonderful film, Godard in tip-top shape! For stuff alike watch "Sympathy for the Devil:One Plus One" [1968], featuring the creative process in which the Stones made song number one from "Beggars Banquet".