Notre Musique (2004) - Jean-Luc Godard

Jean-Luc Godard's Notre Musique is another provocative film from the legendary filmmaker that explores the Israel and Palestine using three stages - Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise.  The first segment, Hell, consists entirely of war footage, with various images of violence and death.  The second segment, Purgatory, makes up the bulk of the film, which follows a pair of women visiting Sarajevo for an arts conference.  Godard himself is in this segment, lecturing a class on cinema and image.  This segment of the film is a narrative but the plot iself isn't particularly important but more the questions and themes it raises through the dialogue and conversations.  Paradise, the last segment, is a beautiful, picturesque lakeside which appears to be guarded by American soldiers.  Notre Musique is certainly in the filmmakers later style, being a philosophical reflection on not just the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but touching on a host of wars including Sarajevo and the conflict between the Native Americans and United States.  Godard's film is a challenging endeavor but the film's primary focus on human conflict and the power of image is Godard's attempt to understand symbiotic relationships and express how they are not always equal.  The film beautifully captures the absurdity of human conflict through its exploration of life and death, being a profound expose on humanity. Differences not similarities is what society tends to focus on, Godard expresses himself in the film.  While Godard isn't praised much for his later work, Notre Musique should be, blending documentary and fiction to capture ideals about our humanity that transcend time.    

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