The Films (4/5 - La Chinoise, 3/5 - Le Gai Savoir)

    Godard started his career in the late 50's and through the early to mid-60's as cinema's first true remix artist. He took the films he watched and loved, and filtered them through his own distinct vision to create something that vaguely resembled the pop culture that previously existed, but in the end was totally Godard. As the 60's continued on, the director became restless, and began to experiment more with cinematic forms, doing away with entirely traditional narrative and visuals, until his films became more experimental than traditional.  The director also started diving into Communist politics and weaving those beliefs into his works.  

       In 2008 Koch Lorber, the direct ancestor to Kino Lorber released 2 of Godard's politically experimental films to DVD, Le Gai Savoir and La Chinoise. Now in 2017 Kino Lorber has finally dipped into their vaults, and restored these two eccentric Godard pieces to Blu-ray.  Both films star Jean-Pierre Leaud (Stolen Kisses, Out 1), and are more philosophical and political in their approach, and don't really have a traditional narrative in which to speak.

    La Chinoise stars Leaud as the leader of a small French student Communist cell. They are all students at La Sorbonne, and are spending their summer in a solitary apartment discussing ways to put their politics into action, but aside from one member of the 5 person party, spend more time discussing than actually putting their discussions into motion.   Le Gai Saivor is a rather simple affair that has Leaud starring as Emile, and co-star Juliet Berto as Patricia. They enter a void-like TV studio lit by a single light.  The two discuss politics, current events, and of course the cinema.

   Both films are the beginning of the experimental route Godard would end up taking throughout the rest of his career from the late 60's onward. Sometimes with greater success (Week End), sometimes less so.   The films are mainly dialogue pieces, with both set primarily in one location. The apartment in La Chinoise, and the studio in Le Gai Saivor. Le Chinoise, by the fact that there is more movement, and characters comes closer to feeling like traditional cinema. Though, it does take a very surface level approach to communist politics, which leaves the film feeling as mature as it's characters(not very). Of course, Godard's use of color in the film is quite excellent, especially use his of red. Le Gai Savoir feels like a stark back and forth discussion piece, very formal at times, with elements of Godard's experimentalism trickling in.

Audio/Video (4/5 -average)

    Both films are presented by Kino Lorber in 1:37:1 1080p AVC encoded transfer. The color and detail are excellent throughout La Chinoise and blacks levels, and detail are nice, strong, and deep throughout Le Gai Saivor. Both love very natural, with an intact organic grain structure.

    Audio is presented on both films with a DTS-HD 2.0 mono track in French with optional subs. Both tracks sound quite suitable with dialogue coming through nicely. I did not detect any issues.

Extras (3.5/5 - La Chinoise, 2.5/5 - Le Gai Savoir)

    Extras for La Chinoise include a James Quandt commentary track, and multiple interviews from the cast, crew, and film historian Antoine de Baecque.  There is also a booklet of liner notes by Amy Taubin.  Le Gai Savoir includes a video by late period Godard cinematographer Fabrice Aragno which edits the film into a piece like Film Socialisme. We also get an Adrain Martin commentary and a booklet of liner notes featuring former Voidoid Richard Hell, and Adam Nayman.

Overall

   Two interesting late sixties Godard films finally surface to Blu-ray in very nice looking editions. The Blu-ray's look and sound quite excellent, and each have quite a decent slate of extras. RECOMMENDED.