'Helas' for the Audience

Film, according to Jean-Luc Godard, is the truth 24 frames per second. In his latest film, "Helas Pour Moi (Woe is Me)," Godard examines perhaps some higher truths--the nature of God's existence and His love.

The film brings new meaning to the expression, "man with a Godcomplex." The story is inspired in part by the Greek legend of Amphitryon, whose body Zeus inhabited to seduce Amphitryon's wife. In the Godard version, God, a presence with a terrifying, gravelly voice straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon, decides to manifest Himself in the guise of ordinary Simon Donnadieu, played by ubiquitous French film star Gerard Depardieu. (Donnadieu means "given to God," and Depardieu means "on behalf of God," Get it?). Simon starts using "thine" and "thou" in conversation, much to the astonishment of his wife, Rachel (Laurence Masliah), who, not surprisingly, has qualms about their relationship.

"Helas Pour Moi" is a far cry from a George Burns-style "Oh God!" flick. Instead, it uses Simon's transformation into God as a springboard for an examination of the heavy topics of faith and love. The townspeople in the idyllic Swiss village where the film is set act as a Greek chorus, offering commentary on the Donnadieus' story and the issues that arise from it. The film is full of tableaux of talking heads filmed against lush backdrops, uttering French-film fortune-cookie phrases like "Love equals prayer. Wrapping one's arm around someone, and clasping hands, is like praying," or "Resign one's self to God's will, resign to being loved." Calvin Klein's Obsession, anyone?

The film also addresses the nature of story telling itself. The story opens when a publisher arrives in the village, wanting more information about the Donnadieus' story. The publisher provides a voice-over, recounting how his ancestors used to go into the woods to light a fire and pray. As generations passed, aspects of that ritual were lost--the ability to pray, to light a fire, even to know where the sacred place was. All that remains in our generation is the ability to tell the story.

Godard consciously complicates the narration of the Donnadieus' story. The director has a history of experimenting with traditional narrative conventions. In his classic New Wave film, "Breathless," for instance, he mixed elements from the detective, comedy, and suspense genres. But "Helas Pour Moi" is far less straightforward than "Breathless." Godard plays with chronology and with point of view, shifting from the Donnadieus to the townspeople to the publisher and back in forth in time. The already fragmented narrative is further broken by repeated chapter titles and words on the screen. While a straightforward plot is by no means a requirement for a worthwhile film, watching "Helas Pour Moi" made me pine for a Hollywood film. Lightweight some may be, but at least they're easy to follow.

Despite its convoluted narrative, "Helas Pour Moi" is visually mesmerizing. Stunningly photographed on the banks of a Swiss lake, with vivid, rippling blue water and fields of poppies, the film looks gorgeous. The cinematography, combined with the Bach, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky soundtrack, makes the movie a sumptuous, sensual experience. The performances are also superb. Instead of being loud and bombastic, Depardieu's performance is unusually restrained and quite compelling.

"Helas Pour Moi" has been called Godard's most contemplative and spiritual film to date. This may be so, but it is also highly inaccessible and abstract. After sitting through all 84 minutes, the film's title never seemed apter.