Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

One + One | Sympathy for the Devil Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 29, 2009

Jean-Luc Godard's "Sympathy for the Devil" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Carlotta Films. Amongst the supplemental features on the disc are: Richard Mordant's documentary "Voices"; a conversation with Cahiers du Cinema critic Jean Douche and journalist Christophe Conte; photo gallery; trailers and more. In English, with optional French subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Sympathy for God(Art)

Jean-Luc Godard's Sympathy for the Devil is remembered primarily for that famous incident at the London Film Festival in 1968 where the Gallic director attacked the film’s producer. He would then go on to shoot Le gai savoir (1969), See You at Mao (1970), and Tout va bien (1972), all films that channeled the same Marxist overtones he had introduced in Sympathy for the Devil, but in a lot more convincing fashion.

Initially titled One + One (partially referring to the experimental structure of the film), Sympathy for the Devil is comprised of multiple chapters in which Godard follows closely a few radical political groups whose members deliver passionate speeches and prepare for action, and actress Anne Wiazemsky (Au hazard Balthazar) - but are almost always cut by Godard before they could deliver their final statement - as well as the members of The Rolling Stones, as they attempt to put together the final touches on a song they have been working on for awhile. It is this process of evolving - specifically, how political statements influence actions and random notes become music - which Sympathy for the Devil examines.

Some of the actions the audience is encouraged to compare are indeed fascinating. For example, a sympathizer of the Black Panthers is seen and heard rehearsing a passionate speech, while at the same time Mick Jagger attempts to get right a tricky passage. Elsewhere, Wiazemsky is asked a series of questions, which she answers only with simple yes and no, while Keith Richards "responds" with short solos to Jagger's singing.

There are various episodes, however, that are rather frustrating. One such episode focuses on a small bookstore selling erotic and exploitation books and magazines where a Fascist recites a puzzling speech while the customers salute its owner. In another episode, a group of black men kill a few white women for no apparent reason. Then there is the finale of Sympathy for the Devil where a group of actors and an agitated director (played by Godard) confront each other while shooting a scene from an unknown film on the beach; chaos erupts and one of the actors collapses next to two big flags - one red, the other black.

The sense of chaos that reigns in Sympathy for the Devil, however, is not too surprising. The film reflects the spirit of the dramatic events that occurred in France in 1968, Godard's radical views on Westerns intellectualism, as well as his desire to break free of conventional cinematic canons, which stretches all the way back to Le mepris (1963).

Ultimately, if approached strictly as a musical documentary examining The Rolling Stones, Sympathy for the Devil would undoubtedly prove to be a major disappointment. Other than observing the mechanics of repetition, the film does little, if anything, to successfully convey the type of creative environment the famous British rockers favored. Hence, it is probably best if one approached Sympathy for the Devil with the understanding that it is an intimate confession of sorts - not easy to fully comprehend, given its abstract nature, and most certainly not a politically correct one.

One + One | Sympathy for the Devil Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jean-Luc Godard's Sympathy for the Devil arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Carlotta Films.

The high-definition transfer is quite good. Detail is probably as good as it could possibly be, clarity pleasing, and contrast levels consistent throughout the entire film. The color-scheme is great; reds, blues, greens, yellows, browns and blacks are surprisingly rich and well saturated. Edge-enhancement and macroblocking are not a serious issue of concern. I did not spot any severe aliasing either. There a couple of scenes where I did notice some very mild flickering, but I do not believe that this is something that would affect negatively your viewing experience. Finally, there are a few tiny flecks that pop up here and there, as well as a couple of small print marks, but large cuts or warps are nowhere to be seen. All in all, Carlotta's high-definition treatment of Jean-Luc Godard's Sympathy for the Devil would definitely impress those of you who have previously seen the film only on SDVD. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

One + One | Sympathy for the Devil Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0. For the record, the French subtitles are not imposed; they can be turned off (use your remote).

Given the manner in which Sympathy for the Devil was shot, at times it is rather difficult to follow Sean Lynch's lines. On a positive side, the music is clean and stable. Dynamically, however, the English LPCM 2.0 track has a somewhat limited potential, especially during the long practice sessions. Finally, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings. All in all, if you have had a chance to test the R1 SDVD release of Sympathy for the Devil, you would end up being very pleased with the English LPCM 2.0 track.

One + One | Sympathy for the Devil Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

de One + One a Sympathy - a short summation of the film. In French, with optional French subtitles. (6 min, 1080i).

One + One - critic Jean Douche (Cahiers du Cinema) and journalist Christophe Conte (Les Inrockuptibles) discuss Godard's films. In French, not subtitled in English. (24 min, 1080i).

Voices - a documentary film by Richard Mordant focusing on the controversy surrounding Sympathy for the Devil, its production history, as well as the political climate in Europe at the time when the film was made. In English, with optional French subtitles. (44 min).

Photo Gallery -

Trailer - the original theatrical for the film. In English, with optional French subtitles. (3 min).

Trailer - a trailer for the 2006 restored version of the film. In English, without French subtitles. (2 min).

Booklet - Carlotta Films have provided a lovely illustrated booklet with a number of interesting essays (in French).

One + One | Sympathy for the Devil Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is a terrific package by French distributors Carlotta Films. If you could play Region-B "locked" Blu-ray discs, I urge you to consider adding it to your collections as soon as possible. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.