A common trait in the French New Wave movement is long tracking shots through camera movement. The camera motion stands out in Contempt. The scene of the argument in the apartment is very antsy to watch. The camera slowly swings back and forth between the characters arguing in long takes, that you start to get even dizzy and get the feeling that this argument is going no where. This nausea is a technique intended for the audience to give them a feeling that this couples relationship is doomed from the start. Do you feel this technique was successful or do you think Godard had other reasons to shot this scene the way he did?
Yet at the same time, Godard almost seems to critique the idea of the tracking shot in the very beginning by showing a camera itself tracking a scene.
And for those are a fan of the tracking shot, I suggest for you to watch one of the most epic tracking shots, done by Godard himself in the short Weekend http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ScGLdfqdYo
-Cassie Hanks
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