Two Movies: Where They Came From, How They Work and What They Mean

An exploration of the art of cinema by means of a detailed analysis of Godard's Contempt and Figgis's The Browning Version as well as Moravia's novel, Rattigan's play and Asquith's earlier adaptation of the play. Two Movies adapted from literary works with roots going back to ancient Greece. Two Movies about a marriage coming apart at the seams. Two Movies about the conflict between idealism and reality. Two Movies with completely different styles - one a remake of a classic of English cinema, the other a classic of the French New Wave. Two Movies - one about teaching, the other about filmmaking, both about the death of a tradition. Two Movies - one based on a play by a phenomenally successful English playwright, the other based on a novel by one of the greatest Italian writers of the 20th century.