---
title: "Contempt: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/contempt/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/contempt"
critics_score: 85
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Contempt (1963): what the critics said

Critics' score 85 from 7 reviews: 6 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative.

The reviews are warmly positive, and the praise gathers around the same places. Most critics single out Raoul Coutard’s photography, with the opening camera movement praised in particular, and the long marital argument at the film’s centre, which several find emotionally exact. Brigitte Bardot’s performance draws notice for the fragility under the surface, and the film’s mixing of Homer, film-making and a failing marriage is generally read as a strength rather than a distraction.

The reservations are about how the film wears. The Guardian thinks it has dated and curdled, and Eye for Film finds it clever and enjoyable without being convinced it is a major work. The AV Club, though admiring, calls it hard to like and thinks the domestic argument slows things down. The spread is fairly narrow: nobody dismisses it, and even the mildest verdict finds plenty to enjoy.

## Slant Magazine — Chuck Bowen

Rating 4/4. 1 September 2013. 

Bowen praises the film as an emotionally devastating, visually sumptuous work that turns its cultural references toward personal loss. He singles out Brigitte Bardot’s performance for conveying Camille’s suppressed fragility and challenging the objectification invited by the opening scene.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/contempt/)

## Time Out — Dave Calhoun

Rating 5/5. 21 December 2015. 

The five-star rating signals a strongly positive verdict. The available description singles out Camille’s growing contempt for Paul as the film’s central relationship.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/le-mepris)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 2014. 

Turan finds the film atypical, unforgettable, and melancholy, yet memorable. He especially praises its emotionally realistic marital argument sequence and the cinematography and music that support it.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-contempt-movie-review-20140117-story.html)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Rating 4/5. 31 December 2015. 

Bradshaw calls the film fierce but argues that it has dated and curdled. He singles out its uncompromising deconstruction of cinema and sexual allure.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/dec/31/le-mepris-contempt-review-jean-luc-godard)

## The AV Club — Scott Tobias

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2002. 

Tobias finds the film difficult to like but ultimately an eloquent, cohesive statement about art, commerce, and love. He praises its enduring potency and Raoul Coutard’s rapturous photography, while noting that a long domestic argument disrupts the film’s momentum.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/contempt-1798198130)

## /Film — Jeremy Smith

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 September 2022. 

The critic regards Contempt as a masterpiece that transformed his understanding of Godard and cinema. He especially praises the opening camera movement and its lyrical effect.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1007193/jean-luc-godards-contempt-reveals-all-that-is-possible-with-cinema/)

## Eye for Film — Chris

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 14 April 2009. 

The critic finds the film clever and enjoyable, though its depth is optional and it can feel like a pleasant experience rather than a major work. They praise its deft layering of communication breakdown, cinema’s commercial pressures, and the Odyssey.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/contempt-film-review-by-chris)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/contempt.md