The first movement, “Des choses comme ça” (“Such things”) of Jean-Luc Godard’s 2010 film Socialism, was filmed on board the tragically ship-wrecked Costa Concordia, which ran aground off the coast of Isola del Giglio, on Janury 13. Godard’s film dealt with the decline of capitalism, and questioned the role of socialist ideals within civilization. As Xan Brooks notes in the Guardian, the Costa Concordia served:

‘...as a self-conscious metaphor for western capital ploughing through choppy waters. In Godard’s film, the Concordia plays the role of a decadent limbo where the tourists drift listlessly amid the ritzy interiors. The passengers include a UN official and an elderly war criminal. The onboard entertainment comes courtesy of an unsmiling Patti Smith.

Socialism divided critics and left the audience with a foreboding sense of disaster.
 

 
Via the Guardian
 

I sure it’s a movie filled with joy and happiness.  A man or woman having a dream and working hard to achieve it. I’m sure of it. ~

I’d say a sequel was now, all of a sudden, obvious, but it occurs to me it’d be a little hard to film.

Did not occur to me until seeing this post what a perfect metaphor this shipwreck is for late period capitalism. The ship runs aground, the crew (the workers) are unable to help in the rescue due to poor training, the powers behind the boat (the banks) immediately blame the driver of the boat(the managers,the politicians), and the passengers(everyone else) have to fend for themselves in a situation they did not create, other than the fact that they got on the boat(joined the system) to begin with.

The lesson being don’t get on the boat!!!!!

Pretty much sums up the system as we know it. And if we all wait for outside help we are going to drown.

I do not wish to belittle this tragedy, or make light of the fact that lives were lost and people suffered. So apologies in advance if this has offended anyone.

It never recovered from the weight of Patti Smith’s ego.

“It never recovered from the weight of Patti Smith’s ego”

Perhaps Patti does have a big ego, but all the great artists did.

Although I was never really a Patti Smith acolyte or trufan, I did just finish “Just Kids” and yeah, she shows us she had a big ego but she also confirms our suspicions about what made her what she is and why she’s so important.

Imagine growing up with a parent that was also some world-beloved artist or visionary: “There she goes again” is what you’d probably say when that famous parent started talking. But then, as you grew older and paid attention to what they were saying, you realized that it was really important and wonderful after all. That’s what it’s like reading Just Kids.

Patti Smith is indeed an incredibly talented performer, but after seeing that documentary about her, I’ve found her to be rather self-important.  Some things should not be documented by film, and her sycophantic world is one of them. Got to hand it to her, it only took her 40 years, but she finally snagged a place in valid European art cinema.

Godard has a nose for sinking ships. Cruise ships are for people who don’t want to remember that ships want to sink. Every time you set foot on a boat you should feel death sucking at the hull. If you don’t feel that, then a cruise is for you.

I thought the scenes on board the boat were stunning. To my knowledge, no one has ever used a ship that way in film before.