IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

One of the stranger cinematic trends of the 1960s was the popularity of the European omnibus film.  These movies, such as Boccaccio ’70 (1962), Ro.Go.Pa.G. (1963), and Spirits of the Dead (1968), were collections of three or more short films, loosely connected around a specific theme, in which each segment was directed by a different celebrated filmmaker.  Such master directors as Vittorio De Sica, Luchino Visconti, Louis Malle, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and Federico Fellini all participated in one or more of these omnibus projects; but despite the top-flight talent, the movies rarely worked.  Being that each short segment within the omnibus was produced by a different writing/directing team, the segments tended to be incompatible with each other.  Omnibus films were uneven at best; and it was not unusual for a single segment to outshine and outclass all of the other short films packaged together with it.

All of the above is true regarding, The Oldest Profession (1967), one of the least remembered of the European omnibuses.  The film consists of six 20-minute segments, each centered around the theme of “prostitution through the ages,” covering human experience from the Stone Age through an imagined future.  For producers, the idea of combining the popularity of the omnibus film with a subject that would allow them to display some of the biggest European sex symbols in various states of undress must have seemed to be a “can’t lose” opportunity.  Unfortunately, the movie underperformed, and the film faded into relative obscurity, awaiting to be rediscovered on home video.

The film begins with “The Prehistoric Era,” a segment directed by Franco Indovina, in which Brit (Michèle Mercier), a young cave woman in a fur bikini, enlists the help of a cave painter (Enrico Maria Salerno) to entice the richest of the Neanderthals.  This is followed by “Roman Nights,” directed by Mauro Bolognini, in which Caesar Flavius (Gastone Moschin) visits a whorehouse only to discover the Empress (Elsa Martinelli) working there.  Both segments are inoffensive but utterly forgettable.

Things improve with segments three to five.  In “Mademoiselle Mimi,” directed by Phillipe de Broca, Jeanne Moreau stars as the Napoleonic era prostitute of the title, who entertains a mysterious gentleman (Jean-Claude Brialy).  Next up is “The Gay Nineties,” directed by Michael Pfleghar, starring Raquel Welch at the height of her popularity and pulchritude.  And because Raquel Welch was a hard act to follow, director Claude Autant-Lara employed two beauties, Nadia Gray and France Anglade, in “Paris Today,” a story about a couple of working girls that use an ambulance for their lucrative liaisons.

Then comes a jolt of electricity!  The final segment, “Anticipation” by Jean-Luc Godard is an exhilarating work that reminds the viewer of the difference between a mere movie and the rapturous allure of pure cinema.  The segment, shot in stark, high-contrast Black & White, is set in an imagined future in which a Soviet-American astronaut (Jacques Charrier) visits Earth and selects a feminine companion from a catalog provided at the airport.  When his concubine arrives, he is disappointed, because while she is very willing to meet his physical needs, she does not speak.  While it is unusual (because one woman per day is the legal limit), his hosts provide him with a replacement courtesan (Anna Karina).  Unfortunately, while the new girl is trained in the art of alluring wordplay, she will not remove her clothing.  In this future, physical love and intellectual love are completely separate specialties.

Godard’s film outclasses the prior five segments in every conceivable way.  The script presents thought-provoking subject matter in a manner that is both humorous and slightly unnerving.  The cinematography and minimalist compositions are absolutely gorgeous.  And despite the salacious premise of the omnibus as a whole, Godard’s film is the only segment that manages to be erotic.  Whereas, the prior segments are a prolonged tease, Godard’s segment delivers the goods.  This single short film alone is worth the price of admission (or the cost of the Blu-ray).

Godard completists will need to add this film to their collections.  It makes an excellent companion piece to Godard’s Alphaville (1965), which also displays a minimalist sci-fi esthetic.  Like Alphaville, “Anticipation” has hardly aged at all, unlike other futuristic movies that followed.  Hopefully, Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray release will bring a new appreciation to this stunning short.

France-Italy-West Germany/C+B&W-115m./Dir: Claude Autant-Lara, Mauro Bolognini, Philippe de Broca, Jean-Luc Godard, Franco Indovina, Michael Pfleghar /Cast: Michèle Mercier, Enrico Maria Salerno, Elsa Martinelli, Gastone Moschin, Jeanne Moreau, Jean-Claude Brialy, Raquel Welch, Martin Held, Nadia Gray, France Anglade, Jacques Charrier, Anna Karina

For fans of: If you like the early films of Jean-Luc Godard, particularly Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution (1965). you will definitely enjoy the final segment of The Oldest Profession.

Video: Kino Lorber’s The Oldest Profession [Blu-ray] is supposedly derived from a new restoration completed by Gaumont in France.  While there are no noticeable scratches or speckles on the print, the color and contrast both appear a bit weak.  It may be that this is the best that The Oldest Profession can look from the current elements available.  However, I suspect that the film originally looked more vibrant and colorful on its original release.  Being that the Godard sequence is mostly filmed in high contrast Black & White, it looks better than the 95 minutes that proceed it.

Happily, the Blu-ray includes the original, subtitled, 115-minute European version of the film, in addition to the 93-minute U.S. dubbed cut.  For American audiences, this is likely the first time they have seen the uncut version; and its inclusion is especially valuable, because Godard’s film fares worst in the U.S. cut.  Several of the early scenes in “Anticipation” were cut entirely, in order to remove photos of nude women and sexually suggestive drawings from the U.S. release.  In addition, a later nude scene was transferred to photo negative to obscure the nudity, and color tints were added to the stark black and white photography throughout the short.  Yuck.  Thankfully, we can now see the short film as Godard intended.

Here are the full contents of the Kino Lorber release:

• Original French version (115 min)
• U.S. cut of the film (93 min)
• Theatrical Trailer
• Optional English subtitles

Streaming: At the time of this review, The Oldest Profession was not available on any of the major streaming services.

More to Explore: If you are interested in checking out additional European omnibus films, you can start with the few I mentioned at the top of this review.  However, I’d stick with the prostitution angle and watch a double feature of Irma La Douce (1963) and Belle de jour (1967).

Trivia: The “Anticipation” segment of The Oldest Profession is the last of seven films Godard made with his then ex-wife Anna Karina.

For more info: There are multiple English-langange books available on director Jean-Luc Godard, including Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard by Richard Brody.