(Paris) The autograph manuscript of Contemptcult film by Jean-Luc Godard, having belonged to Brigitte Bardot, was sold Thursday for more than 300,000 euros, announced the auction house Christie’s more than a month after the death of the master of the New Wave.
Posted at 3:00 p.m.
The manuscript consists of 59 pages in blue ink and 24 typed pages, many of which are annotated and corrected by the hand of the Franco-Swiss director.
It contains a note from Italian writer Alberto Moravia, whose screenplay is adapted, and notes and words from the film’s performers: Bardot, Michel Piccoli, Jack Palance and director Fritz Lang, who appears in his own role.
Initially estimated at between 120,000 and 180,000 euros, it was sold for 302,400 euros ($408,000), including costs.
“This is the complete manuscript of the first version of the film, without the ‘naked’ scenes imposed on the director by the American production of the film”, and in particular the legendary opening scene, between Michel Piccoli and Brigitte Bardot, had specified Christie’s when announcing the sale.
It is the “only known handwritten version of the screenplay” of this film released in 1963, which belonged to Brigitte Bardot before she sold it to her photographer friend Ghislain Dussart, known as Jicky.
A monument in the history of world cinema, Jean-Luc Godard died on September 13 at the age of 91.