Browse Movies : 2004 : Rating Not Available : O

Kat, a brand new journalism grad, has landed her first big job. It's in Hawaii and she couldn't be more excited. All it requires is an upbeat personality, good instincts and a lot of perseverance. But Kat is finding the work harder than she ever imagined. For one thing, her prey - an elusive big wave surfer named "The Monk" – doesn't intend to be found, and the friendly locals are being somewhat less than helpful. Her uninvited boyfriend is driving her crazy, her ex-surfer guide has been on the losing end of too many waves, the geek she's reporting to is falling in love with her, and she's wanted by the FBI. What's a girl to do? Kat realizes too late that finding "The Monk" will cost her more than she could ever afford. But can she foresee that she'll wind up finding herself?

The film follows the structure of Dante's masterwork, beginning in Hell. In Godard's hands, hell becomes a devastating but beautifully collected montage of war images. War - be it World War II, Algeria, Vietnam, Israel or Bosnia - is a constant in his films, but never has he pieced together an assemblage of such poetic power. Purgatory finds Godard himself in Sarajevo, where he has been invited to attend a European literary conference with other artists and writers. Here we are introduced to a young French-Jewish journalist based in Israel who has come to Sarajevo to see a place "where reconciliation is possible." Paradise is the most enigmatic section of the film, where the journalist finds peace by the water on a small beach guarded by American Marines.