The Image Book (bc30)
圖像策 (bc30)
Nothing but silence. Nothing but a revolutionary song.
6.3/10 Mixed 85 votes
- Released
- 17 Sep 2026
- Runtime
- 85 min
- Certificate
- Category III
- Original title
- Le Livre d'image
- Language
- fr
The verdict
Audiences rate it 6.3 out of 10 on TMDB across 85 votes — a mixed reception. It is playing 2 times at 1 cinema across 1 district, from HK$100. The cheapest seat is at Broadway Cinematheque in Yau Ma Tei, HK$100. Category III · 85 minutes.
What it is about
As Godard approaches 90, he offers us another meditative reflection on the technologies and implications of cinema, in counterpoint to the atrocities of the Holocaust, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and struggles across the Middle East. In five chapters, which Godard likens to the five fingers of the hand, he recycles images, sounds, and ideas from previous works, but also explores new territory. Recalling his collage masterpiece Historie(s) of Cinema, The Image Book is Godard’s self-penned eulogy that shows him pushing the manipulation of image and sound to a new level as he pours out his pained analysis of who and what we are now.
What to expect
Godard’s final feature, made in his late eighties, is assembled almost entirely from pre-existing footage—clips from his own movies, old Hollywood, newsreels, and phone-shot video—layered with snatches of music, narration, and text. The five-chapter structure moves through violence, war, and the Middle East, but the experience is less an argument than a stream of distressed, overdriven image and sound. Colours are pushed to breaking point, audio cuts in and out, and the subtitles sometimes reduce dialogue to single words. At 85 minutes it is compact, but the density and deliberate ugliness make it feel longer. It plays in French with English and traditional Chinese subtitles, carries a Category III certificate (strictly 18+), and opens in Hong Kong on 17 September 2026. Audience scores sit at 6.3/10 from 85 votes—not a consensus, but a sign that it divides people sharply. Worth a look if you want to see a filmmaker dismantle his own medium one last time; a frustrating sit if you need a story.
Trailer
Cast
-
Jean-Luc Godard
Narrator (voice) -
Anne-Marie Miéville
Narrator (voice) -
Jean-Pierre Gos
Narrator (voice) -
Buster Keaton
(archive footage) -
Jean Gabin
(archive footage) -
Douglas Fairbanks
(archive footage) -
Jean Marais
(archive footage) -
Jean Cocteau
(archive footage) -
Wallace Beery
(archive footage) - Jules Berry (archive footage)
-
Eddie Constantine
(archive footage) -
Roberto Cobo
(archive footage) -
Danielle Darrieux
(archive footage) -
Josette Day
(archive footage) -
Jacques Perconte
(archive footage)
Crew
- Director Jean-Luc Godard
- Writer Jean-Luc Godard
- Editor Fabrice Aragno
- Editor Jean-Paul Battaggia
- Editor Nicole Brenez
- Editor Jean-Luc Godard
- Producer Fabrice Aragno
- Producer Mitra Farahani
- Producer Georges Schoucair
Where to watch it
2 screenings at 1 cinema over the next week, from HK$100.
| Cinema | District | Formats | Screenings | Next | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadway Cinematheque | Yau Ma Tei | — | 2 | Mon 19:50 | HK$100 cheapest |
Prices and times are as published by the cinemas and can change. Cinema names link through to the full timetable and booking.
Common questions
- How long is the movie?
- 85 minutes.
- What certificate does it have in Hong Kong?
- Category III—strictly for ages 18 and above.
- What language is it in and are there subtitles?
- French, with English and traditional Chinese subtitles.
- Is it suitable for children?
- No. The Category III rating means no one under 18 is admitted, and the movie’s experimental, thematically heavy content is not aimed at young viewers.
