2023 Blind Spot Series: La Chinoise

 

Based on the novel Demons by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, La Chinoise, ou plutot a la Chinoise: un film en train de se faire (The Chinese, or rather, in the Chinese manner: a film in the making) is the story of five Maoist activists in Paris as they try to figure out their place in the world as well as hoping to change things through forms of terrorism. Written for the screen and directed by Jean-Luc Godard, the film is a political drama that explores a group of young people in their study of Maoism as a way to deal with the chaos of the world as the film marks a crucial trajectory for Godard in the films he would do later in the 1960s and in the 1970s. Starring Jean-Pierre Leaud, Anne Wiazemsky, Juliet Berto, and Michel Semeniako. La Chinoise is a provocative and riveting film from Jean-Luc Godard.

Set largely in a Parisian apartment during the course of the summer, the film revolves around five students from Parisian suburbs who have become Maoist activists as they try to figure out how to carry their ideals to the world with terrorism being a key suggestion. It is a film that explores a group of young people who are troubled by the state of their surroundings as they’ve been inspired by the actions of Communist China under the rule of Mao Zedong. It is a film with a straightforward narrative where Jean-Luc Godard uses the Dostoyevsky novel and set it in modern-day France during a tumultuous time of social disorder that would set the stage for the events of May of 1968. For these five people, they listen to Radio Peking and other Maoist propaganda in the hope they can achieve something in France but also deal with other factions relating to communism as they have different views. Even as the continuous studies and such would also create discord within the group about what to do.

Godard’s direction is stylish as it is set almost entirely in this apartment in Paris where there are five people who live there as they’re all idealists lead by the couple Guillaume (Jean-Pierre Leaud) and Veronique (Anne Wiazemsky) as they’re joined by the country girl Yvonne (Juliet Berto) and the student Henri (Michel Semeniako) as well as another figure known as Kirilov (Lex de Brujin) who would play a bigger role. Aside from a visitor in an African student in Omar (Omar Blondin Diop), the group remains isolated as Godard maintains an intimacy in the direction while also breaking the fourth wall at times to show a few crew members filming the actors. There are a lot of close-ups and medium shots that play into the intimacy such as the characters in a room that is filled with a lot of copies of the Little Red Book in the background as all of the characters carry a copy of that book with them. Godard does use some wide shots as there are shots of areas in France as well as parts of Paris that portrays a society that is being overtaken by ideas of the bourgeoisie which these students are opposed to.

The direction also has Godard create these moments where characters are carrying objects that transform into machine guns as well as make some commentary on the Vietnam War as well as their own opposition towards American foreign policy. Even as there are moments of Yvonne playing a Vietnamese woman being attacked by toy American jets to explain the chaos of the war as it also allude to their own disdain towards the Soviet Union’s idea of communism. By the time the film reaches its third act where members of the group diverge in ideals as the four principle characters do get a segment where they talk with Henri talking about what happened to him while a scene set in a train where Veronique talks about terrorism with political activist Francis Jeanson over his role in the Algerian war as he is troubled by Veronique’s views as it does play into the fallacies on revolutions. Overall, Godard crafts a compelling and gripping film about a group of political activists turning to terrorism to get their message through during a tumultuous time in France during the 1960s.

Cinematographer Raoul Coutard does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography in capturing the vibrancy of the color red throughout the film with many of its interior shots being straightforward yet colorful along with its exteriors in some of its greyer settings. Editors Delphine Desfons and Agnes Guillemot do excellent work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts and other stylish cuts to play into the film’s unconventional presentation but also for dramatic effect. Costume designer Gitt Magrini does fantastic work with the costumes from the sweaters that Guillaume wears to the war cap that Veronique would sometimes wear. The sound work of Rene Levert does superb work with the sound in capturing the natural elements of the sound on some locations but also in creating sound effects for some of the playful gunfire. The film’s music consist of original music by Michel Legrand and Karlheinz Stockhausen as well as classical pieces by Pierre Degeyter, Franz Schubert, and Antonio Vivaldi as the original is a mixture of pop and orchestral music to play into the events of the time including a song celebrating Mao while much of the classical music is played for dramatic effect.

The film’s incredible ensemble cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Jean-Claude Sussfeld as a getaway driver for a key scene late in the film, Omar Blondin Diop as a black-French student who appears to do a speech about his views on the world, Lex De Brujin as Kirilov as a student who doesn’t engage much in the discussions though he does have views of his own that supports the idea of terrorism, and Francis Jeanson as himself as the controversial political philosopher who is against Veronique’s views as well as wanting to use terrorism as he is someone who goes into the fallacies of his own actions in the Algerian war as well as the flaws of revolutions. Michel Semeniako is fantastic as Henri as a student who is a follower of the Maoist ideals but then starts to question things as he would later comment on his own future but also the faults of Maoism.

Juliet Berto is excellent as Yvonne as a young student from the country who is hoping to use Maoist to help with plight of workers as she also the lack of progress that occurs in revolutions. Jean-Pierre Leaud is amazing as Guillaume as a student who is eager to play a role in the revolution as he then starts to disagree with Veronique later on as he also copes with the lack of progress in revolutions. Finally, there’s Anne Wiazemsky in a phenomenal performance as Veronique as a young student who is a fervent follower of Mao and his ideals as she realizes what is necessary despite the many faults of her views as she also copes with the fallacies of revolutions.

La Chinoise is a tremendous film from Jean-Luc Godard. Featuring a great ensemble cast, vibrant visuals, a riveting music soundtrack, and its focus on political ideals and the chaos that it would predict. It is a film that isn’t just one of Godard’s finest films during the French New Wave period but also a film that says a lot about young people’s fascination with terrorism and other acts of violence for the sake of change with its many fallacies. In the end, La Chinoise is a spectacular film from Jean-Luc Godard.

Jean-Luc Godard Films: All the Boys are Called Patrick - Charlotte et son Jules - A Bout de Souffle - The Little Soldier - A Woman is a Woman - Vivre sa Vie - Les Carabiniers - Contempt - Bande a Part - A Married Woman - Alphaville - Pierrot Le Fou - Masculin Feminin - Made in U.S.A. - Two or Three Things I Know About Her - Weekend (1967 film) - Sympathy for the Devil (One Plus One) - (Joy of Learning) – (British Sounds) – Tout va Bien - (Letter to Jane) - (One A.M.) - (Number Two) - (Here and Elsewhere) - (Every Man for Himself) - (Passion) - (First Name: Carmen) - Hail, Mary - (Soft and Hard) - (Detective) - (King Lear (1987 film)) - (Keep Your Right Up) - (Nouvelle Vague) - (Allemagne 90 neuf zero) - (JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December) – For Ever Mozart - (Historie(s) de Cinema) - (In Praise of Love) - (Notre musique) - (Film Socialisme) - (Adieu au Language) – (The Image Book)

© thevoid99 2023

Hail, Mary

 

Written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard, Je vous salue, Marie (Hail, Mary) is the story of a teenage girl who finds herself pregnant despite the fact that she never had sex as she also deals with her taxi-driver boyfriend. The film is an exploration of an unconventional pregnancy as well as the role of faith trying to deal with this phenomenon. Starring Myriem Roussel, Thierry Rode, Philippe Lacoste, Manon Andersen, Malachi Jara Kohan, Anne Gautier, Johan Leysen, and Juliette Binoche. Je vous salue, Marie is a riveting and provocative film from Jean-Luc Godard.

The film revolves around a young woman in her teens whose encounter with a stranger who claims that she will be pregnant has that claim come true much to the shock of her taxi-driver boyfriend. The film is an exploration of this chaste and virginal woman in her late teens as she deals with this unexpected pregnancy with many questions about miracles, faith, and identity with a paralleling narrative involving a young woman having an affair with her professor as it play into the theories on extraterrestrial life. Jean-Luc Godard’s screenplay is largely straightforward as it plays into the plight of its titular character (Myriem Roussel) who is just a regular teenage girl who plays for her school basketball team and reads a lot of books while her college dropout boyfriend Joseph (Thierry Rode) works as a taxi driver who is having an affair with another student in Juliette (Juliette Binoche) that wants to take their relationship forward. The fact that Mary is a virgin and her encounter with this actor named Gabriel (Philippe Lacoste) who is accompanied by a young girl (Manon Andersen) adds to the chaos of Mary’s unexpected pregnancy with Joseph troubled by what he has to do.

Godard’s direction is offbeat for the fact that he shoots everything in a static shot where the camera rarely moves throughout the entirety of the film. Shot on various locations in Switzerland, Godard maintains a simplicity to the film as it is shot on a 1:33:1 aspect ratio as well as using long shots to play into the drama and only cutting when he needs to as there are some wide shots to establish the locations. Yet, much of the film is intimate in its overall presentation with the close-ups and medium shots as it play into not just the struggles that Mary goes into but also the paralleling narrative involving Eva (Anne Gautier) and a professor (Johan Leysen) as much of that narrative is told through medium and wide shots as it play into their beliefs of an extraterrestrial theory. There are a lot of Biblical references that Godard plays into this story that also includes Joseph’s own struggles over Mary’s pregnancy as he’s convinced he cheated on her as it play into his own contradictions into his own relationship with Juliette. Much of Godard’s direction also play into Mary’s struggles with her own body but also faith itself as she ponders what kind of role she is playing for God but also into why she has to be the one.

There are these shots of Mary nude including some medium-close-up shots of her bottomless where she asks Joseph to touch her but not physically based on Gabriel’s suggestion. It adds to this commentary on Mary dealing with her own sexuality and such but also how it relates to the spiritual while its third act is followed by birth but also the eventual aftermath of Eva’s relationship with her professor which also relates to Mary’s search for body and spirit in her own sexuality. Overall, Godard crafts a compelling and mesmerizing film about a young woman becoming a modern-day Virgin Mary.

Cinematographers Jacques Firmann and Jean-Bernard Menoud do amazing work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on luscious colors for the exterior daytime scenes in some of the countryside locations as well as maintaining a cold look to the scenes in the winter including for some interior scenes at night with some low-key lighting. Editor Anne-Marie Mieville does excellent work with the editing with its low-key approach to jump-cuts to play into some of the dramatic moments as well as keeping shots lingering for dramatic effect. The sound work of Francois Musy is superb for its natural approach to sound in capturing the atmosphere of the locations as well as its usage of music to drown out certain bits of characters conversing with one another. The film’s music soundtrack largely consists of classical pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonin Dvorak as it play into some of the drama but also in key moments that help play into Mary’s plight.

The film’s ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Johan Leysen as a professor who believes life comes from extraterrestrial beings as he has an affair with one of his students, Anne Gautier as the student Eva who has fallen for her professor and is intrigued by his ideas only to cope with the realities of the world, Manon Andersen as a young girl who accompanies Gabriel as a secretary of sorts as she would say some things to Mary that would haunt her, Malachi Jara Kohan as a young boy late in the film who would become this source of inspiration for Mary, and Juliette Binoche in a fantastic performance as a student Joseph is dating as she is eager to take their relationship to the next step while dealing with his feelings towards Mary.

Philippe Lacoste is excellent as Gabriel as an actor who makes a premonition towards Mary as he also is someone who is aware what is happening to her as he implores Joseph to support her. Thierry Rode is brilliant as Joseph as a college dropout who works as a taxi driver that is dealing with not just what happened to Mary but also the frustration but also his own affair with Juliette as it brings complication into what he wants in his life but also for Mary. Finally, there’s Myriem Roussel in a phenomenal performance as Mary as this young virginal woman whose chastity is shattered by this mysterious pregnancy as she deals with not just her own sexuality but also with the spiritual as she ponders her role in the world but also things about herself as a woman.

Je vous salue, Marie is an incredible film from Jean-Luc Godard featuring a great leading performance from Myriem Roussel. Along with its ensemble cast, ravishing visuals, and its study of womanhood, faith, and the mysteries of the world. It is a film that explores a mysterious pregnancy as a woman deals with this strange phenomenon that is happening in a modern world that forces some to question the spiritual but also the world of science. In the end, Je vous salue, Marie is a sensational film from Jean-Luc Godard.

Jean-Luc Godard Films: All the Boys are Called Patrick - Charlotte et son Jules - A Bout de Souffle - The Little Soldier - A Woman is a Woman - Vivre sa vie - Les Carabiniers - Contempt - Bande a Part - A Married Woman - Alphaville - Pierrot le fou - Masculin Feminin - Made in U.S.A. - Two or Three Things I Know About Her - La Chinoise – Weekend (1967 film) - Sympathy for the Devil (One Plus One) - (Joy of Learning) – (British Sounds) – Tout va Bien - (Letter to Jane) - (One A.M.) - (Number Two) - (Here and Elsewhere) - (Every Man for Himself) - (Passion) - (First Name: Carmen) - (Soft and Hard) - (Detective) - (King Lear (1987 film)) - (Keep Your Right Up) - (Nouvelle Vague) - (Allemagne 90 neuf zero) - (JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December) – For Ever Mozart - (Historie(s) de Cinema) - (In Praise of Love) - (Notre musique) - (Film Socialisme) - (Adieu au Language) – (The Image Book)

© thevoid99 2023

For Ever Mozart

 

Written, directed, and edited by Jean-Luc Godard, For Ever Mozart is the story of a French theatre troupe who travel to Sarajevo during the Bosnian War as they get captured as they try to reach their family and friends for help. The film is an episodic film that play into a group of people wanting to bring something good during a chaotic period in the 1990s in Europe. Starring Vicky Messica, Madeleine Assas, Ghalia Lacroix, and Frederic Pierrot. For Ever Mozart is a whimsical and offbeat film from Jean-Luc Godard.

The film is based on four different segments involving a French theatre troupe who decide to make a film in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War of the mid-1990s in the hope it would bring peace only for a few of the actors to be captured. It is a film that doesn’t have much of a plot as it often features dialogue relating to the ideas of cinema and art during wartime and how they hope it can help people. The narrative is broken down to four chapters as the first revolves around this theatre troupe coming together about taking part of a project by this aging filmmaker as the second chapter have the group and filmmaker arriving in Bosnia yet the latter chooses to abandon them where they get a closer look at the chaos of war. The third segment revolves around the filmmaker on a beachside area making his film while it would play into the reality of what modern audiences want instead of the film they’re presenting with its fourth and final segment being a concert in which a young man dresses up like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Jean-Luc Godard’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of his compositions as it is shot largely on locations in Switzerland and France with the latter for scenes on the beach as it plays into Europe emerging into the 21st Century with war still ongoing in Bosnia. While it is presented in a 1:66:1 aspect ratio to get a look into some of the locations in some of its wide and medium shots, Godard does maintain a simplicity in his presentation while adding elements of absurdity as it relates to the story. Even as it also play into discussions of literature as well as these scenes of these young actors walking through Bosnia as they get captured where they see the action of Serbian military officials. Also serving as editor, Godard keeps much of the editing straightforward with a few dissolves and fade-to-black for stylistic reasons as it play into the drama but also this air of discussion into the role art has in the world as well as how it would respond during wartime. Even as the film’s final segment is about the futility of art and its place in the world despite changing times and chaotic events in the world. Overall, Godard crafts an unconventional yet engaging film about a filmmaker and actors trying to stage a project in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War.

Cinematographers Katell Dijan, Jean-Pierre Fedrizzi, and Christophe Pollock do amazing work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of vibrant colors in many of the film’s exteriors as well as some natural lighting for some of the daytime interior/exterior settings including its final segment. Production designer Ivan Niclass does excellent work with the look of home office of the filmmaker as well as some of the hotel suites that the filmmaker’s entourage live in. Costume designers Marina Zuliani and Nadine Butin do fantastic work with the costumes ranging from some of the stylish clothing the actors were for the third segment as well as the clothes of the man playing Mozart. The sound work of Francois Musy, Jacques Descomps, and Olivier Burgaud is brilliant for the way mortar bombs, gunfire, and tanks sound from afar or up close as well as the way many of the natural sounds are presented on location. The film’s music soundtrack largely features stock music by Ketil Bjornstad, Jon Christensen, David Darling, Ben Harper, and Gyorgy Kurtag that play into some of the drama as much of its soundtrack features music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The film’s wonderful cast feature some notable small roles from Michele Francini as the man funding the film, Sabine Bail as the financier’s girlfriend, Berangere Allaux as an actress appearing in the film, and Euryale Winter as a musician who dresses up like Mozart for a concerto. Ghalia Lacroix is fantastic as Jamilla as a maid for the filmmaker who joins the gang to act only to deal with the chaos of war as well as being an object of desire for the Serbian soldiers. Frederic Pierrot is excellent as Jerome as the director’s nephew who is also an actor as he also has some feelings for his cousin and co-star. Madeleine Assas is brilliant as the actress Camille who is also the filmmaker’s daughter as she deals with the chaos of war as she is an idealist hoping that this project would help stop the war. Finally, there’s Vicky Messica as the aging filmmaker as a man who wants to create a project as he deals with being in Bosnia as he later copes with the chaos around him as well as the troubling aspects of making a film that doesn’t have any commercial prospects.

For Ever Mozart is a remarkable film from Jean-Luc Godard. While it is a film that doesn’t have a strong plot in favor of being an experimental film with an unconventional narrative that is nonsensical at times. It is still a fascinating film that play into the idea of art trying to bring some escapism during a time of war. In the end, For Ever Mozart is a marvelous film from Jean-Luc Godard.

Jean-Luc Godard Films: All the Boys Are Called Patrick - Charlotte et son Jules - A Bout de Souffle - The Little Soldier - A Woman is a Woman - Vivre sa Vie - Les Carabiniers - Contempt - Bande a Parte - A Married Woman - Alphaville - Pierrot le fou - Masculin Feminin - Made in U.S.A. - Two or Three Things I Know About Her - La Chinoise – Weekend (1967 film) - Sympathy for the Devil (One Plus One) - (Joy of Learning) – (British Sounds) – Tout va Bien - (Letter to Jane) - (One A.M.) - (Number Two) - (Here and Elsewhere) - (Every Man for Himself) - (Passion) - (First Name: Carmen) - Hail, Mary - (Soft and Hard) - (Detective) - (King Lear (1987 film)) - (Keep Your Right Up) - (Nouvelle Vague) - (Allemagne 90 neuf zero) - (JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December) - (Historie(s) de Cinema) - (In Praise of Love) - (Notre musique) - (Film Socialisme) - (Adieu au Language) – (The Image Book)

© thevoid99 2023

Tout va bien

 

Written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Pierre Gorin, Tout va bien (Everything’s All Right) is the story of an American reporter and her has-been French New Wave filmmaker husband who go to a sausage factory to report on a strike that is happening. The film is an exploration of two people capturing a strike that is happening as it play into the events of May of ’68 in France as well as the many fallacies of revolutions in the aftermath of that event. Starring Jane Fonda, Yves Montand, and Vittorio Caprioli. Tout va bien is an intriguing though messy film from Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Pierre Gorin.

Set four years after the chaotic events of May of ’68 in France, the film revolves around a has-been filmmaker and his American reporter wife who go to a sausage factory where it has been taken over by the workers as they’re locked inside the manager’s office with the manager. It is a film that explore this air of social and political chaos that is emerging in a factory with leftist workers trying to get better wages and such as they would humiliate the factory manager to show the shit they had to endure from him. The film’s screenplay doesn’t really have a straightforward narrative as much of its first two acts is set largely in the factory with glimpses of life outside of the factory for the filmmaker Jacques (Yves Montand) and his American wife Suzanne (Jane Fonda) in their occupations and married life. Even as they are locked in an office with the factory manager (Vittorio Caprioli) as there are scenes where there is narration as it play into what is going on with characters talking about their political and social situations.

The film’s direction from Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Pierre Gorin is stylish in not just mixing documentary filmmaking style with a narrative style as there are scenes in the factory where it is shot inside a studio set. Notably as there’s this wide tracking dolly-shot where Godard and Gorin shoot the entire factory set from room to room as it plays into the sense of chaos but also people trying to figure out what to do next. There are also close-ups and medium shots that occur including a close-up in which a young woman (Anne Wiazemsky) talks about the demands of the workers but also a lot of fallacies into Leftist views as they would want more and more in a largely-capitalist society.

The direction also has these elements that play into these moments of chaos as it relates to the struggles of the working class and their disdain for the bourgeoisie through these brief breaks from the narrative yet the third act when Jacques and Suzanne are released from the factory is where things become really uneven. Notably as it play into what Jacques and Suzanne are doing and the compromises they make as it feels like it is part of something else with a scene late in the film in which Suzanne is in a market where it is this commentary on capitalism but there’s a man spouting communist rhetoric in the middle of the market while a bunch of young people are running around and announcing that everything in the market is free with police coming in to stop the chaos. It is a moment that is entrancing visually but its message into these clashing ideals ends up being all about nothing as it showcases the many fallacies of political ideals while it’s ending is really a non-ending in which the narrator speaks with a woman about how to end the film. Overall, Godard and Gorin craft a fascinating but uneven film about a filmmaker and his reporter wife trying to understand the social and political chaos inside a sausage factory.

Cinematographer Armand Marco does brilliant work with the film’s editing as it is largely straightforward to play into the film’s documentary-like tone but also with some vibrant colors for the interior scenes inside the factory. Editors Claudine Merlin and Kenout Peltier do terrific work with the editing as it has some jump-cuts to play into some the action and chaos while much of it is straightforward for some of the long shots in the film. Production designer Jacques Dugied does amazing work with the look of the interiors of the factory with great attention to detail in its stage-like setting. The special effects by Jean-Claude Dolbert and Paul Trielli do wonderful work with some of the film’s minimal effects as it play into the sets but also in the work that Jacques does. The sound work of Antoine Bonfanti and Bernard Ortion is superb as it is largely straightforward in the atmosphere of the factory and in the occupations that Jacques and Suzanne have in their lives.

The film’s excellent ensemble cast feature small roles from Eric Chartier, Castel Casti, Elizabeth Chauvin, and Hughette Mieville as factory employees rebelling against their boss, Louis Bugette as an old employee who talks about the conditions in the factory, Pierre Oudrey as a man working for the workers in getting their demands, Anne Wiazemsky as a Leftist woman talking in a monologue about the fallacies of the workers’ demands, and Vittorio Caprioli as the factory owner who is annoyed by the negotiation tactics as well as the humiliation of enduring the troubling working conditions his employees had to endure.

Yves Montand is brilliant as Jacques as a once-revered filmmaker who does commercials for a living who goes to the factory to help his wife’s report where he is later troubled by his experience as well as his disillusionment with politics. Finally, there’s Jane Fonda in an incredible performance as Suzanne as an American reporter working for an American company in France who goes to this factory as she finds herself siding with the workers but feels compromised by the people she works for while also dealing with her own marital issues as she copes with the chaos around her but also in her own life.

Tout va bien is a superb film from Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Pierre Gorin. While it does a messy and uneven narrative with political commentary that is all over the place. It is still a fascinating film that explore the lessons learned and unlearned following the events of May ’68 as well as being a film that explore a certain period in Godard’s career that had him stray away from narrative-based films. In the end, Tout va bien is a terrific yet flawed film from Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Pierre Gorin.

Jean-Luc Godard Films: All the Boys are Called Patrick - Charlotte et son Jules - A Bout de Souffle - The Little Soldier - A Woman is a Woman - Vivre sa Vie - Les Carabiniers - Contempt - Bande a Part - A Married Woman - Alphaville - Pierrot le fou - Masculin Feminin - Made in U.S.A. - Two or Three Things I Know About Her - La Chinoise – Weekend (1967 film) - Sympathy for the Devil (One Plus One) - (Joy of Learning) - (British Sounds) - (Letter to Jane) - (One A.M.) - (Number Two) - (Here and Elsewhere) - (Every Man for Himself) - (Passion) - (First Name: Carmen) - Hail, Mary - (Soft and Hard) - (Detective) - (King Lear (1987 film)) - (Keep Your Right Up) - (Nouvelle Vague) - (Allemagne 90 neuf zero) - (JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December) - For Ever Mozart - (Historie(s) de Cinema) - (In Praise of Love) - (Notre musique) - (Film Socialisme) - (Adieu au Language) – (The Image Book)

© thevoid99 2022

A Married Woman

 

Written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard, Une femme mariee` (A Married Woman) is the story of a woman who is in love with two men as she deals with not just her own affair with another man but also being married to a man she’s still in love with. The film is an exploration of adultery as well as a woman tempted by her own passion. Starring Macha Meril, Bernard Noel, and Philippe Leroy. Une femme mariee` is a ravishing and intoxicating film from Jean-Luc Godard.

The film explores a woman who is married to a pilot with a young son from his previous marriage while is having an affair with another man as she is coping with the fact that she’s in love with two men. It is a film with a simple premise as it is more of a study of a woman’s passion and the complications she has created for herself as she is in love with two different men. Jean-Luc Godard’s screenplay is unconventional in its narrative approach as it sort of plays in a fragment yet straightforward approach as it opens and ends with its protagonist Charlotte (Macha Meril) sleeping with her lover Robert (Bernard Noel) as they just chat briefly while she claims that she is getting a divorce from her husband Pierre (Philippe Leroy) who is away in Berlin working as a pilot for private planes. Upon Pierre’s return, Charlotte spends time with him as they play around as it complicate matters for her pondering who should she be with as she also works as a model where her own thoughts on her love life is heightened by some revelations that would occur in its third act.

Godard’s direction is stylish in not just the way he opens and ends the film in a similar manner but also in the approach in how he plays into a woman’s desire and the need to choose a lover when it is really not that simple. While there are some wide shots in a lot of the locations set in Paris, much of Godard’s direction is intimate in its approach to framing such as close-ups and medium shots including these shots of Charlotte and Robert’s body parts being shown in intimate close-ups as well as some unique close-ups of Charlotte and Pierre as it adds to this fragmented presentation on Charlotte’s idea of love. Even as there are certain visual approach such as a shot of Charlotte at a pool doing model work as it’s presented in a negative black-and-white presentation while there are also a stylish slanted shot as it play into the world that Charlotte is in along with a play-fighting scene that is set in one entire take as the camera moves from room to room. The film’s third act as it play into a major life revelation for Charlotte as it play into what she wants and who she wants as its ending is ambiguous but also fitting for a woman who is caught in the middle of her own desires. Overall, Godard crafts a rapturous and evocative film about a married woman caught in a love triangle with her husband and her lover.

Cinematographer Raoul Coutard does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white cinematography as it is largely straightforward in its presentation with the exception of one sequence that play into its air of style. Editors Andree Choty, Francoise Collin, Agnes Guillemot, and Gerard Pollicand do excellent work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts as well as creating montages to play into Charlotte’s own thoughts of love. Production designer Henri Nogaret does fantastic work with the look of the apartment that Charlotte lives in with her family as well as the hotel that she and Robert would meet. The sound work of Antoine Bonafanti, Rene Levert, and Jacques Maumont is superb for its natural approach to sound as well as helping to set the mood with some of the voice overs that Charlotte would do for one sequence while its music soundtrack largely consists of music by Ludwig Van Beethoven.

The film’s wonderful cast feature notable small roles and appearances from Margaret Le-Van and Veronique Duval as a couple of women Charlotte eavesdrop on during a conversation about sex at the pool area, Rita Maiden as a maid who talks about her own sex life with her husband to Charlotte, Christophe Boursellier as Pierre’s son Nicolas, and Roger Leenhardt as a filmmaker friend of Pierre who would have dinner with Pierre and Charlotte as they discuss morality and other things during their dinner. Philippe Leroy is excellent as Charlotte’s husband Pierre as a pilot who has his own private plane company as he is someone that is often away but always devotes his attention to her and his son whenever he’s at home.

Bernard Noel is brilliant as Charlotte’s lover Robert who works as an actor that has unique views on life and love while is often wondering when Charlotte is going to get her divorce. Finally, there’s Macha Meril in a tremendous performance as Charlotte as a married woman who is dealing with being in love with two men as she is surrounded by advertisements to please men but also questioning herself as it is this enchanting performance of a woman struggling with who she is and what she wants.

Une femme mariee` is a phenomenal film from Jean-Luc Godard that features a great leading performance from Macha Meril. Along with its stylish visuals, somber music soundtrack of music from Ludwig Van Beethoven, and its study of adultery and desires. It is a film that isn’t just one of Godard’s more accessible films but also this compelling character study of a woman caught up in being in love with two men and trying to find a happy medium. In the end, Une femme mariee` is a sensational film from Jean-Luc Godard.

Jean-Luc Godard Films: All the Boys Are Called Patrick - Charlotte et Son Jules - A Bout de Souffle - The Little Soldier - A Woman is a Woman - Vivre Sa Vie - Les Carabiniers - Contempt- Bande a Part - Alphaville - Pierrot Le Fou - Masculin Feminin - Made in U.S.A. - Two or Three Things I Know About Her - La Chinoise – Weekend (1967 film) - Sympathy for the Devil (One Plus One) - (Joy of Learning) - (British Sounds) - Tout va Bien - (Letter to Jane) - (One A.M.) - (Number Two) - (Here and Elsewhere) - (Every Man for Himself) - (Passion) - (First Name: Carmen) - Hail, Mary - (Soft and Hard) - (Detective) - (King Lear (1987 film)) - (Keep Your Right Up) - (Nouvelle Vague) - (Allemagne 90 neuf zero) - (JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December) - For Ever Mozart - (Historie(s) de Cinema) - (In Praise of Love) - (Notre musique) - (Film Socialisme) - (Adieu au Language) – (The Image Book)

© thevoid99 2022

Le Coup du berger

 

Based on the short story Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat by Roald Dahl, Le Coup du berger (Fool’s Mate) is a short film about a woman who is having an affair with another man who bought her a new coat as they try to hide it from her husband. Directed by and narrated Jacques Rivette and screenplay by Rivette, Claude Chabrol, and Charles Bitsch, the short film is an exploration of a woman trying to hide her affair with this coat being the evidence of this affair. Starring Virginie Vitry, Anne Doat, Etienne Loinod, and Jean-Claude Brialy. Le Coup du berger is a witty and engaging film by Jacques Rivette.

The film is the simple story of a woman having an extramarital affair with another man who has purchased a new mink fur coat that they need to hide from her husband. It plays into this woman in Claire (Virginie Vitry) who is given this fur coat from her lover Claude (Jean-Claude Brialy) as they would hide it to avoid suspicion from her husband Jean (Etienne Loinod). The film also features narration where it play into Claire’s need to be one step ahead of her husband as if they’re playing chess until a mix-up over the coat emerges.

Rivette’s direction is definitely stylish in the way he shoots on location in Paris as it serves as a template for a lot of the films that would be part of the French New Wave. While there are a few wide shots including some scenes inside an apartment, much of Rivette’s direction is intimate in the way he presents this affair but also Claire’s need to hide her affair from her husband as she also gets help from her sister Solange (Anne Doat). Rivette’s usage of medium shots and hand-held camera for scenes in a car add to this energy within the film as well as playing up the suspense right to the film’s ending as it does play like a chess game as it include some rhythmic cuts from editor Denise de Casabianca who employ ideas that would become the jump-cut. Shot in black-and-white by co-writer Charles Bitsch, Rivette would maintain a distinctive look that add to the film’s energetic tone that is supported by Francois Couperin’s playful orchestral score. Overall, Rivette crafts a delightful and exhilarating short film about an adulterous wife’s attempt to hide a fur coat from her husband.

The film’s ensemble cast features cameo appearances from future filmmakers of the New Wave in Claude Chabrol, Francois Truffaut, and Jean-Luc Godard as well as Rivette as party guests at the film’s ending along with a fantastic performance from Anne Doat as Claire’s sister Solange who is always wearing clothes that Claire needs to hide. Etienne Loinod is superb as Claire’s husband who seems to not know anything until later in the film where he starts to act suspicious. Jean-Claude Brialy is excellent as Claude as a smooth and charismatic man who thinks he is clever although he would make a mistake that would get them into some trouble. Virginie Vitry is amazing as Claire as this beautiful woman who feels like her husband doesn’t do enough for her as she loves being with Claude but things get complicated over a mix-up as she ponders if the affair is worth all of the trouble.

Le Coup du berger is a phenomenal film from Jacques Rivette. Featuring a great cast, riveting visuals, and an engaging study of adultery and one-upmanship, it is a short film that isn’t just fun but also serves as a template of sorts of the ideas that would define a new era in cinema that would become the French New Wave. In the end, Le Coup du berger is a sensational film from Jacques Rivette.

Jacques Rivette Films: (Paris Belongs to Us) – (The Nun (1966 film)) – (L’amour fou) – (Out 1) – Celine and Julie Go Boating – (Duelle) – (Noroit) – (Merry-Go Round (1981 film)) – (Le Pont du Nord) – (Love on the Ground) – (Hurlevent) – (Gang of Four (1989 film)) – (La Belle Noiseuse) – (Joan the Maid) – (Up, Down, Fragile) – (Lumiere and Company-“Une aventure de Ninon”) – (Secret Defense) – (Va savoir) – (The Story of Marie and Julien) – (The Duchess of Langeais) – (Around a Small Mountain)

© thevoid99 2022

2019 Blind Spot Series: Weekend (1967 film)

Based on the short story Le autopista del Sur by Julio Cortazar, Weekend is the story of a bourgeoisie couple who travel to France to collect an inheritance as they encounter a world where everything is falling apart. Written for the screen and directed by Jean-Luc Godard, the film is an exploration of two people with secrets from each other as they’re forced to see a world that is in total chaos as it would mark the end of a style of storytelling for Godard for more than a decade as it plays into his interest towards political and social matters. Starring Mireille Darc, Jean Yanne, Georges Staquet, Juliet Berto, Jean Eustache, Jean-Pierre Leaud, and Yves Afonso. Weekend is a chilling yet abstract film from Jean-Luc Godard.

A trip through the French countryside for a bourgeoisie couple becomes a nightmare due to a world that has gone to shit. That is the film’s overall premise as it explores the idea of what happens when society and morality have all fallen by the wayside just as a couple go on a trip to collect an inheritance with each having their own intentions for themselves. Jean-Luc Godard’s screenplay does have a traditional narrative structure yet it is told in an abstract style as it breaks down the fourth wall at times but also would blur the idea of fantasy and reality along with elements of surrealism as the couple would meet real-life figures in literature, history, or in politics. It all play into a world that is coming apart as this couple in Corrine (Mireille Darc) and Roland (Jean Yanne) are trying to understand what is happening yet are desperate to reach their destination that becomes more troublesome as they have to endure the chaos around them including traffic jams, deaths, and people angry at the world.

Godard’s direction is definitely stylish in its offbeat approach yet it is filled with some haunting visuals that play into this idea of a world coming undone. Shot on various locations in France, Godard captures a world that is outside of Paris that is full of wonders where he shoots a Corrine and Roland both at their apartment as Roland is driving his car recklessly with no regards for anyone. There are some long shots that occur throughout the film whether it’s in a wide and medium shot or in a close-up where Godard would have characters talk about what is going on around them or a historical figure pop up and say something that has some relevance to the chaos that is happening in France during the 1960s that would have these dire premonitions of what was to come in May of 1968. Even as Corrine and Roland find themselves unable to get a ride to town after their car had crashed at the beginning of its second act due to political affiliations.

Godard’s direction would include these long and gazing dolly-tracking shots for the film’s traffic jam scene in the film’s first act as it shows Roland Corrine trying to get through this road of death, destruction, absurdity, and confusion. The tracking shots definitely capture a lot of coverage while they would be briefly interrupted by jump-cuts of title cards that would also include a scene of a camera going slowly in circle for a music break. It is Godard breaking away from the confines of traditional narrative while following this bourgeoisie couple who are traveling to receive an inheritance as the third act is about them reaching their destination and an aftermath that is more troubling as it relates to their secrets from one another but also this inhumanity they had endured throughout their journey where they end up encountering a guerilla task force. It would play into the conflict involving social classes as well as this growing civil disobedience over what the world has become. Overall, Godard crafts a provocative and unsettling film about a bourgeois couple’s trek through France where they encounter a world that has completely lost its purpose.

Cinematographer Raoul Coutard does brilliant work with the film’s gorgeous cinematography that captures the vibrancy of the colors in the clothes that Corinne and other characters wear as well as the look of the locations that showcase a world that is coming undone. Editor Agnes Guillemot does amazing work with the editing as it is playful with its usage of jump-cuts but also its usage of repetition and montages to play into this sense of remorse or lack of it. The sound work of Rene Levert and Antoine Bonfanti is excellent for its approach to sound in the way car horns, trucks, guns, and everything would sound from afar or up close as it help add to the film tense atmosphere of the film. The film’s music by Antoine Duhamel is fantastic for its offbeat musical score that ranges from somber orchestral pieces as well as a disconcerting drum-based piece that is actually played on location while the film also feature elements of classical music.

The film’s superb cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from filmmaker Jean Eustache as a hitchhiker, Omar Blondin Diop and Laszlo Szabo as a couple of garbage men who both have something to say about the state of the world for Africa and Algeria, Ernest Menzer as a FLSO cook, Michelle Breton as the assistant cook, Jean-Pierre Kaflon as the leader of a guerilla faction known as the FLSO, Valerie Lagrange as the leader’s lover, Paul Gegauff as a pianist performing classical music for the music break sequence, Anne Wiazemsky and Michel Cournot as a couple of barnyard passerby with Wiazemsky also playing a guide, Georges Staquet as a tractor operator who argues with Roland, and Jean-Claude Guilbert as a vagabond who fights with Roland. Jean-Pierre Leaud is terrific in a dual role as the French Revolution leader Louis Antoine Leon de Saint-Just and as a man on a telephone who tries to stop Roland and Corrine from stealing his car.

Yves Afonso is fantastic as the literary character Tom Thumb who comments about the state of the world while Blandine Jensen is excellent in a dual role as the author Emily Bronte who never gives any straight answers and as a piano accompanist for the pianist. Juliet Berto is brilliant in a dual role as a fellow bourgeoisie that Roland and Corrine encounter and as a FLSO fighter. Finally, there’s the duo of Mireille Darc and Jean Yanne in great performances in their respective roles as Corinne and Roland Durand as this bourgeois couple traveling through France to collect an inheritance for Corinne as she is someone eager to get money for her own reasons while dealing with the chaos around her. Yanne’s performance as Roland is a man who is manic and impulsive with little regard for anyone due to his reckless driving and nonchalant attitude towards others where he and Darc both display this air of inhumanity as two people with ulterior motives for each other as well as become lost in a world that is far crueler than they are.

Weekend is a spectacular film from Jean-Luc Godard. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, an abstract narrative, and themes of a world becoming undone by class conflicts, social issues, popular culture, and the sins of the Western Civilization. It’s a film that is definitely confrontational but also unafraid in being absurd and offbeat as it is definitely one of Godard’s quintessential films as well as a fitting end to his widely-revered French New Wave period. In the end, Weekend is a phenomenal film from Jean-Luc Godard.

Jean-Luc Godard Films: All the Boys are Called Patrick - Charlotte et son Jules - A Bout de Souffle - The Little Soldier - A Woman is a Woman - Vivre Sa Vie - Les Carabiniers - Contempt - Bande a Part - A Married Woman - Alphaville - Pierrot Le Fou - Masculin Feminin - Made in U.S.A. - Two or Three Things I Know About Her - La Chinoise - Sympathy for the Devil (One Plus One) - (Joy of Learning) - (British Sounds) - Tout va Bien - (Letter to Jane) - (One A.M.) - (Number Two) - (Here and Elsewhere) - (Every Man for Himself) - (Passion) - (First Name: Carmen) - Hail, Mary - (Soft and Hard) - (Detective) - (King Lear (1987 film)) - (Keep Your Right Up) - (Nouvelle Vague) - (Allemagne 90 neuf zero) - (JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December) - For Ever Mozart - (Historie(s) de Cinema) - (In Praise of Love) - (Notre musique) - (Film Socialisme) - (Adieu au Language) – (The Image Book)

© thevoid99 2019

Two or Three Things I Know About Her

Written for the screen and directed by Jean-Luc Godard from an article by Catherine Vimenet, Deux ou Trois choses que je sais d’elle (Two or Three Things I Know About Her) is the story of the life of a housewife who works as a prostitute to support her family as they live in a high-rise building in Paris. The film is the study of a woman dealing with an increasingly consumerist world that demands so much as it’s a film that explore many themes marking the start of a transitional period for Godard. Starring Marina Vlady, Anny Duperey, Robert Montsoret, Raoul Levy, Jean Narboni, and Christophe Boursellier. Deux ou Trois choses que je sais d’elle is a compelling yet unconventional film from Jean-Luc Godard.

The film follows the life of a housewife who at night works as a prostitute to pay off simple things such as bills and grocery for her family as they live in a high-rise building in Paris that is becoming dominated by ideas of capitalism and American products. It’s a film that is really an exploration about the increasing demands of modernism in Paris where this woman is struggling to get by as she has to prostitute herself to support her family where her husband works in a garage and listens to a ham radio about the Vietnam War. The film doesn’t really have a traditional narrative that follows the life of Juliette Jeanson (Marina Vlady) as she would comment about her own previous life before she and her family moved to Paris in this high-rise. Yet, much of the film features images of products, pictures of the Vietnam War, American pop culture, and references to books and films as it’s quietly narrated by Jean-Luc Godard who comments about the story he’s telling but also his growing disdain towards what Paris is becoming.

Godard’s direction does have elements of style in some of the compositions he creates yet much of his presentation is simple and emphasizes more on what is happening in and around Paris as it is a major character of the film. While Godard avoids many of the city’s famous landmarks in favor of places that are being built to display this modern version of the city that features lots of shots of big cranes and bridges and buildings being built. Godard would use wide shots as well as create careful compositions through his narration to showcase this ever-changing world that is losing its identity in favor of this bright and colorful world of American pop culture. Even in a scene where Juliette and a friend in Marianne (Anny Duperey) are doing a job with an American client in John Bogus (Raoul Levy) who is wearing an American t-shirt and such as he makes the two wear airline shopping bags on their heads.

There are also these moments that does stray from Juliette’s story where her husband Robert (Roger Montsoret) is listening to his ham radio while he’s in a scene talking to another woman (Juliet Berto) at a restaurant where a couple of men are reading books and such that relate to the political climate of the times. There are also these moments in the film where the fourth wall breaks as the actors would talk or look in front of the camera to answer certain questions from Godard who films them in a close-up or in a medium shot. Even as it add to this blur of reality and fiction but also this atmosphere that Godard is in where one can’t help but be overwhelmed by these surroundings and vast imagery of American products rampant all over the city. Overall, Godard creates a whimsical yet haunting film about the life of a housewife who supports her family as a prostitute in an ever-changing Paris filled with consumerism and modernism.

Cinematographer Raoul Coutard does brilliant work with the film’s colorful cinematography that captures the vibrancy of the locations and its colors as well as maintaining a look that is full of wonders in its modernist setting. Editors Francoise Collin and Chantal Delattre do excellent work with the editing as its stylish usage of jump-cuts and montages play into this sense of overwhelming images of modernism and a world where money and products become king. Costume designer Gitt Magrini does fantastic work with the costumes in the design of the dresses that the women wear as it add to the personality of the characters but also this pressure to be part of society because the clothes are what is fashionable. The sound work of Antoine Bonfanti and Rene Levert is terrific for its naturalistic approach to the sound as it add to this atmosphere of confusion and uncertainty while much of the film’s music soundtrack mainly features a classical piece by Ludwig Van Beethoven.

The film’s wonderful cast feature some notable small roles from Christophe Boursellier and Marie Boursellier as Juliette and Robert’s children, Juliet Berto as a young woman Robert talks to at a restaurant, Jean Narboni as a friend of Robert, Raoul Levy as an American client named John Bogus, and Anny Duperey as a young prostitute in Marianne who also deals with the demands of sex to support her own lifestyle. Roger Montsoret is superb as Juliette’s husband Robert as a mechanic who works at a garage to support his family as he becomes concerned with the state of the world including the Vietnam War. Finally, there’s Marina Vlady in an incredible performance as Juliette Jeanson as a housewife who copes with the increasing demands of her family’s new environment forcing herself to become a prostitute where she also deals with existential questions and such relating to her situation.

Deux ou Trois choses que je sais d’elle is a sensational film from Jean-Luc Godard. Featuring a great cast, Raoul Coutard’s vibrant cinematography, and its themes of Paris becoming modernized and driven by the ultra-consumerist world of American capitalism. It's a film that explore the life of a woman who is struggling to keep with the demands of modern society as the film would also mark a transitional period for Godard from straying from the conventions of traditional narratives in favor of exploring themes of politics and social issues. In the end, Deux ou Trois choses que je sais d’elle is a phenomenal film from Jean-Luc Godard.

Jean-Luc Godard Films: All the Boys Are Called Patrick - Charlotte et Son Jules - A Bout de Souffle - The Little Soldier - A Woman is a Woman - Vivre sa Vie - Les Carabiniers - Contempt - Bande a Part - A Married Woman - Alphaville - Pierrot Le Fou - Masculin Feminin - Made in U.S.A. - La Chinoise - Weekend – Sympathy for the Devil (One Plus One) - (Joy of Learning) - (British Sounds) - Tout va Bien - (Letter to Jane) - (One A.M.) - (Number Two) - (Here and Elsewhere) - (Every Man for Himself) - (Passion) - (First Name: Carmen) - Hail, Mary - (Soft and Hard) - (Detective) - (King Lear (1987 film)) - (Keep Your Right Up) - (Nouvelle Vague) - (Allemagne 90 neuf zero) - (JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December) - For Ever Mozart - (Historie(s) de Cinema) - (In Praise of Love) - (Notre musique) - (Film Socialisme) - (Adieu au Language) – (The Image Book)

© thevoid99 2019

The Little Soldier

Written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard, Le Petit Soldat (The Little Soldier) is the story of a young man who is being asked by French intelligence to kill an official who is believed to be a double agent where he ends up falling for a young woman who is supposedly working for the opposition. Set during the Algerian War, the film is an exploration of a man trying to not get involved only to be caught in the middle of an uneasy conflict. Starring Michel Subor, Anna Karina, and Henri-Jacques Huet. Le Petit Soldat is a riveting and chilling film from Jean-Luc Godard.

The film revolves around a young man who is a spy living in Geneva, Switzerland as he is asked by French intelligence to kill a man who is suspected to be a double agent working for the National Liberation Front of Algeria (FLN). Along the way, he meets a young woman who is supposedly working for the FLN as he falls for her which would complicate his mission. Jean-Luc Godard’s screenplay uses a simple premise to play into a man being caught in the middle of this conflict as the French spy Bruno Forestier (Michel Subor) as he remains wanted in France for refusing to enlist in the French army during the Algerian War where much of the film is told from his perspective as he would narrate everything he endures. He works in Geneva as a journalist as his cover yet French intelligence officials want him to kill a man and not get enlisted but things get complicated when he meets Veronica Dreyer (Anna Karina) whom he falls for though he is unsure if she’s affiliated with the FLN.

Godard’s direction does have elements of style in his approach to long takes and intimate shots as well as shooting scenes on actual locations as it is shot on location in Geneva and other parts of Switzerland. While Godard would shoot some wide shots of Geneva and various locations, much of his approach is focused on the action involving Bruno and the French intelligence officials he’s working for in scenes inside a car or at a room. The scenes involving Veronica are playful but also have some commentary about the fallacies of alliance such as a scene late in the third act where Bruno has this monologue about why he refuses to take part in either side as it relates to Veronica’s own supposed affiliation with FLN. The usage of hand-held cameras for these intimate moments including scenes where Bruno is being tortured by the FLN showcase the brutality of this conflict that is happening in Switzerland between two factions. Especially in how one side would react to another leading to this chaotic element that Bruno wants out of and with Veronica with him so they can live a life without conflict. Overall, Godard crafts a gripping and compelling film about a spy caught in the middle of a conflict where he’s asked to assassinate the opposition.

Cinematographer Raoul Coutard does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white cinematography with the way many of the exterior scenes at night look as well as the usage of low-key lights for the torture scenes. Editors Agnes Guillemot, Lila Herman, and Nadine Trintignant do excellent work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts to play into the action as well as creating cuts that help impact the suspense. The sound work of Jacques Maumont is superb for its natural approach to sound in the way gunfire or the atmosphere of a certain location is presented. The film’s music by Maurice Leroux is terrific as it is low key in its piano concerto presentation with some pieces by classical artists that is played on location.

The film’s wonderful ensemble cast include a few notable small roles from Godard as a man at the railway station, Laszlo Szabo as a friend of Bruno, Paul Beauvais as an intelligent officer working for the French, and Henri-Jacques Huet as the lead intelligence officer who orders Bruno to perform an assassination on this supposed double-agent. Michel Subor is fantastic as Bruno Forestier as a young spy that is tasked with an assassination assignment as he copes with what he has to do as well as the stakes prompting him to realize what it is all about as it’s an understated yet captivating performance. Finally, there’s Anna Karina in an amazing performance as Veronica Dreyer as it’s a lively and charming performance from Karina as a young woman whose loyalties and associations come into question as she also deals with the role she’s playing in this conflict as it is a joyful performance in her first of several collaborations with Godard.

Le Petit Soldat is an incredible film from Jean-Luc Godard that features brilliant performances from Michel Subor and Anna Karina. Along with its dazzling visuals and study of individuals caught up in a chaotic conflict, it’s a film that showcases some of the fallacies of war as well as two different people who want to live a life outside of conflict. In the end, Le Petit Soldat is a remarkable film from Jean-Luc Godard.

Jean-Luc Godard Films: All the Boys are Called Patrick - Charlotte et son Jules - A Bout de Souffle - A Woman is a Woman - Vivre Sa Vie - Les Carabiniers - Contempt - Bande a Part - A Married Woman - Alphaville - Pierrot Le Fou - Masculin Feminin - Made in U.S.A. - Two or Three Things I Know About Her - La Chinoise - Weekend – Sympathy for the Devil (One Plus One) - (Joy of Learning) - (British Sounds) - Tout va Bien - (Letter to Jane) - (One A.M.) - (Number Two) - (Here and Elsewhere) - (Every Man for Himself) - (Passion) - (First Name: Carmen) - Hail, Mary - (Soft and Hard) - (Detective) - (King Lear (1987 film)) - (Keep Your Right Up) - (Nouvelle Vague) - (Allemagne 90 neuf zero) - (JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December) - For Ever Mozart - (Historie(s) de Cinema) - (In Praise of Love) - (Notre musique) - (Film Socialisme) - (Adieu au Language) – (The Image Book)

© thevoid99 2018

Sympathy for the Devil (One Plus One)

Written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard, Sympathy for the Devil (One Plus One) is a documentary film about the recording of the titular song by the Rolling Stones that is inter-cut with segments relating to the political and social events of the late 1960s. The film marks the beginning of a period of experimental features for Godard in his movement away from traditional narrative while he chronicles one of the most popular bands at that time during a crucial period in their career. The result is a fascinating though uneven film from Jean-Luc Godard.

The film follows a series of recording sessions in June of 1968 by the Rolling Stones for a song that is to reflect into the chaos of that year entitled Sympathy for the Devil. During the course of the film as the Stones would try and create this song, the film would be inter-cut with dramatic segments featuring actors reading or giving their views on many social and political ideologies of the time. Yet, both narratives would often feature a brief jump-cut of someone spray painting political slogans all over London during the course of the film. It’s a film that has two very different things happening yet both segments would also feature commentaries by a narrator (the voice of Sean Lynch) reading stories on Marxism where it would often drown out some of the things that is happening or be drowned out by comments from those talking politics or the Stones playing music as well as sounds of jets flying in the air courtesy of sound mixers Derek Ball and Arthur Bradburn.

Both the segments involving the Stones and the political content are shot in long takes by Jean-Luc Godard with the aid of cinematographer Anthony B. Richmond as it follows not just what is going on but also in the environment. Whereas the Stones are seen recording at Olympic Studios in London, the political segments largely take place in different areas. There’s two different segments involving black militants talking about their own ideas while executing white women in one segment as it takes place in a junkyard near a river. A segment with actress Anne Wiazemsky as a character talking to people in the forest about what she thinks the state of the world and the different ideas of politics. There’s one segment taking place inside a bookstore where a Fascist reads a book on Fascism with two customers beaten and bloodied by other Fascist customers as the store is surrounded by comics, pulp novels, and nudie magazines.

The scenes involving the Stones recording Sympathy for the Devil shows the band hard at work trying to develop the song that would become one of their defining songs as vocalist Mick Jagger tries to find the right vocal tone for the song while guitarist Keith Richards would play bass on the song trying to find its groove. Drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman would provide their own contributions to the song as would session keyboardist Nicky Hopkins and producer Jimmy Miller. The scenes also showcase guitarist Brian Jones becoming less involved as there’s a major scene during the recording where the band plus Hopkins and percussionist Rocky Dijon are all playing in the circle while Jones is playing acoustic guitar in a booth behind Jagger. It is a moment that shows his diminishing role in the band as he would die more than a year after the recording of the song.

While the film does contain some rich cinematography by Richmond as well as some straightforward editing by Ken Rowes including the jump-cuts to showcase the young woman spray-painting slogans on walls around London. The film is definitely uneven largely due to the fact that Godard wants to create something that is a response to the events of 1968 as it’s really 2 different films. Yet, the film’s original intentions had Godard wanting to make something that is more political but clashes with one of the film’s producers in Iain Quarrier, who plays the role of a Fascist book seller, would complicate things as the resulting film that is shown is quite uneven. It’s uneven to audiences that thought they would see a film about the Stones in their prime only to see something else while Godard-enthusiasts would wonder why the Stones in a film that definitely has a lot of commentaries on the politics of the times.

Sympathy for the Devil (One Plus One) is a stellar film from Jean-Luc Godard. Though it’s a very uneven film due to its different subject matter. It is still an interesting film that chronicles a tumultuous time period inspired by the events of 1968 as well as a look into the Rolling Stones creating one of their defining songs. In the end, Sympathy for the Devil (One Plus One) is a terrific film from Jean-Luc Godard.

Related: Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus - Shine a Light - Crossfire Hurricane

Jean-Luc Godard Films: All the Boys are Called Patrick - Charlotte et son Jules - A Bout de Souffle - The Little Soldier - A Woman is a Woman - Vivre sa Vie - Les Carabiniers - Contempt - Bande a Part - A Married Woman - Alphaville - Pierrot Le Fou - Masculin Feminin - Made in U.S.A. - Two or Three Things I Know About Her - La Chinoise - Weekend - (Joy of Learning) - (British Sounds) - Tout va Bien - (Letter to Jane) - (One A.M.) - (Number Two) - (Here and Elsewhere) - (Every Man for Himself) - (Passion) - (First Name: Carmen) - Hail, Mary - (Soft and Hard) - (Detective) - (King Lear (1987 film)) - (Keep Your Right Up) - (Nouvelle Vague) - (Allemagne 90 neuf zero) - (JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December) - For Ever Mozart - (Historie(s) de Cinema) - (In Praise of Love) - (Notre musique) - (Film Socialisme) - (Adieu au Language) - (The Image Book)

© thevoid99 2017

Charlotte et son Jules

Written, directed, and co-edited by Jean-Luc Godard, Charlotte et son Jules (Charlotte and Her Boyfriend) is a thirteen-minute short film about a man who gets a visit from his ex-girlfriend as he deals with her appearance. Largely set inside a Parisian apartment, the film explores the many ups and downs of love as the couple is portrayed by Jean-Paul Belmondo as Jules and Anne Collette as Charlotte. It begins with Charlotte arriving into the apartment as her date (Gerard Blain) waits outside in his car where Jules rants about everything she’s done to him.

With Godard dubbing the voice of Jules (due to budget limitations and Belmondo unavailable for post-production), the film has Godard maintain a sense of intimacy with his usage of close-ups and medium shots in the film’s direction with Jules ranting while Charlotte remains mostly silent as she mocks him in a pantomime style. Shot in black-and-white by cinematographer Michel Latouche with stylish cutting by Godard and Cecile Decugis, the film has a playful feel with some sound work by Jacques Maumont and a whimsical musical score by Pierre Monsigny. The performances of Belmondo and Collette are splendid with Belmondo displaying some humility with Collette being very funny in her near-silent performance.

Charlotte et son Jules is an extraordinary short film from Jean-Luc Godard. Not only does the film contain elements that would become prominent in his work in feature films but it’s also a film that manages to play into the ideas of love in all of its fallacies and joyful moments. In the end, Charlotte et son Jules is a sensational film from Jean-Luc Godard.

Jean-Luc Godard Films: All the Boys Are Called Patrick - Breathless - The Little Soldier - A Woman is a Woman - Vivre Sa Vie - The Carabineers - Contempt - Band of Outsiders - A Married Woman - Alphaville - Pierrot Le Fou - Masculin Feminin - Made in U.S.A. - Two or Three Things I Know About Her - La Chinoise - Weekend - One Plus One (Sympathy for the Devil) - (Joy of Learning) - (British Sounds) - Tout va Bien - (Letter to Jane) - (One A.M.) - (Number Two) - (Here and Elsewhere) - (Every Man for Himself) - (Passion) - (First Name: Carmen) - Hail, Mary - (Soft and Hard) - (Detective) - (King Lear (1987 film)) - (Keep Your Right Up) - (Nouvelle Vague) - (Allemagne 90 neuf zero) - (JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December) - For Ever Mozart - (Historie(s) de Cinema) - (In Praise of Love) - (Notre musique) - (Film Socialisme) - (Adieu au Language) - (The Image Book)

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