Made in U.S.A. – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #481 (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

Definitely not the first film that one should watch if they want to watch and experience a Jean-Luc Godard film.  But for those who have watched several of his ’60s films, especially starring Anna Karina, “Made in U.S.A.” is an appropriate goodbye to Jean-Luc Godard’s narrative filmmaking style of the ’60s and a goodbye to Anna.  A solid Criterion Collection release!

Image courtesy of  © 2009 The Criterion Collection. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Made in U.S.A. – The Criterion Collection #481

DURATION: 85 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Color, Monaural in French with English Subtitles, 2:35:1 Aspect Ratio

COMPANY: Rialto Pictures/The Criterion Collection

RELEASED: 2009

Loosely based on the novel “The Jugger” by Richard Stark

Written and Directed by Jean-Luc Godard

Produced by Georges de Beauregard

Cinematography by Raoul Coutard

Edited by Francoise Collin, Agnes Guillemot

Production Management: Rene Demoulin

Starring:

Anna Karina as Paula Nelson

Laszlo Szabo as Richard Widmark

Jean-Pierre Leaud as Donald Siegel

Ernest Menzer as Edgar Typhus

Kyoko Kosaka as Doris Mizoguchi

Marianne Faithfull as Marianne Faithfull

Yves Alfonso as David Goodis

Jean-Luc Godard as the voice of Richard Politzer

Jeane-Pierre Biesse as Richard Nixon

With its giddily complex noir plot and color-drenched widescreen images, Made in U.S.A was a final burst of exuberance from Jean-Luc Godard’s early sixties barrage of delirious movie-movies. Yet this chaotic crime thriller and acidly funny critique of consumerism—starring Anna Karina as the most brightly dressed private investigator in film history, searching for a former lover who might have been assassinated—also points toward the more political cinema that would come to define Godard. Featuring characters with names such as Richard Nixon, Robert McNamara, David Goodis, and Doris Mizoguchi, and appearances by a slapstick Jean-Pierre Léaud and a sweetly singing Marianne Faithfull, this piece of pop art is like a Looney Tunes rendition of The Big Sleep gone New Wave.

“We were in a political movie…Walt Disney with blood.”

In 1966, Jean-Luc Godard was asked by producer Georges de Beureagard if he can create a film quickly.  The answer was yes and that the can film two at the same time: “Made in U.S.A.” starring Anna Karina and Laszlo Szabo and “2 or 3 Things I Know About Her” starring Marina Vlady.  It’s important to note that “Made in U.S.A.” is the final full-length film he created with his ex-wife and muse Anna Karina and the first film of singer Marianne Faithfull (a popular singer in the ’60s and also the steady girlfriend of Rolling Stones vocalist Mick Jagger at the time).  While “2 or 3 Things I Know About Her” stars the woman that rejected him for marriage.  So, needless to say, these two films are rather significant.

“Made in U.S.A.” is the final goodbye between Karina and Godard and “2 or 3 Things I Know About Her” is a film that shows him angered by the rejection.  And also two films that mark the end of the cycle of Jean-Luc Godard who has become more of a political person and wanted to use his films to deal with internal conflict that he felt about cinema and politics.

“Made in U.S.A.” is a loose adaptation of the the book “The Juggler” by Richard Stark.  The film stars Anna Karina as Paula Nelson, a Bogart-like detective who travels to Atlantic City to visit her boyfriend Richard Politzer.  When she arrives, she realizes he is dead.    While she investigates Politzer’s death, she runs into a few people who live and then later die.  Meanwhile, she is being followed by a group of gangsters which include Laszlo Szabo as Richard Widmark and Jean-Pierre Leaud as Donald Siegel.

While the film is a noir film about Paula looking for her lover’s killers.  The film has many film, literary and pop culture references but also politics and storyline that features an adaptation of the real-life murder Moroccan politician Mehdi Ben Barka and Frenchman Georges Figon (known for arranging the meeting with Barka and others before his kidnapping and torture).

Figon who left audio reels to his girlfriend/actress Anna-Marie Coffinet was a friend of Godard and thus Godard used Politzer to be a Georges Figon but Godard using the character and supplying the voice for his political message that is shown throughout the film.  Within this tangled web of politics, Paula gets caught up in it and the question is of all people tangled in the web, who will be the last person standing?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Made in U.S.A.” is known for it’s vibrant colors.  As a detective, Anna Karina’s character is known for wearing vibrant colored dresses and the film definitely does a great job showcasing those colors, especially closeups of Anna Karina’s blue eyes. This remastered version of the film looks absolutely beautiful and I can only imagine how this would look on Blu-ray (if it ever receives a BD release).  It’s vibrant and colorful film!

“Made in U.S.A.” is presented in its original aspect ration of 2:35:1 and the HD digital transfer was created on a 2K Spirit Datacine from the original 35mm camera negative.  Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter and flicker were removed manually using MTI’s DRS system and Pixel Farm’s PFClean System while Digital Vision’s DVNR was used for small dirt, grain and noise reduction.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

As for the audio, “Made in U.S.A.” is featured in monaural French with English subtitles.    “Made in U.S.A.” was mastered at 24-bit from a 35mm optical print.  Clicks, thumps, hiss and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD.  Crackle was attenuated using AudioCube’s integrated audio workstation.  The film is primarily center channel driven but I chose to have my receiver play the audio with stereo on all channels.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Made in U.S.A. – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #481″ comes with the following special features:

• On the Cusp – (26:28) Jean-Luc Godard biographers Colin MacCabe and Richard Brody dissect the personal the political in “Made in U.S.A.” and “2 or 3 Things I Know About Her”.
• Anna Karina – (10:08) A 2002 interview with Anna Karina looking back at her life and working with director Jean-Luc Godard.
• Laszlo Szabo – (5:46) A 2009 interview with Laszlo Szabo who appeared in several of Jean-Luc Godard’s films and talks about making “Made in U.S.A.”.
• Made in U.S.A.: A Concordance – (17:26) A video essay tracing the source of many of the references that make up the script of “Made in U.S.A.”.
• Trailers – Featuring the original release trailer and the Rialto Pictures re-release trailer.
• 16-Page Booklet – Featuring “The Long Goodbye” essay by J. Hoberman.

“Made in U.S.A.” is definitely not a film for those not familiar with Jean-Luc Godard’s work.  Although there is a main story about the character of Paula investigating her lover’s murder, the film is not only heavy with references but there are a good number of political dialogue which was more or less Godard’s platform for him to get out on what was on his mind.

Although many Jean-Luc Godard films show signs of politics being used in the storyline, “Made in U.S.A.” tries to balance the film utilizing Anna Karina as this sexy, stylish detective but then using the film as a platform for politics but most importantly, for Godard to use two characters that define how he was back then as a filmmaker and then having Anna Karina taking care of the men in order to show that Jean-Luc Godard as we knew him in the past in his Anna Karina films is now no more.

“Made in U.S.A.” is the final swan song between both Jean-Luc Godard and Anna Karina.  Despite being divorced at this time, she would no longer be his muse and the director would no longer be the director that many people have respected him and loved him for.  His next films “La Chinoise” and “Week End” would truly mark the end of Godard’s narrative and cinematic period of his filmmaking career and from then on, Godard would be a different director focusing on revolutions and his interest in Maoist ideology and would only return to mainstream films in 1980.

This is not a film for those who are not familiar with Godard’s work or Anna Karina.  I’ve met many who have watched this film solely for the purpose of the beautiful shots of Anna Karina and didn’t like the film at all.  For me, my appreciation was because it was a fitting goodbye to his ex-wife.  After watching this collaboration between Karina and Godard, you knew it had to end someway and “Made in U.S.A.” was the way to do it.

As incoherent this film may be to many people, I enjoyed the film in fragments.  As a “noir” film, it’s not my favorite.  As a Godard film, I was impressed.  The cinematography by Raoul Coutard was absolutely beautiful, the awkward randomness of certain scenes was an interesting way to see a perspective of Godard as a filmmaker and as a person who faced conflict and needed an outlet to let his emotions out.  Both “Made in U.S.A.” and “2 or 3 Things I Know About Her” are two different types of films made at the same time but are enjoyable in their own way.

Do I recommend “Made in U.S.A.”, yes…that is only if you have seen a good number of Jean-Luc Godard films.  This by no means is a film you should start out with if you want to learn about Godard’s filmmaking style.  Overall, a fantastic Criterion release and a film that I definitely enjoyed!

Une femme mariée: Fragments D’un Film Tourne En 1964 en Noir et Blanc – The Masters of Cinema Series #4 (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

Finally, Godard’s masterpiece “Une femme mariée: Fragments D’un Film Tourne En 1964 en Noir et Blanc” (A Married Woman: Fragments of a Film in 1965 in Black and White) is available on Blu-ray and a release that everyone in the world can enjoy.   The film looks absolute magnificent in HD and the 80-page booklet is just fantastic!  Highly recommended!

© 21964/2010 Gaumont. 2010 Eureka Entertainment, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Une femme mariée: Fragments D’un Film Tourne En 1964 en Noir et Blanc

DURATION: 95 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p AVC Encode, 1:37:1 Original Aspect Ratio, Includes Optional English Subtitles and the Original French Soundtrack, Dolby Digital

RATED: Contains strong sex references and some sexual nudity

COMPANY: Masters of Cinema.EUREKA!

RELEASE DATE: January 2009

Written and Directed by Jean-Luc Godard

Cinematography by Raoul Coutard

Edited by Andree Choty, Francoise Collin, Agnes Guillernot, Gerard Pollicand

Production Design by Henri Nogaret

Starring:

Bernard Noël as Robert, the Lover

Macha Méril as Charlotte

Philippe Leroy as Pierre, the Husband

Roger Leenhardt as himself

Rita Maiden as Madame Celine

Chirstopher Bourseiller as Nicolas

Jean-Luc Godard as the Narrator

Georges Liron as The Physician

Long out-of-circulation and unavailable on home video, Jean-Luc Godard’s 1964 masterpiece Une femme mariée, fragments d’un film tourné en 1964 en noir et blanc [A Married Woman: Fragments of a Film Shot in 1964 in Black and White] has, until now, represented the ostensibly ‘missing’ key work from the first, zeitgeist-defining phase of JLG’s filmography. The feature which bridges the gap between Bande à part and Alphaville, Une femme mariée is, nevertheless, a galaxy, or gallery, unto itself — a lucid, complex, profoundly funny series of portraits, etched with Godardian acids, of the wife that represents either a singular case, or a universal example, of “a”/”the” married woman, and the men in her orbit.

Macha Méril (later of Pialat’s Nous ne vieillirons pas ensemble, and Varda’s Sans toit ni loi) plays Charlotte — the title character. She’s married to aviator Pierre (Philippe Leroy, of Becker’s Le Trou). She sleeps with thespian Robert (Bernard Noël). She talks “intelligence” with renowned critic-filmmaker Roger Leenhardt, and takes part in a fashion-shoot at a public pool. The “fragments” of the film’s subtitle are chapters, episodes, vignettes, tableaux; Une femme mariée is a pile of magazines made into a film, and a film turned into a magazine — the table of contents reading: Alfred Hitchcock. Jean Racine. La Peau douce. A Peruvian serum. Nuit et brouillard. The “Eloquence” bra. The quartets of Beethoven. Madame Céline. Fantômas. Robert Bresson. A Volkswagen making a right turn. — A film shot in 1964, and in black and white.

Designed with Raoul Coutard’s breathtaking cinematography, Godard’s picture captures a moment in time — but all its mysteries, its truths, its beauty, comedy and grace, serve to resolve into a work of art for the ages. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Jean-Luc Godard’s classic, Une femme mariée, in a magnificent new HD Gaumont restoration for the first time on Blu-ray anywhere in the world.

1964.  Jean-Luc Godard has had another success with his fifth film “Bande a part” (Band of Outsiders) and began his sixth feature film “Une femme mariée: Fragments D’un Film Tourne En 1964 en Noir et Blanc” (A Married Woman: Fragments from a film from 1964 in Black and White).  The film which he began in June 1964 was shot in a four weeks, edited within five weeks and shown at the Venice Film Festival in early September.

Among the few early ’60s Godard titles that have not been released in the U.S., fortunately EUREKA!’s Masters of Cinema (based in the UK) have heeded the call of cinema fans worldwide and have decided to release most of their Blu-ray’s ala non-region (with the exception of a title or two that were released in the US by the Criterion Collection).

“Une femme mariée: Fragments D’un Film Tourne En 1964 en Noir et Blanc” is rather an interesting, entertaining and profound film by Jean-Luc Godard.  Quite different than “Band of Outsiders” which preceded it and “Alphaville” which came after, this film is a film that can be seen as a sign of the times but still as relevant today.

Although I have not seen every Godard film made let alone any films he released after 1970 but I have seen a good number of his ’60s films and I have to say that “”Une femme mariée” is his most erotic film.  We see many shots of a naked back, a stomach, thighs as hands are seen caressing a woman’s body. Visually poetic, Godard’s film uses fade outs instead of his familar jump cuts.  We see the negative utilized in Godard’s video (which would be explored in “Alphaville”) and more.

“Une femme mariée: Fragments D’un Film Tourne En 1964 en Noir et Blanc” revolves around a woman named Charlotte (played by Macha Méril, “Belle de Jour”) who is a married but having an affair with theatre actor Robert (played by Bernard Noël, “La Ronde”, “Trois Femmes”).  She enjoys her time with Robert and loves him.

But she is married to Pierre (played by Philippe Leroy, “Le Trou”, “La vita di Leonardo Da Vinci”), a pilot who provides her with what she needs financially, and she also raises her step son with him.  Pierre is truly in love with his wife Charlotte, even though he discovered her affair three months earlier to Robert via a private investigator.

For Charlotte, she has balanced her days with Pierre and Robert and for her, she obsesses with what is shown in the women’s magazines.  Enhancing her breast size, wearing the best panties and bras, she is a very shallow woman.

But she starts to see life differently.  When she meets her husband’s philosopher friend Roger Leehardt, then seeing how young women discuss their attraction to men and losing their virginity, seeing how women do things to attract men and then trying to find out if she is a pregnant woman.  She knows that both men would love to have a baby with her or they say that.  But she is undecided on who she wants to be with and thus she interviews her husband and her lover.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Une femme mariée: Fragments D’un Film Tourne En 1964 en Noir et Blanc” is featured in 1080p AVC encode with the original aspect ratio of 1:37:1 and looks absolutely wonderful in HD.  Picture quality for this film is absolutely beautiful.  Detail from Méril’s eyes and her hair, to the beauty of her skin, this is seen quite beautifully on Blu-ray.  No trace of DNR and just an overall magnificent transfer on HD.

Audio is in Dolby Digital 1.0 (LPCM) and presented in French with English subtitles.  Audio is clear and understandable, as with the music but for those with a modern home theater receiver, for a more immersive soundtrack, one may want to select stereo on all channels or stay with the monaural soundtrack.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Une femme mariée: Fragments D’un Film Tourne En 1964 en Noir et Blanc” contains the following special features in 1080i:

• Original Theatrical Trailer – (3:25) The original theatrical trailer in 1080p created and edited by Jean-Luc Godard.
• 80-Page Booklet – A new “overture” by legendary French critic and filmmaker Luc Moullet (Les Contrebandières, A Girl Is a Gun, Les Sièges de l’Alcazar, Le Prestige de la mort).  A lengthy roundtable discussion between Luc Moullet; writer/critic and American correspondent for Cahiers du cinéma, Bill Krohn; and MoC’s Craig Keller — on the film, and its relationship to Godard’s oeuvre from the 1950s through the 2000s. A concentrated investigation into the film by Bill Krohn. A new statement about the film by star Macha Méril. A transcript of Godard’s late-’70s lecture on Une femme mariée, originally presented in Introduction à une véritable histoire du cinéma, translated here into English for the first time. Relevant excerpts from Jean Racine’s Bérénice, in the original French, accompanied by a new parallel English translation. And many notes on the film, Godard, and modern DVD production.

“Une femme mariée: Fragments D’un Film Tourne En 1964 en Noir et Blanc” is an interesting film.  As mentioned, this is his most erotic film as we see hands caressing Macha Méril’s body.  Her back, her arms, her thighs, her waist… it’s a very creative way of how it was filmed.  Focusing on the body parts and showcasing sexuality without having to show its participants full bodies taking part in sex.

Of course, the film is seen differently by many people.  For some, this is Godard’s life with Anna Karina and his marriage going downhill.  Is this why Godard exploring marriage and the obsession of what his hot in pop culture and women’s fashion courtesy of advertising and how it corrupts women.  While men are not as easily pulled into it but yet they are hooked on the women that do so.  Shallowness has been explored in Godard’s “2 or 3 Things I Know About Her” and also in “Masculin Feminin”.  In this case, Charlotte is being told about why they were in Auschwitz, but what happened during WWII is not important as it’s passe to her, while a magazine article about breast enlargement is more intriguing.  She is not an intellectual, she is a woman of faults and is not afraid to admit it.  She is a product of mindless consumerism, a woman who lives for the now and wants to experience for the thrill of what happens “now”.

But I enjoyed this film because it was so visually creative. The erotic shots were well-done.  Improvisational use of questions being asked a question by Charlotte (which I’m guessing similar to “Masculin Feminin”, questions are being told to Macha Méril by Godard) to actor Bernard Noel who is answering as himself but also in character as Robert about if his love for Charlotte is real or is he acting.  Even certain mistakes as Charlotte is running and falls flat on the road is kept in the film.  This is Godard using spontaneous moments and using it for his film.

As for the Blu-ray release, the fact that EUREKA! ala The Masters of Cinema are releasing the majority of their Blu-rays ala non-region is very important.  For one, the main way for people to watch Godard releases were primarily from The Criterion Collection.  But here we have The Masters of Cinema releasing a quality product on Blu-ray but also making sure that those who enjoyed those Criterion releases, get the same quality with MoC releases and it’s not just for those living in Europe, now all of us all over the world can enjoy this Blu-ray release.

This release of “Une femme mariée: Fragments D’un Film Tourne En 1964 en Noir et Blanc” is simply the best looking version out there and I don’t know if we’ll get anything that will look this magnificent of the film for a long while.  Although, the film does not have any featurettes, for cinemaphiles, the 80-page booklet is just full of content and information about the film.   This is a film that many people have wanted released in the US and now it’s available.  Now hopefully, a company releases Godard’s 1967 film “Week End” remastered on Blu-ray or DVD as many have waited years for a release of the film.

Overall, I know I keep saying that nearly every Godard film is a masterpiece.  But I do feel that “Une femme mariée: Fragments D’un Film Tourne En 1964 en Noir et Blanc” is indeed a masterpiece and shows that an auteur such as Godard can craft something so quickly and yet making sure the film is witty, humorous and also tragic in some way.

Highly recommended!

Breathless – The Criterion Collection #408 (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

For those who are new to Jean-Luc Godard and French New Wave films, this is an important film you want to own in your collection.  The Criterion Collection gives us a magnificent release with lengthy special features, an 80+ page booklet and more.  Highly recommended!

Image courtesy of  © 2007 The Criterion Collection. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Breathless – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #408

DURATION: 90 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Black and White, Monaural in French with Optional English Subtitles, 1:33:1 Aspect Ratio

COMPANY: The Criterion Collection

RELEASED: 2007

Directed and screenplay by Jean-Luc Godard

Story by Francois Truffaut

Produced by Georges de Beauregard

Music by Martial Solal

Cinematography by Raoul Coutard

Edited by Cecile Decugis, Lila Herman

Starring:

Jean-Paul Belmondo as Michel Poiccard

Jean Seberg as Patricia Franchini

Daniel Boulanger as Police Inspector Vital

Jean-Pierre Melville as Parvulesco

Henri-Jacques Huet as Antonio Berrutti

Jean-Luc Godard as Informer

There was before Breathless, and there was after Breathless. With its lack of polish, surplus of attitude, crackling personalities of rising stars Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg, and anything-goes crime narrative, Jean-Luc Godard’s debut fashioned a simultaneous homage to and critique of the American film genres that influenced and rocked him as a film writer for Cahiers du cinéma. Jazzy, free-form, and sexy, Breathless (À bout de souffle) helped launch the French New Wave and ensured cinema would never be the same.

Every director has their beginning but for Jean-Luc Godard, his 1960 film “À bout de souffle” a.k.a. “Breathless” was the beginning of a cinema revolution and bringing the world closer to nouvelle vague, the French New Wave.

Godard is a unique director who attracted attention for his innovative editing and his use of jump cuts, his style of not giving his talent a script until the morning of and using improvisation and utilizing film techniques that most directors would never do.  In fact, his filmmaking even infuriated his producer because instead of using a full day to shoot a film, sometime he was in the mood to do only 12 minutes.  But then again, Jean-Luc Godard is not your typical director and in 1960, no one knew what to expect from him.

Many looked at him as a rebel as he wanted to challenge the conventions of traditional Hollywood cinema and for those who watched his films evolve year after year, the more we get to see Godard in his characters but also his political ideologies as well.

But “Breathless” was a film that helped change cinema.  For decades, many followed the Hollywood tradition and sure, Jean Renoir did something unique and special decades earlier with “The Rules of the Game”  (unfortunately, no one at the time was ready for the film until three decades later and people acknowledge that his film was ahead of its time) but it was “Breathless” that inspired young directors and showed them that directors, auteurs can do something different.

From the use of jump cuts to capturing Paris with a hidden camera, the film and its director was hailed for its innovation and it was the beginning of the French New Wave.  Interesting enough, although the film made Jean-Luc Godard a popular name, the director himself was not as thrilled by all the attention and popularity of “Breathless” that led him to create “Le Petit Soldat” (The Little Soldier) which was highly political and banned in France for three years.  Regardless of whether or not Godard enjoyed the success of the film, the film was unique and an inspiration to many filmmakers.

For over 40 decades, “Breathless” has been regarded as a film that cinema fans must watch and eventually own and in 2007, The Criterion Collection released “Breathless” in a 2-disc DVD set (with a slipcase cover) and booklet.

In “Breathless”, Michel Poiccard (played by Jean-Paul Belmondo, “A Woman is a Woman”, “Pierrot le fou”, “Casino Royale”) is a troublemaker who idolizes noir-ish Humphrey Bogart.  He steals a car and in the process of running from the police, shoots and kills one of them and now there is a manhunt by the authorities to catch him.

So, Michel decides to go to his American girlfriend Patricia (played by Jean Seberg, “Kill!”, “Lillith”, “The Beautiful Swindlers”), a student studying journalism and works at her job selling New York Herald Tribune newspapers on the streets of Paris.  For Michel, he really wants to seduce her and have sex but he grows angry when she spends time with other men.

Michel ends up breaking into her apartment and continues to try and seduce her, while all this time, she has no clue that Michel is a killer and that he is wanted by the police.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Breathless” is presented in black and white in its original aspect ratio of 1:33:1.  The film looks absolutely great and the Criterion Collection once again does a wonderful job with the transfer.  According to Criterion, the transfer is approved by director of photography Raoul Coutard.  The new high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit Datacine from a 35mm fine-grain master positive. Thousand of instances of dirt, debris and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System.

As for audio, the audio is in French Monaural and was mastered at 24-bit from a 35 mm optical track print, and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss and crackle.  The Dolby Digital 1.0 is clear and understandable but for a more immersive soundtrack, I chose to have my home theater receiver set with audio on all channels.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Breathless” comes with a good number of special features plus an 82-page book featuring writings from Godard, film historian Dudley Andrew, Francois Truffaut’s original film treatment, and Godard’s scenario.

DISC 1:

• INTERVIEWS – (27:00) Featuring interviews with director Jean-Luc Godard, actors Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg and filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville, recorded for French television between 1960 and 1964.
• Theatrical Trailer – (2:02) The original theatrical trailer.

DISC 2:

• Coutard and Rissient – (22:28) Cinematographer Raoul Coutard (who worked with Godard for 14 films) and cinephile Pierre Rissient, assistant director on “Breathless” recall working with Godard and working on his first film.
• Pennebaker on Breathless – (10:32) Documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker talks about working with Jean-Luc Godard and his film “Breathless”.
• Jean Seberg – (18:54) A video essay written by Mark Rappaport (From the Journals of Jean Seberg) reveals the beginning of Jean Seberg and her life ending in tragedy.
• Breathless as Criticism – (11:09) A video essay written by film historian and author Jonathan Rosenbaum.  Rosenbaum explores the cinematic and literary references in “Breathless”.
• Chamber 12, Hotel De Suede – (1:18:26) A 1993 documentary by director and popular French TV host Claude Ventura who tracks down, over nine days, the locations and the people who were involved in the making of “Breathless”.  Interviews include actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, filmmaker Claude Chabrol, cinematographer Raoul Coutard, assistant director Pierre Rissient, editor Cecile Decugis and more.
• Charlotte et Son Jules – (12:42) One of the short films from 1959 starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Anne Collette.  The short film is about a boyfriend who continually admonishes his girlfriend.

For anyone interested in French New Wave films, “Breathless” is a film that is recommended watching.  It’s a film that changed cinema and launched the career of director Jean-Luc Godard.

What I loved about the film is the acting.  The whole 25-minute improvisation scene in the bedroom is incredible.  I’ve learned through the special features that the scene involved Godard yelling and instructing the Belmondo and Seberg on what to do and also learned that the jump cut scenes were accidental but yet made the film quite creative, unique and artistic.

But is it one of the best Godard films?  This is difficult to answer because personally, there are so many Godard films that I do enjoy but yet this is his first and is an important film in his career. But the problem is, to enjoy Godard films is to know Godard films.  You appreciate his films, the more you watch several of them and learn his unique style of filmmaking.

Also, the film has been given so much credit for its innovation that so many people come to the film expecting something like Orson Welles “Citizen Kane” or a film that with this groundbreaking story and people who experience this Godard film are perplexed and don’t understand what the big deal is. And I think that is what has perplexed Godard after the success of the film.  Godard was very critical of the film to the point that he distanced himself from it and thus created the film “Le Petit Soldat”.

But as mentioned, to enjoy Godard is to know Godard and that is watching his films and learning about them.  Fortunately, The Criterion Collection does a fantastic job with this release of “Breathless” in presentation and also its content.  Not only do you get the film but you get to see the various interviews with the talent, interviews with those who worked with him and easily enough, different interpretations of what people got from the film.  The 1993 documentary “Chamber 12, Hotel de Suede” is a magnificent addition to the film as we get to see and hear from those who are involved with “Breathless”, giving us some insight to Godard and his unique filmmaking style.

As far as my enjoyment of the film, I absolutely enjoyed it!  Godard and Belmondo had a magical partnership during their short time together and as for Jean Seberg, this is an actress that had a bad experience  in her earlier years as an actress, given a chance in “Breathless” (and worked once more with Godard) and had a rollercoaster of a career that ended in tragedy.  If there was one positive, she is immortalized through her role as Patricia in this film.

“Breathless” is a film about two different people, their words and what they mean are different, they talk about themselves but yet never really talk to each other.  Are they even listening to each other?  Do they even care for each other?

There’s no doubt that one can rewatch “Breathless” and see something different each time.  May it be the two talking about paintings, the two talking about Faulkner, this dialogue between the two is something that I found so enjoyable (as I have with Eric Rohmer’s moral tale “My Night at Maud’s” with also a magnificent, smart and enjoyable long bedroom dialogue scene).  There is something about the tone about the film that is just so enchanting.

Despite Michel being the uncaring young bad guy, somehow you can’t help but be intrigued by his character.  He’s a dangerous man but yet Patricia is even more dangerous in some ways.  Compared to other films showing around the world during its time, “Breathless” was fresh, unique and different from what was seen in traditional cinema.

Cinematography for “Breathless” is absolutely beautiful.  Because timing and space was a concern, Godard elected to use a wheelchair to film.  Not wanting to use expensive lighting, Godard wanted to capture a realistic feel of these two characters by using natural light.   So, many different techniques employed in this film.

In fact, when they were seen in public, cinematographer Coutard was hidden in a cart as the two are seen walking down the street.  No one around the two actors are aware that the scene was being filmed.  And of course, I go back to the jump scenes and the editing but accidental as it may be, it was definitely a major part in introducing the world to nouvelle vague and changing the scope of cinema.

If you are a Godard fan or a cinemaphile, “Breathless” is an important film worth owning in your film collection.  Is it Godard’s best film?  For me, I enjoy “Band of Outsiders”, “Pierrot le fou” and “Mascullin Feminin” even more.  But in the context of importance, “Breathless” is the feature film that launched Godard’s career and for that, I’m so grateful that The Criterion Collection gave fans a magnificent release for this film.

Highly recommended!

Pierrot Le Fou – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #421 (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

A Jean-Luc Godard masterpiece that looks incredible on Blu-ray!  An entertaining, vibrant but yet a  puzzling film that is worth watching repeatedly, after you have immersed yourself with Godard’s previous works from the early-to-mid ’60s.

TITLE: Pierrot Le Fou – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #421

DURATION: 110 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:35:1 Aspect Ratio), Color, monaural in French with English subtitles

COMPANY: Janus Films/THE CRITERION COLLECTION

RELEASE DATE: September 22, 2009

Based on the novel “Obsession” by Lionel White

Written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard

Produced by Georges de Beauregard

Music by Antoine Duhamel

Cinematography by Raoul Coutard

Edited by Francoise Collin

Production Design by Pierre Guffroy

Starring:

Jean-Paul Belmondo as Ferdinand Griffon (Pierrot)

Anna Karina as Marianne Renoir

Graziella Galvani as La femme de Ferdinand

Dissatisfied in marriage and life, Ferdinand (Jean-Paul Belmondo) takes to the road with the babysitter, his ex-lover Marianne Renoir (Anna Karina), and leaves the bourgeoisie behind. Yet this is no normal road trip: genius auteur Jean-Luc Godard’s tenth feature in six years is a stylish mash-up of consumerist satire, politics, and comic-book aesthetics, as well as a violent, zigzag tale of, as Godard called them, “the last romantic couple.” With blissful color imagery by cinematographer Raoul Coutard and Belmondo and Karina at their most animated, Pierrot le fou is one of the high points of the French New Wave, and was Godard’s last frolic before he moved ever further into radical cinema.

In 1964, Jean-Luc Godard went to work on his tenth film, a color film titled “Pierrot Le Fou” which would feature his ex-wife Anna Karina and Jean-Paul Belmondo (who worked on Godard’s “A bout de Souffle” (Breathless) and “Une femme est une femme” (A Woman is a Woman).

The film is his most ambitious film yet, not only reuniting with two stars that he has worked with before but the fact that elements of his previous nine films shows up on “Pierrot Le Fou”.

The film was released by Fox Lorber in the US back in 1998 and received The Criterion Collection treatment in February 2008.  Over a year later, the film became the first Jean-Luc Godard film released by Criterion on Blu-ray.

“Pierrot Le Fou” focuses on two characters.  Ferdinand Griffon (played by Jean-Paul Belmondo) is a man recently fired from his TV job, an avid book reader and an unhappy husband.

One night he goes to a party along with his wife in Paris and leaves his children with his babysitter Marianne Renoir (played by Anna Karina). You get a sense that Ferdinand knows Marianne quite well by the way they look at each other.

While at the party, it’s literally a pop-art based party.  He meets director Sam Fuller, sees men meeting other women (some who are nude) at the party and sees his wife kissing another man.  Bored and disconnected with society, Ferdinand feels that he doesn’t belong with these people but most of all, doesn’t belong with his wife and his last action before he leaves them is Ferdinand taking a big piece of cake at the party and throwing it at her.

He and his baby-sitter Marianne leave together and you realize that Marianne is a former girlfriend of Ferdinand and both try to catch up on their years away from each other.  Also, to anger Ferdinand, she gives him the nickname “Pierrot” for fun.

When the two arrive at Marianne’s apartment, Ferdinand sees a dead man in her home plus a lot of illegal weapons in her apartment.  Both act like if there is nothing is wrong and you learn that Ferdinand’s friend Frank was dating Marianne.  When Frank goes to Marianne’s apartment, the two then work together and kill Frank.    We then realize that Marianne has been hooked up with something illegal that she’s wanted for some reason.

The two then work together in stealing and other illegal activity such as hurting a gasoline attendant and running off by filling the vehicle with gas and head towards the French Riviera, stealing vehicles and then finding a villa where they settle down.

The problem is that Ferdinand enjoys the peace.  He enjoys reading his books, writing in his diary and just settling down and not having to be around other people. Just living the easy life.   But of course, this is not the life that Marianne wants.  She wants to have fun.  And when Marianne wants to have fun, that can only mean there is trouble along the way.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Pierrot Le Fou” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:35:1 Aspect Ratio). The film is probably the most gorgeous film I have seen by Jean-Luc Godard to date.  The film is full of colors, absolutely vibrant, reds and blues just pop.  For fans of Godard’s ’60s work, “Pierrot Le Fou” is his most colorful film.  It’s important to note that the restored high-definition digital transfer was approved by cinematographer Raoul Coutard.

Accord to Criterion, the HD digital transfer was created on Spirit Datacine from the 35mm negative and color corrected on a Specter Virtual Datacine.  Thousands of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter and flicker were manually removed using MTI’s DRS system and Pixl Farm’s PFClean system, while Digital Vision’s DVNR system was used for small dirt, grain and noise reduction.

“Pierrot Le fou” is featured in its original French language and features a monaural soundtrack remastered at 24-bit from a 35 mm optical track print.  Dialogue is clean and understandable and Anna Karina’s singing voice is crystal clear in this film.  Clicks, thumps, hiss and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD.  Crackle was attenuated using AudioCube’s integrated audio workstation.

Subtitles are provided in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Pierrot Le Fou” comes with the following special features:

• Anna Karina – (14:55) A 2007 interview with Anna Karina at the Brasserie Lipp in Paris.  Anna talks about working with her former husband and her role in “Pierrot Le Fou” as Marianne Renoir.
• A Pierrot Primer – (35:58) Commentary by filmmaker and educator Jean-Piere Gorin (Tout va bien, Letter to Jane, My Crasy Life) presents an introduction to “Pierrot Le Fou”.
• “Belmondo in the Wind” – (9:21) Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean-Luc Godard and Anna Karina talk about Belmondo’s role in “Pierrot Le Fou”.  Recorded by journalist Mario Beunat for the television series Panorama and aired back in June 18, 1965.
• Venice Film Festival, 1965 – (3:57) Jean-Luc Godard and Anna Karina were interviewed by Maurice Seveno and Christian Durieux for a French TV new segment on the Venice Film Festival back in Sept. 2, 1965.
• Godard, L’Amour, La Poesie – (52:59) A 2007 documentary by French filmmaker Luc Lagier tracing Jean-Luc Godard and Anna Karina’s marriage and films from “Le Petit Soldat” through “Pierrot Le Fou”.  Featuring interviews with Karina and Godard collaborators Charles Bitsch, Raoul Coutard, Jean Douchet and Jean-Paul Savignac.
• Trailer – (2:06) The theatrical trailer for “Pierrot Le Fou”.
• 46-Page Booklet - The following booklet contains the essays “Self-Portrait In Shattered Lens” by Richard Brody, “Sarris on Pierrot Le Fou” and “Let’s Talk About Pierrot: An Interview with Jean-Luc Godard”.

Perhaps one of Godard’s most accessible films, “Pierrot Le Fou” is a film that is best enjoyed after watching a good number of his films that preceded this film.  With the film now released on Blu-ray for the first time through the Criterion Collection, many people will will be introduced to Jean-Luc Godard but in my opinion, this film is not a starting point for the beginner.  It’s more of a film that can be appreciated even more after watching his previous films and seeing how things have culminated in his work before he started to focus more on his political films.

“Pierrot Le Fou” is often seen as an early paradigmatic example of postmodernism in film.  In the film, Godard shows his feeling towards American pop culture but Godard also becomes gets political as he uses the film for his characters to discuss the Vietnam and Algerian war.  For many viewers familiar with Godard and his work, many believe this is Godard’s way of using characters to flesh out his true feelings about society.  While many feel the film is a paying homage to his nine previous films leading to “Pierrot Le Fou”.

Personally, what I enjoy about this film is the adventure that Godard takes you.  We wonder how these two people who are in love with each other, are yet so different.  Ferdinand is reserved, quiet and just wants to enjoy the simple and peaceful life he has at the moment.  Marianne just is tired of settling down and not doing anything.  The fact is that she’s a bad girl.  She’s involved with some shady characters dealing with illegal activity but in some way, that is her form of fun and she wants to expose Ferdinand to that life.

The way that Godard has shot the film is quite intriguing.  We see things in the film but rarely are they explained.  Why does Marianne enjoy killing and hurting others and why is it that both see or do things but not much is mentioned about it.  It’s like it’s something natural for them.

Nevertheless, its the adventure of these two unlikely individuals that I find so interesting.  Personally, I found it great to see Jean-Paul Belmondo and Anna Karina together as the primary leads for the film.  The two have really good chemistry onscreen and the fact that we are enjoying this adventure of two people involved in criminal activity is quite interesting.

Godard has done a great job and utilizing many scenes with the two together to show their story of life together, when things start to become problematic leading up to a pivotal scene that comes out of left field (granted, this is common theme with Godard’s ’60s films, always expect the unexpected).

Overall, “Pierrot Le Fou” is an enjoyable stylish, arthouse film.  It’s also one of those films that I feel is appreciated the more times you watch it.  Again, this film is not where you should start out if you are wanting to get into Godard films, otherwise you will find yourself a bit puzzled by how the film is paced, how the scenes were cut and how Godard’s endings tend to be.

“Pierrot Le Fou” is a Godard masterpiece, but I highly recommend watching a few of his films such as “Breathless”, “A Woman is a Woman”, “A Band of Outsiders”, “Contempt”, “Alphaville” and “Masculin Feminin” before tackling on this film.  Once you start appreciating Godard’s filmmaking, then you’ll definitely appreciate this film even more.

Definitely recommended!

Band of Outsiders (part of the “10 Years of Rialto Pictures” DVD Box Set) (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

I enjoyed the playfulness, the youthfulness and how entertaining the film came to be, as well as it began to transition to include the more darker undertones.  “Band of Outsiders” is just an enjoyable film by Jean-Luc Godard and a worthy addition to the “10 Years of Rialto Pictures” DVD boxset.

Image courtesy of © Gaumont 1964.  2008 The Criterion Collection. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Band of Outsiders (Part of the “10 Years of Rialto Pictures”)

DURATION: 95 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Black and White, Monaural in French with English Subtitles, 1:33:1 Aspect Ratio

COMPANY: Rialto Pictures/The Criterion Collection

RELEASED: 2008

Based on the novel “Fools’ Gold” by Dolores Hitchens

Directed by Jean-Luc Godard

Music by Michel Legrand

Cinematography by Raoul Coutard

Edited by Francoise Collin, Dahlia Ezove, Agnes Guillemot

Starring:

Anna Karina as Odile

Sami Frey as Franz

Claude Brasseur as Arthur

Daniele Girard as English Teacher

Louisa Colpeyn as Madame Victoria

Chantal Darget as Arthur’s Aunt

Georges Staquet as Le Legionnaire

Ernest Menzer as Arthur’s Uncle

Narration by Jean-Luc Godard

Two restless young men (Sami Frey and Claude Brasseur) enlist the object of their desire (Anna Karina) to help them commit a robbery––in her own home. French New Wave pioneer Jean-Luc Godard takes to the streets of Paris to re-imagine the gangster genre, spinning an audacious yarn that’s at once sentimental and insouciant, romantic and melancholy. The Criterion Collection is proud to present the convention-flauting postmodern classic Band of Outsiders.

In 1964, French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard went to work on his latest film “Bande à part” (Band of Outsiders) which was created with a small budget at around $125,000 and unlike his previous film “Contempt” which was in full color, Godard decided to go back to basics by filming in black and white and also to avoid any interjecting of politics in the film and thus many critics have called it Godard’s most accessible film because it s quite different from many of the films he has directed in the 1960′s.

“Band of Outsiders” is a film based on the novel “Fools’ Gold” by American author Dolores Hitchens and a film which Godard describes “Band of Outsiders” as “Alice in Wonderland meets Franz Kafka”.  For many critics, they like to call the film a B-Noir in which the film contains noir elements but also other elements of humor and things that you would see from a French New Wave film.  When it first came out in theaters in the US, not many people could understand the concept of the film and thus it didn’t do well in the theaters.  But now as the film is 46-years-old, publications such as Time Magazine has selected “Band of Outsiders” as part of its “All Time 100 Movies”.

With the 2003 DVD release from The Criterion Collection for “Band of Outsiders”, Rialto Pictures has included the film in their box set “10 Years of Rialto Pictures” out from Rialto and The Criterion Collection.  It is important to note that these versions of the film are unlike The Criterion Collection DVD’s in the fact that they do not contain any of the special features but a trailer and Rialto’s theatrical press book.

“Band of Outsiders” revolves around two wannabe criminals Arthur (Claude Brasseur) and Franz (Sami Frey).  Franz who attends an English class with a young woman named Odile (Anna Karina) is told by her that a large amount of money is stashed in the villa that she lives at with her Aunt and Mr. Stoltz.  Because of this, Franz has told his friend Arthur about it and immediately, Arthur sees this as an opportunity to make some money and knows that in order to make this happen, he must first gain the trust of Odile.  So, Franz takes Arthur to meet her at the English class and immediately, Arthur does what he can to make Odile know that he’s interested in her.

Franz has been attracted to Odile for quite some time but because he’s so shy, he never really had the opportunity to get close to her.  But Arthur has much more experience with women and immediately, uses his bad boy charm to attract Odile’s affections and thus gets her to ditch her English class and for her to join him for the day in order for him to learn from her about how much more money is inside the villa.  With Odile, hooked to Arthur’s words, when she goes home she happens to finds so much money that when she tells Arthur and Franz, immediately the two start planning on how they can steal the money.

But Odile tells them to wait a few days but with Arthur having problems with other people demanding some money immediately from him, he is forced to steal the money sooner than Odile is expecting.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

The good thing about “Band of Outsiders” is that The Criterion Collection has done a newer digital transfer of the film back in 2003.  In fact, this high definition digital transfer was supervised by cinematographer Raoul Coutard.

Audio is presented in monaural French with English subtitles.  Dialogue is clear and understandable and I am assuming that the audio is the same as the Criterion Collection DVD release and if so, that would mean that the film would have received a new digital mastering as well and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss and crackle.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The “Band of Outsiders” version that comes with “10 Years of Rialto Pictures” does not have the special features included in “The Criterion Collection # 174″ version. The Rialto Pictures version does come with notes from Rialto’s theatrical press book and Rialto’s theatrical trailer.

“The Band of Outsiders” is a charming and enjoyable film.  Is it my favorite Godard film, I would still have to give the title of “My Godard Favorite” to his 1965 film “Pierrot Le Fou” but I will say that “Band of Outsiders” manages to pull me in with its various scenes and its interesting plot.  Needless to say that many Godard fans enjoy the film and even prompted Quentin Tarentino to name his production company “A Band Apart” after the French title “Bande à part”.

The title of the film “Band of Outsiders” is about these three individuals who are outsiders.  From the two male characters named after Godard’s favorite authors Arthur Rimbaud and Franz Kafka, Arthur is a player and obviously have some experience breaking the law and schmoozing with women, while Franz is the silent type who you can tell is not so comfortable when his friend actually starts to win Odile’s heart.  And as for Odile, an innocent girl with not much experience with being around men and she is very much a different person from these two men.  When Arthur asks for a kiss with a tongue, her inexperience shows as she sticks out her tongue. But it’s how these three individuals react to each other, you wonder how in the heck can these three people get mixed up together?

But perhaps that was the winning combination that made this film work as the three characters manage to keep you’re eyes glued to the screen.  Not knowing what are going to happen to them but knowing that with director Jean-Luc Godard, anything can happen and for the most part, if you submit your 95 minutes to Godard, you’re definitely in for a wild ride.  The ending might be a bit bumpy but the actual ride is where you feel satisfaction as you will encounter quite a few surprises, twists and turns and that is how I feel about “Band of Outsiders”.

From Odile (Karina) looking directly to the camera when asking a question, to the moment of silence which almost seems like an eternity but at the same time, you can’t help but be amused by it.  From the playfulness of Arthur and Franz play shooting each other and my two favorite scenes, when the three individuals take part in the “Madison dance” and the Louvre scene in which the three try to break the American Jimmy Johnson’s record of how fast they can see all the art inside the Louvre.  How fun is that?  So, I was quite amused to see that scene but really enjoyed the various scenes that just stick to your memory (a lot of Godard films tend to do that for me).

As for this DVD, “Band of Outsiders” is included in the “10 Years of Rialto Pictures”.   I will say that I will more than likely revisit this review soon as I am now more inclined to purchase the Criterion Collection version (as it includes many special features).  As for this DVD, it’s a worthy addition to the collection but I do wonder about the picture used in the DVD main menu and the booklet.  They are definitely not photos from “Band of Outsiders”.

Overall, I enjoyed the playfulness, the youthfulness and how entertaining the film came to be, as well as it began to transition to include more darker undertones.  But the film is quite entertaining and I had a fun time watching it.   Although there are other films I Godard/Anna Karina films I recommend watching before “Band of Outsiders”, the film is still worth having on your checklist of must-see Godard films.

I will revisit this review when I get the Criterion Collection DVD version in the near future but I can tell your right now, by the film alone, this is one Godard film worth having in your auteur collection!

The Bakery Girl of Monceau – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #343 (part of “Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales”) (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

Rohmer’s first film in his “Six Moral Tales”.  A short film that featured man’s conscience when pursuing love.  Although the film is short, the DVD makes it up with a rare, long and more recent interview with director Eric Rohmer and producer Barbet Schroeder plus the addition of  a short film featuring a collaboration with Rohmer and Jean-Luc Godard.

Image courtesy of © 1962 Les Films du Losange. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: The Bakery Girl of Monceau – The Criterion Collection #343 (part of Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales box set)

DURATION: 23 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Black and White, Monaural in French with Optional English Subtitles, 1:33:1 Aspect Ratio

COMPANY: The Criterion Collection

RELEASED: 2006

Written and Directed by Eric Rohmer

Produced by G. Derocles, Barbet Schroeder

Cinematography by Bruno Barbey, Jean-Michel Meurice

Edited by Jackie Raynal, Eric Rohmer

Starring:

Barbet Schroeder as the Young Man

Claudine Soubrier as Jacqueline

Michele Girardon as Sylvie

Bertrand Tavernier as Le Narrateur

Simple, delicate, and jazzy, the first of the “Moral Tales” shows the stirrings of what would become the Eric Rohmer style: unfussy naturalistic shooting, ironic first-person voice-over, and the image of the “unknowable” woman. A law student (played by producer and future director Barbet Schroeder) with a roving eye and a large appetite stuffs himself full of sugar cookies and pastries daily in order to garner the attentions of the pretty brunette who works in a quaint Paris bakery. But is he truly interested, or is she just a sweet diversion?

In 1962, filmmaker Eric Rohmer, a key figure in the post-war New Wave cinema in France and former editor of Cahiers du cinema began working on his seventh film, “The Bakery Girl of Monceau” (La boulangère de Monceau), a short film which would be the starting point for six films known as “Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales”.

The film has been released by The Criterion Collection as part of the DVD box set “Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales” that would deal with relationships but morality as the characters are shown in remarkable depth as they reflect on themselves, their feelings about religion to other things in life that many people deal with or think about but are not typically featured in films. The characters are at the forefront of Rohmer’s films and for the most part, the people he tends to feature are intelligent, articulate and literary young people, a different perspective of French cinema compared to other director’s covering youth in their films.

“The Bakery Girl of Monceau” is not a straightforward tale about a young man (played by Barbet Schroeder) who goes to college with his friend Schmidt and every time they are walking home, they keep passing by this beautiful young woman named Sylvie (played by Michele Girardon), who is always on her way to work at an art gallery in rue de Monceau.   Each time they are within arms length from each other, the young man and Sylvie tend to exchange short glances and the young man is absolutely smitten by her.

Schmidt tries to tell him to just talk to her but the young man is quite shy.  But Schmidt finds a way in order for his friend to meet Sylvie by accident when the two bump in to each other.

But after that point of meeting each other and with college ending, the young man who hoped to see Sylvie again doesn’t see her anymore.  With Schmidt having left the area, the young man would looked everywhere in Monceau for Sylvie and days.

While looking for Sylvie, the young man would frequent a little bakery in the corner of rue Lebeouteux to grab some snacks to eat.  The bakery is where he met the young bakery girl Jacqueline (Claudine Soubrier). The moral dilemma for the young man is if should he continue to look for Sylvie who he fell in love with in first sight or go for Jacqueline, the bakery girl he tends to see each day?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“The Bakery Girl of Monceau” is presented in 1:33:1 black and white.  Eric Rohmer is very big on 1:33:1 aspect ratio for his films.  The picture quality for this 1962 film is OK considering the film is nearly 50-years-old.  There are some scratches and dust that can be seen and there is a fine layer of grain that can be seen on the film.  According to Criterion, Director Eric Rohmer supervised and approved the high-definition digital transfer, which was created on a Spirit Datacine 35mm fine-grain master positive. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System.

As for audio, the film is in mono, center channel driven. Criterion mentions that the soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from an optical soundtrack and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss and crackle. I preferred to listen to the film with my receiver set on stereo on all channels but dialogue is clear and understandable.

Subtitles are in English and subtitles are nice and clear with a black stroke around the character type.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“The Bakery Girl of Monceau” contains the following special features:

• Presentation or Charlotte and Her Steak (1951) – (19:54) Sometime in the 1950′s, Eric Rohmer as writer and Jean-Luc Godard as director worked on a project called “Charlotte et Veronique”.  The short film known as “All the Boys are Called Patrick” was featured in the Criterion Collection of Godard’s “Une femme est une femme”.  For “Charlotte and Her Steak” (Présentation ou Charlotte et son steak), this short film revolves around a guy named Walter (Godard) who likes a young woman named Charlotte and introduces her to another woman named Clara.  He goes to her home with her to talk with her while she cooks and eats a steak and he decides to let her know how he truly feels.  Voices are done by Jean-Luc Godard, Stephane Audrana and Anna Karina.
  
• Moral Tales, Filmic issues – (1:24:03) In a rare interview, producer Barbet Schroeder (who plays the young man in “The Bakery Girl of Monceau”) interviews Eric Rohmer in April 2006.  This is a very interesting and informative interview because Rohmer rarely appears in interviews and this one is quite long.  The two talk about cinema, Rohmer’s “Six Moral Tales”, filming in black and white and then in color, use or lack of use of music, filming in 1:33:1, watching films on DVD and the future of filmmaking.

“The Bakery Girl of Monceau” is an innocent short film.  It’s not as deep as Rohmer’s other films and its pretty much a short film at 23 minutes but it’s the moral story that is quite impressive.  A young man who loves a woman, but yet never sees her and ends up being attracted to the bakery girl knowing that he doesn’t love her in the same manner as he does with the other.  But it’s the “moral tales” of a man and his conscience deciding if what he is doing is right or wrong and in this case, where other Hollywood films at the time always focused on temptation, Rohmer’s films don’t.

As entertaining as this film is in part of the collection, the real meat and bones of this certain DVD is the interview between Barbet Schroeder and Eric Rohmer.  The fact is Rohmer rarely does interviews and this is the first in-depth interview I have seen with him ever.  Especially an interview that is nearly an hour and a half long.  For anyone who loves Rohmer’s work, this is one of those interviews that you’re just glad that you watched it.  This is probably one of the best featurettes we’ll ever see of this legendary filmmaker.

Also, it’s great to see another “Charlotte” short film collaboration between Rohmer and Godard included on this DVD.

Overall, “Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales” is in my opinion one of the best DVD box sets in the collection.  This first film, is an earlier work and it is his shortest film of his “Six Moral Tales” but it’s still a very solid film that showcases man’s conscience and questioning the morality of their actions of what they could get themselves into if they pursue that direction.  Although a short film,”The Bakery Girl of Monceau” is an entertaining film and the DVD definitely is worth watching especially for the interview portion and I’m pretty glad that its included in this box set.

Cléo from 5 to 7 – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #73 (part of the “4 By Agnès Varda” Box Set) (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

A wonderful film that is simply a pure Varda masterpiece!  Agnès Varda’s “Cléo from 5 to 7″ captures morality, despair and enlightenment in addition to capturing the beauty of Paris in real-time.  There is so many layers within the main character but also the actual film itself.  Well-acted, well-written and breathtaking cinematography, this film is worth watching and the box set “4 by Agnès Varda” is definitely worth owning!  Highly recommended!

Image courtesy of © Agnès Varda et enfants 1992. 2007 The Criterion Collection. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Cléo from 5 to 7 – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #73 (part of the “4 By Agnès Varda” Box Set)

DURATION: 89 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Black and White/Color, 1:66:1 Aspect Ratio, Monaural in French with Optional English Subtitles

COMPANY: Janus Films/The Criterion Collection

RELEASED: 2007

Written and Directed by Agnès Varda

Producer: Georges de Beauregard, Carlo Ponti

Original Music by Michel Legrand

Cinematography by Paul Bonis, Alain Levent, Jean Rabier

Edited by Pascale Laverriere, Janine Verneau

Production Design by Jean-Francois Adam, Bernard Evein, Edith Tertza

Art Direction by Bernard Evein

Costume Design by Alyette Samazeuilh

Starring:

Corinne Marchand as Florence “Cleo” Victoire

Antoine Bourseiller as Antoine

Dominique Davray as Angele

Dorothee Blank as Dorothee

Michel Legrand as Bob, the Pianist

Jose Luis de Villalonga as the Lover

Loyen Payen as Irma, la cartomancienne

Serge Korber as Plumitif

Jean-Claude Brialy as L’infirmier

Raymond Cauchetier as Raoul, le projectionniste

Jean Champion as Le Patron du Cafe

Eddie Constantine as L’arroseur

Georges de Beauregard as Le conducteur du corbillard et de l’ambulance

Daniele Delorme as La vendeuse de fleurs

Fernande Engler as La fille au cafe

Sami Frey as Le Croque-mort

Jean-Luc Godard as L’homme aux lunettes noires

Anna Karina as anna, la jeune fille blonde

Yves Robert as Le venduer de mouchoirs

Alan Scott as Le marin

Agnès Varda eloquently captures Paris in the sixties with this real-time portrait of a singer (Corinne Marchand) set adrift in the city as she awaits test results of a biopsy. A chronicle of the minutes of one woman’s life, Cléo from 5 to 7 is a spirited mix of vivid vérité and melodrama, featuring a score by Michel Legrand (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) and cameos by Jean-Luc Godard and Anna Karina.

Agnès Varda, a director known for her role in the Rive Gauche (Left Bank Cinema) movement (filmmakers associated with the French New Wave but the directors had different political perspectives – for a more detailed understanding, please click here), began working on her seventh indie film in 1961 titled “Cleo from 5 to 7″ (aka “Cléo de 5 à 7″).

A film which Varda has said is a “portrait of a woman onto a documentary about Paris but it is also a documentary about a woman and a sketch of Paris”.  Personally, I call it a significant Varda masterpiece.

The film was released in 1962 and was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and won the “Critics Award” in 1963 from the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics.  Having received a LD and DVD release from “The Criterion Collection”, the film is now bundled with Agnes Varda’s DVD box set “4 by Agnes Varda” which includes three other films: Varda’s first film “La Pointe-Courte” (1954), “Le bonheur” (1965, “Happiness”) and “Sans toit ni loi” (1985, “Vagabond”).

“Cléo from 5 to 7″ revolves around a pop singer named Florence”Cléo” Victoire (played by Corinne Marchand) and her life on June 22nd from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.    Cléo is awaiting her biopsy results from her doctor at the end of the day and is worried that she may have cancer and at the beginning of the film, when she goes to visit a fortune teller, the fortune teller sees death in the tarot cards dealt to Cléo.  Of course, for Cléo, this is all that she needs to know and is resigned that her young life is now over and that she is going to die.  Throughout the film, we see how Cléo deals with her death and how she deals with the thought of mortality as the two hours of her life (between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m – actually technically its between 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m..), she feels nothing but solitude and despair.  That is until she meets Antoine (played by Antoine Bourseiller), a character that I best not talk about in full detail since he plays a pivotal role in the film and can easily spoil the story.

We see Cléo now going through the shock from her visit to the fortune teller of trying to accept the bad news but it proves to be hard.  Her assistant Angele (played by Dominique Davray) tries to help her deal with the situation and try to give her confidence but most importantly, to let her know that she shouldn’t talk about it with other people and to keep it to herself.  So, we see how Cléo behaves around people close to her, who don’t understand why she is a bit emotional.  From her older boyfriend, her pianist and lyricist.  She doesn’t want to die but yet everyone around her lives their lives as if nothing is wrong and she starts to see her life differently.

Cléo leaves her apartment and thus the adventure begins as she walks through Paris and seeing life for herself, the people around her and visiting her good friend Dorothee (played by Dorothee Blank) who is a woman who freely takes her clothes off for art students for money and lives life the way she wants to with no inhibitions.  But it’s that time alone that she needs until she needs to meet with her doctor and get the results of her biopsy.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Cléo from 5 to 7″ is presented in black and white (1:66:1 aspect ratio).  The film looks absolutely beautiful with blacks that are nice and deeps, whites and grays look remarkable and The Criterion Collection really doing a great job in eliminating a lot of the dust and scratches from this older film.

The new digital transfer was supervised and approved by director Agnes Varda and according to Criterion, the digital transfer was created from a 35mm interpositive made from the original camera negative.  Thousands of instances of dirt, debris and scratches were removed using their MTI Digital Restoration System.

As for the audio, the film is presented in monaural.  According to Criterion, the soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from the optical soundtrack, and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss and crackle.  The Dolby Digital 1.0 signal is directed to the center channel and for this film, I preferred to set my home theater receiver to stereo on all channels to have a more immersive soundtrack.  Audio is in French with optional English subtitles.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Cléo from 5 to 7″ comes with the following special features:

• Remembrances -  (35:59) A wonderful documentary from 2005 featuring Agnès Varda and reuniting cast and crew from “Cléo from 5 to 7″ over 40 years later and revisiting the areas of where the film was shot, also images from the making of the film and more.  From why the first few minutes features color and black and white images, to the casting of the characters and interviews with the cast 40-years-later and what they remember about filming certain scenes and working with Varda.
• Hans Baldung Grien - German painter Hans Baldung Grien was an influence to Agnès Varda that his postcards and paintings were featured in the film.  Using your remote, the viewers can cycle through various artworks.
• Madonna and Agnes – (2:24) A short clip taken from the 1993 French television special “Madonna, c’est Madonna” hosted by Christophe Deschavannes.   Agnès Varda and Madonna discussing Madonna wanting to remake “Cléo from 5 to 7″.
• Cléo‘s Real Path Through Paris – (9:17) A short film from 2005 by Pierre-William Glenn as he straps a camera on him while riding a motorcycle and retracing the steps Cleo took through Paris from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
• Les Fiances Du Pont MacDonald – (4:54) The short silent film featured in “Cléo from 5 to 7″ starring Jean-Luc Godard, Anna Karina, Sami Frey, Eddie Constantine and many more.  Also, including another video (2:57) featuring director Agnès Varda discussing the making of the short silent film and why she included it on “Cléo from 5 to 7″.
• L’Opera Mouffe – (16:05) A short film by Agnès Varda from 1958.  Filmed indoor and outdoor from the rue Mouffetard and featuring composer Georges Delerue, inspired by Kurt Weill’s music from “The Threepenny Opera”.  Visually creative!
• Trailer – (2:04) The original theatrical trailer of “Cléo from 5 to 7″.

Fantastic!  That is my feeling of “Cléo from 5 to 7″ after watching it.  Agnès Varda does a remarkable job of writing and directing a film that chronicles a woman’s life and to see her go through these wide range of emotions and the feeling of existentialism and looking at her life around the people around her.

In the beginning, we see how Cléo truly is.  A popstar who shows how vain of a woman she can be.  When she looks at the mirror and tells herself that “As long as I’m beautiful, I’m even more alive than the others”, one can immediately look at Cléo and see the lifestyle she has lived.  Frivolous and possibly a lifestyle of a queen, buying whatever she wants and reacting to when she hears her music and letting people know that is her on the radio.  But it’s when we see those layers of Cléo stripped down.  She is now in despair and has left that life that she has lived temporarily to be alone and to get the biopsy results.   Giving her a chance to see life differently when faced with her own mortality.

The film has style, it has grace, we see Cléo going through many areas of Paris, driving through Paris as we are like a passenger as we watch the scenery from the front window and of course, the film is also known for its inclusion of the short silent film “Les fiances du pont Macdonald” which feature a newly married Jean-Luc Godard, actress Anna Karina, Georges de Beauregard, Jean-Claude Brialy, Daniele Delorme, Alan Scott, Eddie Constantine and many other popular celebrities and directors from the French New Wave.

The editing is creative and artistic, in fact the inclusion of art in the film is a beautiful touch to a film that has so many enjoyable things going for it.  But most importantly is how Varda was keen on detail.  Wherever there is a clock (may it be in various restaurants, cafe’s to clocks out in the middle of the stress of Paris, we see the time).   Varda and crew were determined to capture the clock at the time Cléo is near it and that the time coincides with what is happening with the film.

Speaking of Paris, what I loved about the film is how we see Cléo in various areas around Paris, the artwork of Hans Baldung Grien (which prior to the film, I always found his artwork hauntingly creepy) and to make a comparison of what I enjoyed about Eric Rohmer’s “My Night at Maud” from 1969 about using the camera and driving through Paris and the viewer is like the passenger, Varda uses this technique many years prior to the film and I just love seeing that incorporated if the scenery is worth capturing and in this case, cinematography in this instance and also of Cléo walking around Paris was well-done!

“Cléo from 5 to 7″  captures Paris in the early 1960′s.  A lot of the locations we see in the film are no longer and personally, I don’t know if a film can be shot today with as much access or detail or in such a way as Agnès Varda was able to capture Corinne Marchand walking around in public with not much worry about rabid fans trying to get into the film.  You see eyes looking straight at the camera (in fact, these people are probably wondering why they were being filmed) but it captures the time of people in Paris so innocently, and its a shame that some of the locations shot are no longer around.  The cinematography is breathtaking and again, the editing is well-done!  The film is literally a visual time capsule of Paris from yesteryear.

The DVD release is no slouch as there are so many special features included such as the reuniting of the characters of the film nearly 44-years later and also the inclusion of Agnès Varda’s short film “L’opera Mouffe” from 1958 and revisiting Paris via the path Cléo took over 40-years later.

Such a beautiful and amazing film in so many levels, “Cléo from 5 to 7″ is absolutely fantastic and definitely recommend the viewing of this film and the purchase of “4 by Agnès Varda” DVD boxset.  It’s definitely a Criterion Collection set worth owning!

A Woman is a Woman – The Criterion Collection #238 (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

Experimental, crazy and wild!  “A Woman is a Woman” is a unique film that features an experimental style by Jean-Luc Godard satirizing American musicals, poking fun on relationships, deconstructing cinema and more!

Image courtesy of © 1962 StudioCanal Image-Euro International Films. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: A Woman is a Woman – The Criterion Collection #238

DURATION: 84 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Color, Monaural, in French with optional English subtitles, 2:35:1 Aspect Ratio

COMPANY: Rialto Pictures/The Criterion Collection

RELEASED: 2004

Directed by Jean-Luc Godard

Screenplay by Jean-Luc Godard

Produced by Georges de Beauregard, Carlo Ponti

Music by Michel Legrand

Cinematography by Raoul Coutard

Edited by Agnes Guillemot, Lila Herman

Production Design by Bernard Evein

Costume Design by Jacqueline Moreau

Starring:

Jean-Claude Brialy as Emile Recamier

Anna Karina as Angela

Jean-Paul Belmondo as Alfred Lubitsch

With A Woman Is a Woman (Une femme est une femme), compulsively innovative director Jean-Luc Godard presents “a neorealist musical—that is, a contradiction in terms.” Featuring French superstars Anna Karina, Jean-Paul Belmondo, and Jean-Claude Brialy at their peak of popularity, A Woman Is a Woman is a sly, playful tribute to—and interrogation of—the American musical comedy, showcasing Godard’s signature wit and intellectual acumen. The film tells the story of exotic dancer Angéla (Karina) as she attempts to have a child with her unwilling lover Émile (Brialy). In the process, she finds herself torn between him and his best friend Alfred (Belmondo). A dizzying compendium of color, humor, and the music of renowned composer Michel Legrand, A Woman Is a Woman finds the young Godard at his warmest and most accessible, reveling in and scrutinizing the mechanics of his great obsession: the cinema.

Director Jean-Luc Godard, one of the pioneers of Nouvelle Vague (French New Wave) was on fire.  Having directed “A bout de souffle” (Breathless) which starred Jean-Paul Belmondo and in 1961 with the controversial “Le Petit Soldat” (The Little Soldier) starring Anna Karina, for this third film “Une femme este une femme” (A Woman is a Woman) brings together both Belmondo and Karina (who Godard married during the filming of the movie) and actor Jean-Claude Brialy.  The film is Godard’s first film in color and CinemaScope, also a film that is a co-production with French Georges De Beauregard and Italy’s Carlo Ponti.  Shot in five weeks with no script, “A Woman is a Woman” is Godard’s experiment into a film fueled by improvisation.

The film is possibly one of Godard’s most interesting and unique film in which it’s a musical, but not a musical.  Godard calls it an “idea of a musical” or a “neorealist musical”.   Music has its part in the film, Godard calls it a tribute to the American musical comedy.  But unlike the well-known musicals, you get awkward pauses of music, when Anna Karina is about to sing, instead of the music playing through, it stops on her vocals and she sings without any music.  In certain scenes, the sound is gone and you get absolute silence and the part that the film is known for, it’s improvisation as there was no written dialogue for this film.  Godard told his actors what would happen and they would have to make it look convincingly real.  Also, you get scenes where Godard is hidden and aims the camera at the public or a hidden camera is attached.  And of course, keeping Godard’s well known style of jump shots and the talent looking directly at the camera from time to time.

“A Woman is a Woman” revolves around three people.  Exotic dancer Angela (played by Anna Karina) and her love of her life Emile (played by Jean-Claude Brialy).  The two live a life of enjoying time at home, as she tries to be the good girlfriend and Emile who enjoys his communist newspaper and likes to have fun with his friend Alfred (played by Jean-Paul Belmondo).  Alfred who is a Marxist, absolutely loves Angela but knows her heart is with Emile.  Although it doesn’t seem that Emile knows that his best friend likes his girlfriend.

But things get complicated for Angela and Emile when she tells him that she wants a baby.  He has no plans of wanting to have a children but she wants one badly. Each time she brings up the issue, he gets angered.  And through the film, we see how the two handle the subject of having a baby.  The two seem perfect for each other as he accepts her no matter what and vice versa.  When the two fight with each other, instead of arguing, they grab books and use title of the books to do the talking.

At what great lengths will Anna go through, to get pregnant?  And what great lengths will Emile to avoid the issue?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“A Woman is a Woman” is featured in color and presented in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen.  Although in color, the film is not as vibrant or sharp as what we have seen in Godard’s “Pierrot le fou” and at times, some scenes look a bit blurry.  According to Criterion, director of photography Raoul Coutard supervised the new high-definition digital transfer which was created on a 35mm interpositive.  Thousands of instances of dirt, debris and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System.    There are scenes in which you can see the dust but Criterion did a good job in helping to eliminate most of it.

Audio is presented in monaural and features a Dolby Digital 1.0 center channel driven dialogue which is clear.  But because of the use of music, I preferred to watch this film with my receiver set with stereo on all channels for a much more immersive sound using my 7.2 system.  According to Criterion, the soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from the magnetic track and audio restoration tools to reduce clicks, pops, hiss and crackle.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“A Woman is a Woman” contains the following special features:

• Charlotte et Veronique ou Tous les garcons s’appellent Patrick- (19:22) Director Jean-Luc Godard’s first short film produced as a professional product from 1957.  Also known as “All Boys are Called Patrick” starring Jean-Claude Brialy and written by Eric Rohmer.  The film is about a man who tries to get close to two women, not knowing that Charlotte and Veronique are roommates.
  
• Publicite - Featuring a photo gallery (which you can scroll via your remote control) of photos by Raymond Cauchetier from the set of “A Woman is a Woman”, photos of director Jean-Luc Godard during the filming of the movie and international posters of the film.  Also, included is an audio promotional recording (34:14) made for the release of “A Woman is a Woman” which was pressed on 10″ vinyl records and is presented on the DVD with on-screen English translation.  Pretty much select audio from the film between Emile, Angela and Alfred and featured on audio and Godard talking about the film and yes, you get that needle on vinyl sound as well.  Also, the Rialto Pictures theatrical trailer (2:32).
  
• Qui Etes-Vous Anna Karina? -  (13:05) A featurette on Anna Karina from April 1966 directed by Colette Djidou and was featured on “Cinema: Qui etes-vous Anna Karina?”.  The featurette interviews Karina about her career and how she got her first big break (interview those who gave her the chance of modeling) and becoming an actress.  Also, you get to see Anna during a time when things between her and Godard were not working out and eventually divorced a year later.   Also featuring Jean-Claude Brialy, Serge Gainsbourg and more.
• 24-page booklet – Featuring “A Woman is a Woman” essay by J. Hoberman (film critic for the Village Voice) and “A Movie is a Movie” by Michele Manceaux which are two interviews featured in the French Magazine L’Express back in 1961.
  

“A Woman is a Woman” is an interesting kind of film.  For one, I enjoy it for Godard’s technique and what he accomplished during this time of filmmaking.  But the question is if the film holds up for those watching it today?  I would imagine that “A Woman is a Woman” would be a bit frustrating for some viewers not familiar with Godard’s work and may feel a bit too unusual and experimental for their taste.

Godard’s feeling at the time was “if you don’t like it, then screw you”.  He made films for himself and I suppose where later films became much more political, “A Woman is a Woman” was a satire of American musicals but at the same time, his way of poking around relationships and doing things his own way.  “A Woman is a Woman” has its charming moments and as some cinema fans might feel that those who enjoyed the film are diehard Godardites or fans that are hardcore Anna Karina fans, I suppose that in my case, its one of the reasons why I was a bit patient and even more tolerant of the film.

I found it charming and the characters to be fun, but bare in mind, these characters are not your typical clean cut men and an educated woman.  Angela is a stripper, Emile is a man who doesn’t make much money and likes to watch women to stripper bars and even have fun with other women while still dating Angela.  And Alfred is a Marxist who is in love with his best friend’s girl and wouldn’t care what his friend thinks.  In most cases, characters like these three can easily be hated or reviled but in “A Woman is a Woman”, because the film is featured in a musical (or un-musical) type of way, you don’t really hate them, you just find them charming in their own kind of way.

There are scenes in the film that just make you smile, may it be references to “Breathless” or “Jules et Jim”, Cyd Charisse, Gene Kelly or Bob Fosse.  Or the scenes in which Angela tries to cook a roast for Emile or an egg for herself.  How about their way of arguing through using the titles of books or how the music goes on and then off and then on and then off.  I just found that unique and so enjoyable that I can imagine how audiences probably saw this film as so avant-garde back in 1962.

But I see “A Woman is a Woman” more of an experimental film with Godard trying out improvisation and trying to crank out a film in the quickest amount of time possible but still trying to make it enjoyable.  It’s one of his earlier films but I will admit to enjoying Godard’s “Masculin Feminine”, “Band of Outsiders” and “Pierrot le fou” much, much more.  But yet I still enjoyed this film as it was so un-Hollywood.  Almost rebellious filmmaking in a way as Godard deconstructs cinema.

And as Angela would say during the film, “I don’t know if it’s a comedy or a tragedy, but in any case it’s a masterpiece.”  Is “A Woman is a Woman” a masterpiece?  Or is it experimental filmmaking at its best?  I’ll leave that to the viewer.

Masculin Féminin – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #308 (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

Fantastic!  Jean-Luc Goard’s perspective of Parisian youth in 1965 and their perspective on politics, love, sex and more.  Unique for its time and still wonderful today!  Wonderful and natural performances by the main talents and just a youth film that is crafted like no other.  Highly recommended!

Image courtesy of © 1966 Argos Films.  2005 THE CRITERION COLLECTION. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Masculin Féminin – THE CRITERION COLLECTION #308

DURATION: 105 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Black and White, Monoraul, In French with optional English subtitles, 1:33:1 aspect ratio

COMPANY: The Criterion Collection/Rialto Pictures

RELEASED: 2005

Based on stories “La Femme de Paul” and “Le Signe” by Guy de Maupassant

Written and Directed by Jean-Luc Godard

Produced by Anatole Dauman

Music by Jean-Jacques Debout

Cinematography by Willy Kurant

Edited by Agnes Guillemot, Marguerite Renoir

Starring:

Jean-Pierre Léaud as Paul

Chantal Goya as Madeleine

Marlène Jobert as Elisabeth

Michel Debord as Robert

Catherine-Isabelle Duport as Catherine Isabelle

Brigitte Bardot as herself

Antoine Bourseiller as Bardot’s director

Francoise Hardy as Woman with American officer

Birger Malmsten as Man in the movie

Eva-Britt Strandberg as Woman in the movie

Elsa Leroy as Miss 19

Mickey Baker as Record producer

Med Hondo as Man in the metro

With Masculin féminin, ruthless stylist and iconoclast Jean-Luc Godard introduces the world to “the children of Marx and Coca-Cola,” through a gang of restless youths engaged in hopeless love affairs with music, revolution, and each other. French new wave icon Jean-Pierre Leaud stars as Paul, an idealistic would-be intellectual struggling to forge a relationship with the adorable pop star Madeleine (real-life yé-yé girl Chantal Goya). Through their tempestuous affair, Godard fashions a candid and wildly funny free-form examination of youth culture in throbbing 1960s Paris, mixing satire and tragedy as only Godard can.

It was in 1966 that Nouvelle Vague (French New Wave) director Jean-Luc Godard (“Contempt”, “Breathless”, “Pierrot le fou”) would release his film about youth in the mid-60′s titled “Masculin féminin: 15 faits précis”.

Released after the successful “Pierrot le fou” (1965), “Masculin féminin: 15 faits précis” would become a different film by Godard standards as it would focus on Parisian youth in 1965 but also start to show signs of a different Godard (who separated from Anna Karina, who was a major actress in his films) and also a precursor to his films incorporating his political views.  But as for the characters featured in “Masculin féminin: 15 faits précis”, call the young adults that were a sign of the times or as Godard would call them, “the children of Marx and Coca-Cola”.

The film would star French New Wave icon Jean-Pierre Léaud, best known for the Antoine Doinel films by Francois Truffaut and specifically known as the troublesome main character of the classic film “The 400 Blows”.  Léaud plays the character Paul, a romantic idealist who is a Marxist, loves classical music, an aspiring writer who has fallen for emerging pop star Madeleine (played by singer/actress Chantal Goya).

“Masculin féminin: 15 faits précis” showcases the masculine side as Paul and his friend Robert (played by Michel Debord) are interested in politics.  Both young men talk about their role in society, the revolution and ideals and although mischievous, these two young men are guys who want to hook up with young ladies.  And as for Paul, he can’t help but be interested and curious about Madeleine, a young woman who is the total opposite of himself.

Madeleine, along with her friends are interested in fashion, pop music, pop culture and discussion of sex.  They are not as serious as Paul nor do they consider the importance of what is happening politically in their country or other countries a factor in their current lives.  They simply don’t care.   And yet Madeleine has nothing in common to Paul but the two are attracted to each other.

Madeleine’s best friend Elizabeth is outgoing and constantly warns Paul that its best to find a girl because they are not the kind of girls that are for him.  But yet Paul disagrees and wants to spend his whole life with Madeleine.  Meanwhile, as for Elizabeth, the film teases the viewer as perhaps she and Madeleine may have some attraction towards each other.  As we see scenes of Elizabeth gently caressing Madeleine’s hair or face, in which Madeleine doesn’t seem to mind.   As for their other friend, Catherine-Isabelle, she is quite different from the two.  She does love the pop culture and having fun, but similar to Paul, she can appreciate his love for prose and his passion towards classical music, that you feel she is most perfect for him but Paul doesn’t think of her in that manner.

So, in terms of relationships – Paul likes Madeleine.  Elizabeth likes Madeleine.  Richard likes Madeline’s style but since Paul is going for Madeleine, Richard goes for Catherine-Isabelle, who happens to have an interest in Paul.  Relationships that can easily sound confusing but in truth, the film is not about the conflicts of relationships, its about the lives of young adults trying to find themselves in the world.

Paul who feels that after he served the military, he sees a side of Madeleine and her friends that he possibly wants to change or accepts because she is her own person.  While Madeleine, has this attraction towards Paul and not sure if its out of curiosity or that that she is lonely.  But for all five individuals, they are not living for the future, they are living for the now and what happens…happens.

“Masculin féminin: 15 faits précis”is episodic as it tries to showcase various acts from showcasing moments of discussions about their youth, their love or attraction for each other, discussions of sex and birth control, the politics especially the view towards American involvement in the Vietnam War and also how France was starting to incorporate American style which can be disruptive to those who subscribe to a socialist or communist belief.

But its what makes the film so unique.  There are many enjoyable moments but the film is disrupted by certain moments.  Telling the audience to not get comfortable because this film is not going to be your average film.  This is not a film where from beginning to end, you are going to watch a relationship or relationships blossom. This is not that type of film.   This is a film about Parisian youths and what goes on their minds.  Your children of Marx and Coca-Cola.  Which side to they belong to?

“Masculin féminin: 15 faits précis” was scrutinized and lambasted by critics during its release in 1966, many of those critics who have revisited the film have taken back what they originally have said and now realize how it is one of Godard’s best films and some have considered it a masterpiece that was ahead of its time.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Masculin féminin” is featured in black and white and presented in 1:33:1.  Cinematographer Willy Kurant supervised the new high-definition digital transfer which was created on a Spirit Datacine from the 35mm grain master.  Also, thousands of instances of dirt, debris and scratches were removed from the MTI Digital Restoration Ssytem.

As for the audio, the French monoraul soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from the optical soundtrack master and audio restoration tools were used the Criterion to remove clicks, pops, hiss and crackle.   The film is  Dolby Digital 1.0 and center channel driven but for those who own modern home theater surround sound receivers, one can easily switch the audio via audio on all channels or stereo, to their own preference.  Also, included is a selection for the the optional isolated music track.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Masculin féminin” comes with the following special features:

• Chantal Goya (1966) -  (4:50) An excerpt of an interview filmed for the TV show “Au-Dela De L’Ecran”, Goya talks about being a pop star and working on “Masculin féminin“.
• Chantal Goya (2005) - (15:07) Interview with Chantal Goya in 2005 as she talks about her experience working with Jean-Luc Godard and on “Masculin féminin“.
• Willy Kurant - (11:59) 2005 Interview (in English) with “Masculin féminin“cinematographer about his career and working with Godard.
  
• Jean-Pierre Gorin - (15:36) A 2005 interview (in English) in which Godard’s Dziga-Vertov Group business partner talks about the historical and experimentation of “Masculin féminin“.
• Freddy Buache and Dominique Paini - (24:56) In 2004, Freddy Buache (film critic and founder of Cinematheque Suisse) and Dominque Paini (Director of Cultural Development for the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris) talk about the importance of “Masculin féminin” and how Buache criticized it when it was first released but now considers it an important Godard film.
  
• Godard on Swedish Television – (4:07) With “Masculin féminin” being a co-production between Godard’s Anouchka Films and the Swedish Production Firm Sandrews Films, a Swedish television crew were there to interview the director who was filming the “movie” scene.
  
• Original Theatrical Trailer – (2:01) The original theatrical trailer.
  
• Rialto Pictures Rerelease Trailer – (1:53) Remastered Rialto Pictures trailer.
  
• Essay Booklet - 14-page booklet featuring an essay “The Young Man for All Times” by Adrian Martin (film critic for the Melbourne Age) and “On the Set of Masculin Feminin” (an excerpt from the article “One Evening, In a Small Cafe” by Phillipe Labro.

“Masculin féminin: 15 faits précis” is quite a unique film, so unique that it was a film which I absolutely enjoyed.  It’s not a film that one can come and watch and say, I enjoy “Breathless” or “Pierrot le fou”, I will love “Masculin féminin: 15 faits précis”.  Nor is it a film in today’s modern world where you can think that if you enjoyed young adult films such as “Dazed and Confused” or “Metropolis” that you will enjoy “Masculin féminin: 15 faits précis” because the structure of the film is so different.   There are way too many disruptions for the film’s pacing and odd situations that either one can appreciate them or simply dislike them.  Especially when you reach the ending.

I absolutely loved the improvisation and also the long use of dialogue between characters.  I have said that I enjoyed Eric Rohmer’s “My Night at Maud’s” for effectively making long dialogue scenes so enjoyable but yet intelligent.  If one can capitalize on moments in a film where communication is done effectively.  And since the film was created with a low budget,Godard made great use of dialogue. In fact, because Godard didn’t use a script, he had earpieces in which the talent were filmed answering questions that the director would ask them.  He would effectively use the talent, tell them what to say on the earpiece and try to get an improvised but yet natural answer in which topics would bring out that awkwardness.

For example, a scene where Paul interviews “Miss 19″, an actual beauty cover girl for a magazine that is being asked questions, even personal questions about sexuality, her past loves and political views.  Her answers were not of an actress but her genuine answers.  You can sense that uncomfort in her answers but that’s what Godard wanted for this film.  True feelings by people who represent that young generation in Paris.

As for the DVD, The Criterion Collection has done a magnificent job in restoring this film, supervised by cinematographer Willy Kurant.  A good number of special features that are interesting, informative and enjoyable.  It was great to hear from Chantal Goya sharing some of the Godard behind-the-scenes direction with the viewer.  How the discussion about Madeleine’s music career was actually a dialogue about her own music career but Godard using it on the film. And of course, Jean-Pierre Léaud is just a talented actor that both Francois Truffaut and Godard knew how to utilize in their films (despite Truffaut being a bit critical on how Godard handled him for this film).  We sense a young man who is trying to make sense of his life.  Has a set perspective yet being with a woman who is nothing like him nor does she want to be like him.

Masculin féminin: 15 faits précis” is a film that is definitely not a perfect film.  In fact, because there are quite a few disruptions and the pacing is quite frantic at times, some people may see it as a film that is too artsy for its own good.  As mentioned earlier, critics really blasted Godard for this film when it was first released.  But the fact was, it was a film ahead of its time and what we have is a time capsule of youth, Paris during the mid-60′s that now, many people who lived during that time, can watch this film and say, “this film was a masterpiece”.

Overall, “Masculin féminin: 15 faits précis” is a film that is not only worth of being included in the Criterion Collection but also a Godard film worth owning.  Highly recommended!

alphaville – The Criterion Collection #25 (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

French New Wave pioneer Jean-Luc Godard’s classic sci-fi film “Alphaville” may not sport the special effects or violence that we have seen in modern sci-fi films, but “alphaville” is quite enjoyable courtesy of the visual imagery, campiness and fun, noir-ish storyline.

Image courtesy of © Chaumiane Production Film Studio/1998 the classic Collection. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: alphavile – The Criterion Collection #25

DURATION: 99 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital Mono, Black and White, 1:33:1, French with optional English subtitles

COMPANY: The Criterion Collection/Janus Films/Home Vision Cinema

RELEASED: 1998

Written and Directed by Jean-Luc Godard

Poetry “Capitale de la douleur” by Paul Eluard

Produced by Andre Michelin

Music by Paul Misraki

Cinematography by Raoul Coutard

Edited by Agnes Guillernot

Production Design by Pierre Guffroy

Production Management by Philippe Dussart

Starring:

Eddie Constantine as Lemmy Caution

Anna Karina as Natacha von Braun

Akim Tamiroff as Henri Dickson

Howard Vernon as Prof. Leonard Nosferatu

Jean-Louis Comolli as Prof. Jeckell

Jean-Andre Fieschi as Prof. Heckell

A cockeyed fusion of science fiction, pulp characters, and surrealist poetry, Godard’s irreverent journey to the mysterious Alphaville remains one of the least conventional films of all time.  Eddie Constantine stars as intergalactic hero Lemmy Caution, ona  mission to kill the inventor of fascist computer Alpha 60, Criterion’s edition of this seminal film features a new digital transfer.

From world renown director Jean-Luc Goddard (“Breathless”, “Pierrot Le Fou”, “Masculin, feminin”, “Two or Thre Things I Know About Her”), one of the founding members of the French New Wave came the 1965 sci-fi film known as “alphaville” (Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution). Alphaville is a city from another world in which a supercomputer known as Alpha 60 is a dictator in control of the people and the area as it is a film that is a precursor to “big brother cameras” and technology of today.  In this city, people must obey the rules as free thought, love, poetry and emotions are eliminated.

In fact, the world of Alphaville is quite interesting because rules include people not allowed to use the word “why” and replace it with the word “because”, a bible is kept in each hotel room (which is more or less a dictionary with updated words of not to say) and anyone found breaking these rules will be executed.  So, due to the power of Alpha 60, the people of alphaville have been reconditioned and brainwashed.

Enter an agent from “The Outlands” (outside of Alphaville which is literally the city next to it but is called another universe) named Lemmy Caution (played by Eddie Constantine, “Europa”, “The Long Good Friday”, “Tokyo no Kyujitsu”) who is given a mission:  To find a missing agent named Henry Dickson and capture and kill the creator of Alphaville, Professor von Braun (played by Howard Vernon).

So, Lemmy infiltrates Alphaville posing as a journalist named Ivan Johnson from the outlands who works for the publication Figaro-Pravda in which he starts taking pictures of the people around Alphaville which doesn’t provoke any reaction from the people at Alphaville (because emotion is not supposed to be displayed by those who live there).

Immediately when he makes it to his room, he realizes that these people have been programmed so well that their minds work in interesting ways.  For example, his first day is in a hotel and the woman (which has a title of a seductress, third class) that escorts him to his room is only programmed to please and do whatever he wants.  Almost like a mindless zombie, she is programmed to asked the same questions over and over.

He immediately meets Professor von Braun’s daughter, Alpha 60 programmer Natacha von Braun (played by Anna Karina, “Pierrot le fou”, “Une femme est une femme”, “Cle de 5 a 7″), a woman assigned to stay close to Mr. Johnson, thinking that he’s in town for a festival (which many people from the Outlands come to Alphaville to attend).  And not long after their meeting, Natacha is surprised by the questions that Johnson asks her like if she has ever been in love, a concept that she does not understand.

So, as Lemmy continues his mission to find the missing agent and to capture or destroy Alpha 60, he becomes smitten with Natacha as he tries to bring emotions out of her that she is not familiar with.  But the more he goes forward into his mission, he is also under the watchful eye of Alpha 60.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“alphaville” is presented in the aspect ratio of 1:33:1 and in black and white.   At the time of this DVD pressing, the digital transfer was created from a 35mm fine grain master made from the original negative.   This is before newer technology was able to eliminate a lot of dust particles, scratches, etc.  But overall, it doesn’t deter from the viewability of this classic film.  What my eyes were focusing a lot in the film is how Godard constructs the shot.  From beautiful locations, elevators and stairwells, there is a sense of style that you see in those shots that I found to be wonderful.  But also using scenes that is reminiscent of an Ozu style as the actors look directly at the camera straight on while conversing with another person.

As for audio, the French audio is presented in Dolby Digital mono.  The sound was mastered from the 35mm magnetic soundtrack.  For the most part, dialogue is understandable and Alpha 60′s voice is loud, repetitive and annoying.  But my preference in watching this film was having my receiver set with stereo on all channels despite the soundtrack being Dolby Digital mono as I wanted to utilize the rear surrounds to incorporate the mono audio track.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“alphaville” contains no special features but a short essay by Andrew Sarris (film critic for the New York Observer) is included in the insert.

“alphaville” was an interesting film as it was a film that has been interpreted differently by many people who have seen it.  Was it a statement about the suppression of individuality?  Was it a statement of early corporate control on a society?

Although the film is a sci-fi film with film noir undertones, it’s not a film to think of out of space or typical sci-fi scenery.  Nor should one expect special effects.  “Alphaville” does take place in an alternate world and although the supercomputer is more or less a light inside a ventilation vent in the film, it’s not more about the scenery but what has happened to humanity in “Alphaville”.  Was the society void of emotion done for the sake of a statement towards the US?  The War?  Against art?  Against love?

Needless to say, the film is one of those films you rewatch a few times and I have found myself with a new perspective each time of what I felt about the film.    But some people may feel the film goes right over their heads.  And if it does, you won’t be alone as the film opened at the New York Film Festival and according to film critic Andrew Sarris, the audience were baffled by the shift in tone.  And he talks about the shift of futurism to private-eye mannerisms and I can definitely see that.  The film is a mixed bag of incorporating various themes.

But if you look at the film and what it was accomplishing back in 1965, can you imagine how a sci-fi film about a computerized dictator would be somewhat of a precursor to films such as evil computers such as HAL2000 (“2001″), “Terminator” and sure, it may be campy compared to today’s film but the fact that a film like this was created back then with an evil supercomputer in mind is quite fascinating.

As mentioned earlier, there are some awesome looking scenes such as Lemmy and Natacha coming down from the stairs or even riding the elevator.  I love how those scenes were shot. Probably the most interesting parts of the film is during the execution of those who showcased their emotions to the public and now are to be executed for shedding a tear.  As one man who cried for the death of his child, we see him assassinated for displaying emotions.  As he falls, a group of female swimmers collect his body.  Very interesting scenes in the film during that execution scene but at the same time, for people being killed by gun shots, you would hope to see Godard try to add some realism or even blood on their clothing.

Especially during the fighting and gun shot scenes, for the most part…”Alphaville” suffers from the action scenes looking quite campy.   In one scene, a group of thugs circle around Lemmy in an elevator and you see his body moving from all sides as if he was getting the tar beat out of him.  But of course, Lemmy suffers no damage at all.

But I understand that the goal of the film was not on special effects but its storyline and its characters.  Eddie Constantine did a wonderful job as Lemmy Caution.  He has that nonchalant, brute, no-nonsense persona that I felt was cool and of course, Godard’s wife/actress Anna Karina as Natacha von Braun.  She was absolutely adorable and very beautiful in this film.

Overall, I have to admit that “alphaville” was quite intriguing and enjoyable.  Was it one of Godard’s masterpiece films?  Not really. And the fact that this is one of the few Criterion Collection DVD’s that is literally a barebones release, I know some people may find that unacceptable for Criterion releases. But the fact that you can find this DVD quite cheap online these days is a plus and if you are a Godard fan, it’s worth checking out and worth having in your collection.

With interesting cut scenes, audio, imagery and solid acting from Constantine and Karina, “Alphaville” is one of those classic sci-fi, noir films that will definitely entertain you.

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