Jean-Luc Godard - The Essential Blu-ray Collection

Ground-breaking, innovative, provocative, political… Controversial director Jean-Luc Godard did never shy away from breaking the rules of convention. Often regarded as one of the most influential directors of 1960’s French ‘New Wave’ cinema. This essential box set contains five of the director’s key film, plus a whole host of Extras!

BREATHLESS (A Bout De Souffle – 1959) is classic Godard and marks the breakthrough of Jean-Paul Belmondo. Filmed in b/w and with dialogue that often gives the feel of an ‘impromptu’ conversation between the actors (Godard famously never bothered with screenplays, instead providing his actors with written dialogue on the days of shooting). Belmondo is ‘Michel’, a petty criminal obsessed with Humphrey Bogart. After a car theft back in Marseille, he is followed by a policeman on a lone country road where Michel shoots the man. Now on the run, he arrives in Paris and squeezing various of his love interests for money and possible shelter. Eventually he approaches American Patricia (Jean Seberg), a student and ambitious journalist who sells copies of the New York Herald Tribune to passers-by. Reluctantly she allows him to stay in her apartment without knowing of his crime. We observe their daily interactions and activities as if made for reality TV, at one point, Patricia even cuts a strand of her hair while in front of the mirror – further emphasizing the feel that we are voyeurs spying on the young couple as they carry on with whatever they do. Michel is obviously very smitten by Patricia and tries to persuade her to come and live in Italy with him, Patricia, on the other hand, is not only a more independent spirit who dreams of living in Mexico but she takes her role as an aspiring journo very serious. Eventually Michel gets the money for the trip to Italy from dodgy dealings (which he sees as a loan) and persuades Patricia to come with him. Along their journey Patricia finally finds out that Michel is actually on the run from the police – leading to an act of betrayal from her side. Soon after she regrets her action and confesses to Michel what she has done, but the police are already closing in… The film is loosely based on real events and one two awards upon its release (one ‘Silver Bear’ for Godard at the 1960 Berlin Film Festival.

A WOMAN IS A WOMAN (Une femme est une femme – 1961) is a rare film for Godard in so far as it not only a comedy of sorts but also a musical… of sorts. Filmed in colour, it once again stars Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean-Claude Brialy, and Godard’s muse and future wife, Anna Karina, an attractive stripper in Paris who dreams of a more ‘normal’ life and above all, she dreams of having a baby with her beloved boyfriend Emile (Brialy). Angela and Emile live together in an apartment, and their on-going quarrels over Angela’s demand to wanting a baby when Emile doesn’t even feel ready to get married are amusingly executed, for example, during one argument the couple bow in front of the camera like they are on stage and, saying “they should bow to the audience” before continuing with their farce. Meanwhile, Alfred (Belmondo) is one of Emile’s best friends but also smitten by Angela. She uses his emotions and flirts with him, all in the hope to make Emil jealous. She even invites him back home to their flat (how very French…) for dinner. Belmondo delivers some great ‘in-jokes’ in the film, like “can we eat later, ‘Breathless’ is about to start on TV…” in reference to the successful movie he starred in only the previous year. During a bar scene, Belmondo’s character bumps into actress Jeanne Moreau and asks her “Ca va? How are Jules et Jim?” in reference to the famous Truffaut film in which she starred. Of course, here we have our own Jules et Jim scenario, a love triangle which leaves Emile, Alfred and Angela satisfied. In a poignant scene, Angela and Alfred are in a bar drinking wine. She is frustrated because Emile won’t agree to the baby, Alfred frustratingly asks “What do I have to do to prove that I love you?” and presents her with a photo showing Emile obviously having an affair with another woman. All the while, a song by Charles Aznavour is playing the background, the lyrics substitute the dialogue and hit the love triangle scenario on the head to perfection!

LE MÈPRIS (Contempt – 1963) is a dialogue-heavy satire about the film business, in which American film producer Jeremy Prokosch (Jack Palance) hires legendary Austrian director Fritz Lang (here playing himself) to direct yet another film adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey. When the two clash over the treatment of the script (Prokosch feels Lang’s approach is too art-house) he hires playwright Paul Javal (Michel Piccoli) to rework the lot and make it more accessible to audiences. Javal is accompanied by his wife Camille (Brigitte Bardot), who soon begins to feel estranged from her husband who gets increasingly absorbed in his work. When Camille seemingly spends some time in the company of Prokosch – not just a producer but also a wealthy playboy – the hour of doom is nigh for the marriage of Camille and Paul, and there is no happy end despite the sunny backdrop of Rome.

PIERROT LE FOU (1965) is one of Godard’s most anarchic and most debated films which once again reunites the talents of Anna Karina and Jean-Paul Belmondo. Ferdinand Griffot (Belmondo) has just lost his job as an executive for a TV company, and is generally bored with his bourgeois existence and those around him, including his family. His boredom and frustration are emphasized when he attends a party where everyone seems shallow and some females talks of the latest beauty products as if it were the most important thing in the world. Soon after, Ferdinand runs away with his enticing yet equally bored babysitter Marianne (A. Karina). When they arrive in her apartment and find a corpse, it transpires that Marianne is being chased is somehow involved in political activities, resulting in her being chased by gangsters. Now Ferdinand (to whom Marianne refers to as ‘Pierrot’ – The Fool) and his new girlfriend really do a runner and flee cross-country in the car of the dead man. Despite the stunning scenery of the French Riviera they couple soon realise that no matter how free and uncomplicated they aim to live, they will need money to continue existing, or even just to get petrol for their various cars they steal and demolish along their wild trip. As Pierrot settles just fine in his new lifestyle as an ‘outlaw’ on the run who has all the time in the world to read and philosophise, Marianne becomes bored with her Robinson Crusoe lifestyle and always wearing the same dress… As the past inevitably catches up with them, they both go out with a bang and a blow…
Pierrot Le Fou (based on Lionel Wilde’s novel ‘Obsession) is filled with anarchic humour occasionally bordering on slapstick, and some sequences that feel almost surreal. The chemistry between Karina and Belmondo is particularly electrifying here and one really does believe the pair enjoys the ride of their lives!

ALPHAVILLE (1965) is Godard’s undisputed masterpiece, at least in my opinion. This darkly poetic and brooding affair combines elements of Sci-fi, film noir and romantic drama set in a dystopian place in the future called Alphaville, in which its citizens are executed should they display any emotions or similar human characteristics. In Alphaville only logic, numbers and rationale rule – any kind of creativity and individuality is punishable by death. Enter secret agent Lemmy Caution (the one and only Eddie Constantine), who arrives in the city from ‘the Outlands’ on multiple missions while posing a reporter Ivan Johnson: to search for missing agent/colleague Henry Dickson (Akim Tamiroff), to infiltrate the nerve centre and capture the creator of Alphaville, Professor Von Braun (Howard Vernon) and to destroy the dictatorial computer system called Alpha 60… thus freeing the place of its totalitarian regime. During his stay in Alphaville he meets and befriends Professor Von Braun’s daughter (Natacha (Anna Karina) although she is estranged from her father. When both Natacha and Lemmy (aka Ivan) begin to fall in love the situation for him becomes ever more dangerous whilst for her it seems almost impossible to express any emotion (let alone love) without signing her death warrant. Indeed, so controlled and robotic is the life of the citizens that Natacha is in fact not even capable of expressing love, a sensation that leaves her confused and bewildered… If Lemmy’s mission is going to be a success he needs to be more than clever, and if he really wants to take Natacha away from Alphaville and offer her a new and much happier life in the ‘Outlands’ he needs to make use of all of his wit…
Gorgeously filmed in stark b/w, the majority was shot in the outskirts of Paris, a Paris dominated by high-rise towers which perfectly reflect the bleak and sterile atmosphere of Alphaville. The film was furthermore short during winter and almost exclusively at night time – enhancing the atmosphere of threat and joylessness. Constantine, an American ex-pat who relocated to France and did well in numerous B-movie flicks, is perfect casting, as is Anna Karina. It should come as no surprise that the film won numerous awards and influenced artist and filmmakers for generations to come.

This really is the ESSENTIAL GODARD and worth every penny, with an array of interesting Extras and interviews.