#728 Une femme est une femme (1961)
February 22, 2010
Directed by: Jean-Luc Godard
Starring: Anna Karina, Jean-Claude Brialy, Jean-Paul Belmondo
Genre: Avant Garde, Comedy
IMDB
I have an affinity for films that have an effect on my mood. Some people like to watch a film, be entertained and then forget about it as soon as it’s over. I prefer it when a film sticks with me. It doesn’t have to make such an impression that I can’t stop thinking about it all day, but I like it when a film can subconsciously effect me. Whether it be a film like Ikiru that leaves me somber all day or The Night of the Hunter which puts me in a weird surreal/alert mood, if a film can effect me on that level, chances are I’ll be in to it.
After watching Une femme est une femme, I’m always left with the feeling that I wish Godard had made more films like this. This is Godard at his most playful (not experimentally per se, but playful in an almost giddy way, like he is so excited to have his wife and two of the best actors of the time occupying his screen). It’s a pretty stark contrast to the angry and bitter Godard we see in a film like Weekend. Godard’s use of color here is only bettered in Pierrot le Fou, and unlike that film, the color pallette never becomes oppressive to the eyes. One of the things I like best about this film is the way Godard pays homage to his buddy (at the time) Truffaut. Seeing Jeanne Moreau (playing herself) and Marie Dubois (playing her character from Shoot the Piano Player) is exciting and rewarding. The use of Charlie Aznavour in the soundtrack to the film is a bit more subtle though no less interesting homage to Truffaut. This is not my favorite Godard (though it’s definitely top 3) but it’s the type of film I wish Godard had made more of. He is definitely in his element here, seemlessly combining comedy, eroticism and heart into one magical film.
