Feb 13, 2017kyc14 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
french new wave director godard + french bombshell bardot!
godard shows that he can make an understandable film after all, unlike his otherwisely semi-comprehensible ones.
bardot shows that she can act decently, over & beyond her otherwisely semi-bimbo characters in other films.
this film is enjoyable, enlightening & intrigue in many ways.
to me it exemplifies what french new wave was about (can u believe it was in 1950-60’s):
1. moving from b&w era into full colors, directors don’t shy away from testing the abilities of colors. godard plays w/ red & blue filters & employs bold-color costumes/background here.
2. technical exploration of camera movement. here many scenes were shot w/ linear tracking, esp in the condominium home when bardot & her playwright hubby move from room to room during lovers’ quarrel.
3. the plot is only the surface, deep below is the real intellectual thesis. this film’s plot is about a movie production, but its topic is about the illusion, dissatisfaction & conflict in a marriage.
4. location shots are always preferred. they can add dramatic, real-life & identifiable feelings to the audience.
5. sometimes the ending can be abrupt & surprising. this film’s ending is unexpectedly tragic/fatalistic, possibly to resonate w/ the plot’s movie story involving greek mythology. but personally i dislike godard having to push bardot into the same final fate as the arrogant producer. the ending is sad, but perhaps a dramatic & bold statement from godard.
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