Godard's 2nd feature film is a lot of fun. He broke all the rules with Breathless. Here he is laughing at the rules he just shattered. It would be easy to call this film indulgent. I have read a few reviews that was satisfied to do just that. However I found this movie to be a romp and I had a lot of fun with it.
A Woman is a Woman is French New Wave turned up to 11! If you want an example of the FNW look no further. When people think of classic black and white artsy movies that usually go to Fellini's 8 1/2. When they want existential artsy films they pick Bergman's The Seventh Seal. A Woman is a Woman should be the poster boy for the FNW. It's jump cuts, breaking of the 4th wall, its sense of self awareness, its playing with musical troupes, its camera movements all embody the traditional FNW ascetic.
The film stars the lovely Anna Karina in the lead role. She wants a baby. Her lover, Jean-Claude Brialy, doesn't want to give her one. His friend, Jean-Paul Belmondo (from Breathless), is willing to provide her that. It has a love triangle unlike any movie I have ever seen.
My final comment is about the use of color in this movie. It wasn't as bold as Pierrot le Fou, but it it clearly a stepping stone for that film. I love the color, I love Anna Karina and I really enjoyed this moive. I give A Woman is a Woman ****.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Movie #298 Dr Strangelove *1964*
This is my favorite comedy of all time. You would think a review for one of your favorite films would be easy, but I hold this film in such high regards that I feel like anything I write about it would be a disgrace. But here it goes anyway.
This year I watched Paths of Glory for the first time. It is a war movie by the same director of Strangelove, Kubrick. The first time I watched Paths I noticed how wonderfully it was acted and shot. Stanley is widely thought of as a perfectionist and for good reason. I also thought of how brutal and horrible the plot was. It is a bout a group of soldiers that are sent out on a suicide mission. They retreat after what they consider to be giving it their best, but they are court marshaled for being cowards. Pretty serious subject matter. Then the second time I watched Paths I realized another staple of Kubrick's work, his dark and twisted sense of humor. Paths is a farce on the hypocrisy of military structure.
I mention Paths to help illustrate how dark Kubrick can be. In Strangelove a rouge general has found a loophole in the US attack plans in cold war times. Without the proper authority he sends dozens of bomber planes to attack the USSR. An action that will surely result in a full on nuclear war. Once the US president finds out, his choices become clear, either: comitt 100% to a full on attack of Russia or speak to the Soviets and order them to shoot down all the US planes. The later is chosen, but one plane evades the Russians and makes an effort to bomb a new target.
While all this doesn't sound very funny, it only gets worse. Apparently the Soviets had completed a doomsday device in which any attack on Russian soil will launch an planet wide launch of nuclear weapons. Wiping out all of humanity.
This is Kubrick's playground and he takes full advantage of it. The humor in this film ranges from clever word play to down right absurdity. This movie stops at nothing short of a pie fight to evoke laughter. The characters (and character names) in the movie are by today's standards not as ridiculous as they should be. And that is really the most frightening thing about this movie.
The reason I admire this movie so much goes far beyond the great script and wonderful acting. It is Kubrick's camera and his attention to detail. As I said earlier, he is a perfectionist and it shows in this film. It is shot in a vast and starkly opposing black and white. The cinematography is perfect. Not good, perfect. Kubrick's use of props and sets blows my mind. The light around the war room round table is often times shown over the head of someone in the room, making him look like an angel. The way he frames shots, is that of a master.
I won't get into anymore details right now. I will say this is my favorite comedy and a masterpiece if ever there was one. I give Dr Strangelove *****.
This year I watched Paths of Glory for the first time. It is a war movie by the same director of Strangelove, Kubrick. The first time I watched Paths I noticed how wonderfully it was acted and shot. Stanley is widely thought of as a perfectionist and for good reason. I also thought of how brutal and horrible the plot was. It is a bout a group of soldiers that are sent out on a suicide mission. They retreat after what they consider to be giving it their best, but they are court marshaled for being cowards. Pretty serious subject matter. Then the second time I watched Paths I realized another staple of Kubrick's work, his dark and twisted sense of humor. Paths is a farce on the hypocrisy of military structure.
I mention Paths to help illustrate how dark Kubrick can be. In Strangelove a rouge general has found a loophole in the US attack plans in cold war times. Without the proper authority he sends dozens of bomber planes to attack the USSR. An action that will surely result in a full on nuclear war. Once the US president finds out, his choices become clear, either: comitt 100% to a full on attack of Russia or speak to the Soviets and order them to shoot down all the US planes. The later is chosen, but one plane evades the Russians and makes an effort to bomb a new target.
While all this doesn't sound very funny, it only gets worse. Apparently the Soviets had completed a doomsday device in which any attack on Russian soil will launch an planet wide launch of nuclear weapons. Wiping out all of humanity.
This is Kubrick's playground and he takes full advantage of it. The humor in this film ranges from clever word play to down right absurdity. This movie stops at nothing short of a pie fight to evoke laughter. The characters (and character names) in the movie are by today's standards not as ridiculous as they should be. And that is really the most frightening thing about this movie.
The reason I admire this movie so much goes far beyond the great script and wonderful acting. It is Kubrick's camera and his attention to detail. As I said earlier, he is a perfectionist and it shows in this film. It is shot in a vast and starkly opposing black and white. The cinematography is perfect. Not good, perfect. Kubrick's use of props and sets blows my mind. The light around the war room round table is often times shown over the head of someone in the room, making him look like an angel. The way he frames shots, is that of a master.
I won't get into anymore details right now. I will say this is my favorite comedy and a masterpiece if ever there was one. I give Dr Strangelove *****.
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