La nuit americaine, Francois Truffaut, 1973
Inspired by a citation in a Kent Jones essay in the booklet for Zeitgeist’s excellent new edition of Olivier Assayas’ Irma Vep, I watched both Le nuit americaine and Vep back to back. They’re both great, exhilarating films that really don’t have a whole lot to do with each other, as it turns out. I’ll post more detailed findings later. In the meantime, here’s an image from the Truffaut—a shot in which the film-within-a-film’s fictitious director, played by Truffaut, is unpacking some books—that, from the vantage point of 2008, is sadly moving in a number of ways.
I’m going to make a confession here: I just watched “Breathless” for the first time the other day, making it only my fourth Godard, and it simply left me cold. Mind you, I could understand why it knocked everyone for a loop at the time, but Godard’s brand of loop-knocking kind of…bores me. I just don’t click with him. I’m not going to stop watching his films, because that would be silly, but my optimism of discovering something that will excite me in his work is waning.
Sorry, everybody…
I would have figured “Breathless” would be right up at least one of your alleys, Bill. But c’est la vie. Maybe I’ll try to set up an indoctrination session when the Blu-ray for “Contempt” comes out.
But seriously—as much of a Godard lover as I am, I’m not affronted by your confession. This sort of thing might be a good idea for a future post—not so much “blind spots,” as that’s a trifle judgmental—but films/directors that just don’t do it for one, despite reputation and even acknowledged significance.
I figured “Breathless” was going to be a make-it-or-break-it film, because it’s a crime film, of sorts, and builds off noir, and Melville, and all that. But Godard doesn’t really care about crime as a subject, or any of the other things about the genre that I like. For him it’s all an affectation, or so it seemed to me, and crime films once-removed don’t really do it for me.
bill,
Breathless was the first Godard film I saw, and it left me completely underwhelmed. I’ve grown to appreciate it since but it still isn’t one of my favorite Godards. Godard can be like Russian Roulette and maybe you just keep hitting empty chambers (assuming, of course, that a bullet is the desired result). He may be my favorite director yet I’m about 50/50 on him, at least when it comes to first impressions. Venerated classics like Breathless, Vivre sa vie, and Pierrot le Fou didn’t do much for me when I first saw them. Band of Outsiders, Masculin Feminin, and La Chonoise immediately blew me away.
Which Godards have you seeN?
Glenn, why “from the vantage point of 2008”? Hadn’t Godard and Truffaut already fallen out by ’74? Or do you mean that Truffaut and Bunuel are now dead and gone? In which case, agreed.
MovieMan, other than “Breathless”, I’ve seen “Weekend”, “Alphaville” and “Contempt”. Of those, I think “Contempt” worked best for me, but only by a slim margin. As I haven’t seen any of the ones you particularly recommend, I guess those will have to be next.
I always think Band of Outsiders is the best to start with. It’s breezy, simple, and fun but also gives you full flavor of Godard’s style and mood. All of the films you mentioned (except for Breathless) are pretty rigorous in comparison.
And, oddly enough I have my own “blind spot” with Truffaut – the one who’s supposed to be warmer, more emotional, etc. I enjoy his movies, I think he’s a great filmmaker but he doesn’t quite personally connect with me on the level a Godard or a Welles does.
Even though I’ve only seen four Godard films, my “relationship” with him stretches back over ten years (meaning that’s roughly when I first watched “Weekend” and “Alphaville”), and in comparison I’m quite new to Truffaut (don’t ask me why it’s taken me so long to get to him, because I don’t know). So far, though, I’ll take Truffaut over Godard any day, with “The Wild Child” being my favorite so far.
I’m struggling with Bunuel, too. I have “Viridiana” coming from Netflix tomorrow.
I was going to suggest that all this site’s regulars chip in to buy Bill a DVD of La Chinoise, but that’s just sheer perversity. The truth is, despite being an admirer myself (with some recent qualms that mimic and were partly triggered by GK’s own), I don’t think it’s unreasonable at all to find Godard alienating and/or dated. That said, if Bunuel doesn’t do the trick for you either, Bill, all your SCR fans will be depressed. So come on, “Viridiana” – work your magic, wilya?
It’s not that Bunuel doesn’t do it for me, actually. I remember liking, but being befuddled by, “The Exterminating Angel” years ago, and more recently I quite liked “Belle de Jour”. Even more recently than that, though, I was really put off by “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie”, and “Un Chien Andelou” left me…I don’t know. I didn’t dislike it, but it’s not something I can claim to have liked, either. But when I said that I’m struggling with Bunuel, I was giving the wrong impression.
Man, I’d hate for my fans to turn their backs on me for this, just when I’m getting ready to go on tour again.
bill, I’ve never been huge on Bunuel either. I liked his movies, but they never really had the visceral effect on me that was intended. For whatever reason.
By the way, this upside-down comments thing is throwing me for a loop. I guess it’s a good idea but it’s admittedly a little disorienting…
I’m with you on not really feeling Breathless, Bill, though I’ve only seen it once and several years ago at that. So far, only two Godards have really done it for me: Contempt and Alphaville. I was blown away by those films, but I’ve been left some degree of cold by all the others that I’ve seen.
Good to hear there’s a new DVD of Irma Vep coming up. I’ve only seen the film via its horrendous old release from Fox Lorber or whatever.
Despite being a huge (and I mean HUGE) admirer of all things Godard, even I am somewhat cold on Breathless, which doesn’t do it for me quite the way almost all his other films, with very few exceptions, do. I think Breathless is a fine film, don’t get me wrong, and it was an auspicious debut that pointed the way forward to a lot of what was to come, but Godard got much better very soon afterward.
Based on the films you say you’ve seen and not been moved, Bill, I might suggest Masculin feminin or Vivre sa vie as logical next stops. Those are two of my personal favorites, and neither is quite as chilly as Godard could sometimes be. And though his 80s films are extremely experimental in form and content, they are also among his most visually sumptuous and emotionally rich, so Hail Mary and First Name: Carmen might also be good choices. I’ve written extensively about a lot of Godard films if anyone’s interested:
http://seul-le-cinema.blogspot.com/2007/08/index-of-reviews-by-director.html#g
Okay, that’s two for “Masculin Feminin”. I’ll bump it up in the queue. I think I have “First Name: Carmen” in the queue, as well, based on some other comment on this site from some time ago.
Masculin Feminin is one of my favorite films of all time, but I still say start (or rather “re-start”) with Band of Outsiders…not to hype it up too much, and lead to disappointment, of course…
(Hey, what happened to the upside-down thread? Was I hallucinating?)
No, that upside-down thing has happened before. I commented on it once, and then looked like a crazy person when it reverted to normal.
Maybe I’ll do a “Masculin Feminin”/“Band of Outsiders” double feature…
Surely this screen capture also recalls the scene in Minnelli’s Some Came Running, where our hero Dave Hirsch pulls the lauded (perhaps too lauded) Absalom, Absalom, Tender is the Night and other paragons of modernist literature out of his bag.
Okay, I watched “Viridiana”. The short version of my reaction is: “I liked it! But what the hell, am I right??” The long version is here (and if this sort of linking isn’t kosher, someone should feel free to tell me):
http://wwwbillblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/viridiana-and-me.html