Before the Beatles, Jean-Luc made this film of a rock group playing a surprise gig on a rooftop in 1968, Jefferson Airplane
I am deeply saddened to learn of Mr. Godard's death. Contempt, Alphaville, and Weekend are three of my favorite films. R.I.P.
It's reported now that Godard died by assisted suicide. A statement says "He wasn't ill, he was simply exhausted. So he took the decision to finish. It was his decision and it was important to him that that should be known." It may well be that he's completed something and has known that he wouldn't have the time or energy to do anything further.
The influence Fellini and Godard had on film is far more interesting than most of their films. Grinding boredom is misconstrued as profound or serious.
Jean-Luc Godard was still alive?! In all seriousness, RIP. It's certain that Godard's work will continue to inspire for centuries to come.
I won't debate Godard, I'd just point out that there are many people who appreciate what he did and don't find him tedious. But Fellini "boring" and "grinding boredom"? That's a new one... A common reproach addressed at Fellini is that he would fill some of his films with some dreamlike imagery that was noisy and shallow, but it was fellow Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni who was criticized for being boring, even by peers such as Truffaut, Visconti or Bergman.
Breathless is the most watchable movie I know. I whole or in parts I will never get bored with it. Examining the technique does not explain this. Vivre Sa Vie is sad, even cruel yet so empathetic it's beautiful. The playfulness of A Woman Is A Woman and the way Belmondo and Karina sashay through some sloppy symbolism are the work of a joyful, mischievous film maker open to all the possibilities of where a movie can go. On paper Alphaville should be my movie but that froggy voice is more than I can handle. Passion features Isabelle Huppert and Hanna Schygulla and an old guy with a hacking cough that goes on and on. In 2 or 3 Things I know About Her JLG whispers on the soundtrack throughout. Eventually it seemed like he was torturing the audience just to test their patience and ultimately seemed to feel that an entertained audience was some kind of failure. It's hard to imagine getting along with the guy but my patience won't run out.
I enjoyed his commentary on film more than his movies except for Historie(s) du Cinema which is like a fascinating film puzzle referencing everything from Disney to Dovzhenko. Finally gonna do the Mobi trial (maybe a permanent sub) as it’s currently the only service currently streaming it. R.I.P. Seminal figure in the medium.
It's not a cover. Even if it was written by Jagger, Richards and Andrew Loog Oldham, it wasn't originally intended for the Rolling Stones. Faithfull's version was recorded and released in 1964, a full year before the Stones considered recording it.
I think it’s also my favourite, although the films he made with Anna Karina are essential in my view, at least up until Made In The USA. I haven’t watched a Godard film in a long time, but Le Mepris (Contempt) is one I must watch again, along with Vivre Sa Vie, which got a BFI remaster a few years ago. There’s a tribute from fellow film makers in today’s edition of The Guardian, which is a reminder of what a pivotal figure he was in cinema. An excellent read. ‘Godard shattered cinema’: Martin Scorsese, Mike Leigh, Abel Ferrara, Claire Denis and more pay tribute
Godard was one of those directors whose films just never "clicked" with me. I amassed a decent collection of his stuff during my "buy everything Criterion puts out" phase, but I don't think I've ever had the desire to re-watch any of them. Still, I respect that he was a hugely influential director and that his films were important to so many people. RIP.
