Review of Pierrot Le Fou by Godard

I've returned to Godard, like encountering an old friend after a vacation to find he hasn't much changed. Pierrot Le Fou is a film that leaves the viewer with a sense of ambivalence. About where the characters are heading and about where Godard is taking film as an art form. The typical Godard style is there; the hyper closeup, the music, the car rides, the noirishness of the film. Godard is truely a cinematic master. The more I watch his films the more I understand, or at least think I understand, his style of filmmaking. I will refrain from any summation of the movies and just describe the best scenes of the film. As well as try to analyze what Godard did with cinema as an art form.

The beginning sequence of the film strikes the audience as colorful, now it strikes me as "retro." It has color taints which look very old from 2013, but they add style to the film. The next scene I found most interesting was the car scene between Belmondo and Karina. It reminded me, as did alot of the film, of a Hitchcock film. The two character are riding along talking, lights are flashing on Karina's face, they are plotting their escape. Belmondo strikes a classical face. He seems to be a cross between Bogart and the actor Steve McQueen. Always has that cigareette dangling from his mouth. Always bounding from place to place. Like in Breathless Belmondo comes off as a flawed character escaping the law, escaping from bourgeoisie banality, he chases women only to sink more and more into directionless wandering and further crime.

Where I think Godard does well, but was typical of French movies in the 1960s, is the self reflexivity. Godard almost asks the audience "to where should this movies go?" The sequence where Belmondo and Karina are alone on the island seems to be a display of Godard's inner thinking. Belmondo's character seems to want a studious life. Perhaps the line I liked best is when Karina says "enough with this Jules Verne life, we have to get back to the gangster film we are in with fast cars, guns, and explosions." I think this shows that Godard wants us to acknowledge that it is a film. The narrative is not so important as is the technique and style of the film. I agree with Roger Ebert when he says "Godard's films are exercises in style." Belmondo, Karina, reflections by Godard in the film, the shots, the cuts, the action, the self-reflexivity, all make Pierrot Le Fou one of Godard best films.