Masculin Feminin

"Masculin Feminin" by Jean-Luc Goddard has a documentary feel to it, but is really a sociological study performed in front of the camera's eyes. It offers an esoteric view of youth culture and is divided into chapters with different cinematic elements within each. Goddard did not have access to a high budget for this film, resulting in a low-budget, black and white make. His usual cinematographer was not available for his use concerning this film, so he uses a cinematographer we have not experienced so far. The film is differentiating for me because of the way its dialogue works and the absence of traditional shot-reverse shot during these conversation based scenes. There is a decent amount of voice-overs used along with a balanced amount of background noise that becomes preeminent in public scenes such as in the cafe. The dialogue is evasive in that the more a character says, the less productive it is. It would almost be better to have them say less, they talk and talk but a lot of the words and questions get repeated. The conversation as a whole acts as more of an interrogation than an every day conversation one would find in an average film. For example, the scene in the kitchen when the young woman is eating an apple while a young male tries to pursuit her, the camera's attention stays focused on her eating the apple- a Biblical allusion. This allusion brings to mind the questions about women that arise throughout the plot. This is a very political film in that there are many indications to the Vietnam war, socialism, French communism along with images of "Peace in Vietnam". Goddard connects these two controversial elements and questions women in relation to politics. He has a conversation with one woman about politics in which she reveals that she doesn't know much and doesn't care to. I feel that even gender is questioned here, especially in the scene where Paul walks in on two men kissing and in the film that is being watched by the characters which is demeaning to women, and just down right creepy. Even at the beginning of the film, the scene starts out with Paul basically interviewing Madeleine. The film they were watching seems to prove quite a point in that it comes off as very artistic and experimental, yet sparks no interest in Paul. It is the women who want to continue watching the film, curious to see more of the stereotypical wife's abuse. It also refers to woman's desire to watch or experience morbidity. Someone mentioned women liking the Lifetime channel which deals with female drama and I think this can be related. As for Madeleine, she is a very superficial and selfish character, only worrying about her looks and reputation.Tthis is Goddard proving his point about women being self-centered and oblivious to things occurring around them, such as politics. With all in consideration, I think Goddard is showing a little bitterness towards the female gender. With Paul's voice over during this scene, we, as an audience, begin to feel more disappointed with the film playing in the background as he does, referring to Goddard's rejection of traditional Hollywood conventions.

Day For Night

"Day For Night" by Francois Truffaut truly made me want to do what he does for a career. True, it looks hectic and like nothing goes according to plan, but the film has a very excited attitude towards film in general. I feel like it is a film celebrating film. It was funny, sad and moving all at the same time, truly a glimpse into the life of Francois Truffaut. Through use of the plot and the subplots occurring within, a chaotic atmosphere with filmic elements found everywhere is created. "Day For Night" felt so alive with its vibrant screen of colors and playful actors. French New Wave directors aimed to do something different, something revolutionary, something worthwhile. With this being said, I think one can agree that this film does exactly that. How many films that concentrate on making a film, really grab your attention and maintain it throughout the course of its run-time? I mean, I was just sucked into Truffaut's world in this film and to be honest, I was a bit sad when it was over! I think this is by far, one of my favorite films we have seen in this class. "Day For Night" created feelings for me that should be felt by everyone when they view an extraordinary film. Not only is it aesthetically suitable for the excitement and craziness portrayed, but well balanced. Sad parts are countered with happy parts. Not only that, but the truly sad moments, such as the death of Alexandre, are offered with a sense of hope, an optimistic view for the future. I know I mention the auteur theory often in my postings, but I think this film is truly, truly applicable to this theory and offers a peek into the chaotic life of an amazing director, Truffaut. He proves through this work that film intends to capture reality on camera, but with this comes consequences such as breakdowns, deadlines and even death. Whatever the case, the show must go on and the filming must progress. That is the beauty of "Day For Night", the way real life and the camera seem to connect on a personal basis through everything that is happening on screen and everything that is happening in reality.

Alphaville

Jean Luc-Goddard truly proves how diverse he can be through his film "Alphaville". I really enjoyed this one, something I didn't expect. The sci-fi elements give it a new look and feel in comparison to Goddard's other works. The voice of the Alpha 60 computer intrigued me because it is heard throughout the film, especially towards the end when it seems to be heard constantly. It is as if the more you hear this computer speak, the more chaos occurs on screen. The film noir elements of chiaroscuro, mystery, violence, and the femme fatale played by Anna Karina make this film something new because it is set in a futuristic city instead of the realistic or even surrealistic ones that we've seen. I think Goddard's involvement in the left wing party can be related to this film in that he is weighing out good and evil, right and wrong-- order vs. reason. The audience will have a new appreciation for freedom after experiencing what obsessive order destroys. Goddard takes everything he has used in past films and takes it to another level- he throws the viewer into a completely different world- a parallel universe. I'm always interested when Anna Karine plays a role in Goddard's films. She is so versatile, yet in this film utterly mysterious and somber, maybe even a Karina we haven't seen so far. She is glum in "Vivre Sa Vie", but not nearly as gloomy as "Alphaville". I feel there is an evident conflict present between new technology and old ways. A battle between computers and tradition; the tradition of being happy and living versus the new technology of order and the perfection of precision. In my opinion, Goddard is voicing the people's fear of the digital age and what may come of it. This was made in 1965, the 60s were a time of revolution, conflict and fear. All of these are elements that can be found in this film, Goddard just intensifies them into a larger extreme. Overall, this is a very impressive film that really voices who Goddard is as a director and proves how diverse his work can be.

Contempt

Jean Luc Goddard's "Contempt" is a film that I did not expect to see from him. As a first time learner in regards to Goddard's work, I am very impressed with this film. The cinematography, actors and plot all fit together almost too perfectly. It is a film about the making of a film and all the issues that might come along with it, maybe revealing the true and gritty side of Hollywood film and production. The plot can be correlated to Goddard's relationship with Anna Karina, which is rocky at this time. He uses primary colors to light up the screen in a non-urban setting, something we haven't seen much of until now. The image of Hollywood producers which Goddard displays here is not a nice one. This could be because he was not dependent on big producers as his films were low budget. There are a decent amount of questions raised such as who makes the decisions in their relationship, what are the husband's intentions and where should the audience's sympathies lie? It is hard to judge the husbands intentions; he could be oblivious or on the other hand, he could be fully aware of his actions and their results. The beginning scene is with a nude Bridget Bardot, displaying the breaking up of female parts. The dialogue between the couple concerning eyes, lips, legs, breasts etc. echo the scene in "Breathless" where he is going on and on about these female parts. Even at the start of the film, flashbacks and flashforward shots are used. The effect these had on me acted both as a glimpse into the past and into the future. These tiny glimpses cause the viewer to try to figure out what will happen, whether that shot has been seen before or not. In my opinion, this makes the plot a bit more interesting causing the spectator to take on a more active role in viewing the film. This is Goddard's most classical film that we have seen so far. The sound is different than his other works in that it comes in and out. Not to mention, the beginning credits are announced by a voice over replacing the traditional text credits. All in all, "Contempt" is a powerful film because it is tragic, yet moving.

Vivre Sa Vie

"Vivre Sa Vie" by Jean Luc Goddard is a film accomplished in only twelve scenes that allow the audience to peer into the life of a prostitute. Anna Karina plays the role of Nana, the young woman we see sexually gratified while searching for herself, it seems. The mood is always solemn, which is unchanging until the very end where she is shot and killed. I found it obvious that Nana felt death was near. She comes off as numb to her surroundings and the world overall. Nana just wants to make a living, but it also seems like she desires to find out what she really wants. In the scene where she is watching "Joan of Arc", she is seeing the slow death of a woman who only did what she knew was right. "Vivre Sa Vie" is, in a sense, the slow death of Nana. The lifestyle of prostitution and borrowing her body to men for money drains the life right out of her. This work is not sugarcoated or made to be pretty to hide an ugly subject; it reveals all the way it is in reality. It uncovers Nana's lifestyle that she practices every day. The audience experiences some interesting moments such as Nana's speaking with the older gentlemen in a cafe about love. On the other hand, the audience also experiences some painful moments such as when Nana exposes all for one of her customers, preparing to do the deed she so often does for money when he asks for another girl. Nana find another girl to satisfy his needs. She sits on the edge of the bed and lights a cigarette. It is in that moment that I felt sympathy for her. However, she seems so numb and unaffected by this as if its just another day on the job. I suppose it is another day on the job for Nana, maybe this is why she is so numb. She gets caught up in her pimps mess and ends up dying for it. The film is a slow but sure downfall of Nana and the occupation she is involved in. This film is not a tear-jerker, but more of a deeper disturbance to the viewer who sees the life Nana lives and how it ends.

Les Carabiniers

Jean Luc Goddard truly pushes the limits in "Les Carabiniers". He goes overboard with timing and the overall image of war. For example, the six minute scene when Ulysses and Michelangelo are showing Venus and Cleopatra the photos of their travels tends to be a bit much or drawn out. I think this scene portrays a raw sense of reality because of its length. It doesn't just summarize the pictures they possess but displays every single detail about the photographs and the history behind them. These photographs are imagistic catalogs of what they have seen and supposed to have collected, representing the treasures and prizes they were promised for fighting in the war. A contrast exists between the photographs and war in that the photographs represent nice and desirable things as a result of the gruesome and undesirable war. In the scene where Michelangelo visits the cinema for the first time, the train film by the Lumiere Brothers is parodied. He flinches back as the train is darting towards the screen, actually believing that it may be a danger- a result of the moving picture. A mythological moment in film history is exhibited here because legend has it that the first audiences to view this film by the Lumiere Brothers were actually frightened by the train coming towards them. In another film Michelangelo views, it is a woman taking a bath. This scene shows his stupidity, further proving him to be a spitting image of the village idiot. He ends up tearing down the projection screen because he tries jumping higher above the tub, believing he could actually see her in the nude. The characters can be considered to be cartoonist types. For example, Michelangelo is the village idiot who will fight to just to fight believing he will be highly rewarded. Even the names of the characters, Michelangelo, Ulysses, Venus and Cleopatra are names of godly and well known figures in art, history and literature, obviously not comparable to the simple lives these cartoonist-type characters lead. There is a deliberate reflection on stupidity resulting in a depiction of war that is cut down to cliches, certainly not a realist point of view. This film is obviously anti-war in its very cynical point of view. The war shown is no war in particular. The war is just a battle to fight where nothing is gained. It is as if the war is transformed into a spectacle, seducing men into fighting with empty promises of wealth conflicted with the disturbing view of war. I think this anti-war work is attempting to deglorify the image of war through turning it into a spectacle that can be very easily poked fun at.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

"The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" by Jacques Demy has Hollywood technicolor musicals in mind without the Hollywood feel. Again, this is another parody-like film in the French New Wave using stylistic conventions of a certain genre which in this case is the musical. Many referential jokes to operas or movies are practiced. For example, lines in the film such as "I hate operas, too much singing. I prefer the movies", and "people only die of love in the movies" prove how Demy is poking fun at musicals. It comes off as extremely fake and artificial because of the colors used and setting. The colors seem to have meaning as the film begins in very bright shades and transitions to grey, or black and white towards the end. An example of this is the scene at the end where Genevieve and Guy see each other for the first time since he has returned. White snow covers the setting as she is in black when at the beginning she was always seen in a vibrant outfit. Even Genevieve's mother wearing red symbolizes the role she plays which can be considered to be villain-like. Class struggles are evident throughout the plot resulting in leaving Genevieve and ultimatum. She has to make a choice between money and love. Everything in this film attempts to be sugar-coated, especially through the mother's appearance and her actual situation. She looks wealthy and fine, but her situation in reality is not similar. She only cares about how they appear to other people. When Genevieve tells her she is pregnant, she can only think about what they are going to tell people. She only worries about what people are going to think of them or judge them. The film has allusions to sailors with it being set in a port and many shots of sailors walking on the street or in the bars where Guy goes to be with a prostitute after he has heard the bad news of Genevieve's other marriage. There is also a sailboat found in Guy's room in one scene. As a whole, "The Umbrella's of Cherbourg" is a youthful and romantic film full of unfulfilled dreams masked by the beauty of color and melody.

A Woman is a Woman

"A Woman is a Woman" by Jean Luc Goddard has all the conventions of a musical without actually being a musical. The use of bright color, musical elements and an obvious influence of the 1950s Hollywood genre all contribute to this. It is a pseudo-musical in its methods. The revisionist genre is being exercised because the film is not completely a musical, but it is not an average film either. It seems as if its difficult to categorize because there are so many components involved causing this to be a film to remember and certainly not one to easily forget. Anna Karina who plays the amusing and quite attractive character of Angela makes the film for me. Her character is kind of agitating, but amusing at the same time. I felt that she is too cute to be completely annoyed with. She plays these little games with the other characters in a lighthearted manner resulting in an appealing and playful mood. Like some of the other films we have viewed in class, this film imitates another genre. "A Woman is a Woman" is a parody of the musical genre. French New Wave directors seem to do this to introduce a fresh new take on a specific genre using anything but average conventions and subjects. It is very playful because there are many "hard to get" games practiced. The characters are very ritualized in their movements and every day activities, such as going to bed with Angela and Jean. They have a ritual of walking around with the lamp to find books to express their feelings instead of directly conversing. This scene depicts the humor and spirited mood of the work. Even the competition portrayed between Angela and Jean when she says she can do anything he does, they play out waggish and almost dance-like moves which ends with her kicking him in the rear. This type of scene would be easily discovered in a Hollywood musical (maybe with out the kick in the rear). Overall, the visually pleasing film pokes fun at musicals in its own lively and very colorful way.

Jules and Jim

This film is Truffaut's third film and is considered to be a masterpiece for its controversial subject matter and aesthetic beauty of the film itself. Truffaut had access to a higher budget in comparison to his past works of visual art. A higher budget allowed him to do more. "Jules and Jim" was his first film to star a major actress like Jeanne Moreau along with recognizable movie stars. A balance between old and new cinematic conventions are seen through the black and white color, the lighting and the risky subject content. When the film first came out, it was banned for being provocative because it questions marriage and displays alternative lifestyles for love and living. The film suggests that monogamy may not work and might not even be the answer to love, or life overall. This would be considered completely unacceptable in 1962, the post 1950s time of the nuclear family and perfect suburbs. I think that's what makes this film so superb is its use of controversy and visual beauty, presenting this issue in a pleasant light. "Jules and Jim" seems so carefree and happy at times. Then, it can suddenly shift to a moment of conflict or sorrow. Though, these transitions are equally balanced until the end when I felt everything sort of go downhill. It actually felt a bit bipolar to me with Catherine's desires that were always changing and never satisfied. I found myself annoyed with her character because of the way she put her stress on Jules and Jim. The ending was shocking to me because her selfishness caused her to commit suicide and kill Jim. In my opinion, this was a very moving film that had quite an effect on me. I've never seen a film that made such effective and deep rooted use of the love triangle while balancing the conflict and content.

Shoot the Piano Player

This film is a response to films like "Breathless" and others that involve gangster themes and elements of film noir. The film follows a classical style yet is a parody of film noir. Visual elements of film noir are found within Truffaut's "Shoot the Piano Player" through the heavy shadows and minimal lighting as a result of real location shooting using natural light. There is a successful balance of comedy and tragedy. This allows a range of emotions to be felt within the audience causing it not to be too serious while avoiding being too comical. The comedic elements are certainly effective throughout the film. For example, the visualized cliche that is used when one of the gangers swears he is telling the truth. He claims, if he is not, then he says something along the lines of "may my mother keel over and die" followed by a short clip of an older woman literally falling over and dying. It is this type of cliche comedy that is balanced with film noir visual and moods purposefully evoked.Not only are film noir components involved, but Truffaut plays with the film form as a whole. For example, the three ovals of different shots of the bartender, the use of flashbacks and voice-overs. Quick cuts, dark lighting, and the tracking shots of conversation can be paralleled with the conventions found in "Breathless". In addition, I think the auteur theory can be effectively related to this film. Truffaut uses gangsters strictly to poke fun at them because of his childhood fear and dislike for them. The auteur theory is intriguing when connected to this film because it was formed by French critics. It was born out of the belief that American cinema was worth being studied in detail. Truffaut is mocking Hollywood styles in this film. The film is French, as we all know, but it is done in a classical style. Critics of the auteur theory concentrated on two main focuses, the focus of thematic motifs and the focus of stressed style and mise en scene. Truffaut certainly includes thematic motifs concerning the gangster stereotypes and works an emphasized style in through the misc en scen with use of film noir components. He is putting his personal opinion and emotion into the film as his own. It is because of Truffaut's own life experiences that he created the cliches and stereotypes throughout the plot which makes him the auteur.

My Night at Maude's

"My Night at Maude's" by Eric Rohmer is unique in that it is the only one that we have seen so far that revolves around religiously determined behavior. There are a vast amount of moral and ethical elements involved. It is heavy in dialogue with few camera movements at times with the absence of no shot or reverse shots set up. Yet, it somehow never gets too bland or boring, even with the dialogue based scenes. It is evident that there are many conflicts between the characters presented, especially the main character, Jean-Louis. He claims to be a devout Catholic and is introduced to the audience as he is in church. On the other hand, the audience will notice his attention is not concentrated on the mass itself, but on the blond woman amongst the crowd. This scene alone proves his hypocrisy. He denies philosophy yet claims throughout the film to "have luck on his side" which does not echo Catholicism. There is also a conflict of emotions versus rationality seen through the main character and Maude. The allusions to the French writer Pascal reverberates conflicts of the main character between science and religion. The 17th century writer based everything on theory and probability as the Jean-Louis does. He explains the chances and probability of him running into his professor friend, Vidal when they meet randomly. Pascal gave up gambling and became a religious convert as the Jean-Louis gives up a wild life style to be a devout believer. He is hypocritical in the sense that he follows the obvious rules for Catholicism but has other thoughts and intentions which he hides. He finally gives into Maude, only after he let himself and his beliefs go. This angers her because he could not have made this decision earlier by himself without her influence. The camera work is still fluid in its minor movements and rare changes of scenery. The dialogue moves things along rather than the camera working to do so. Overall, even though it is heavily dialogued, it never becomes boring with its strong components of religious subjects.

Cleo from 5 to 7

Varda's "Cleo from 5 to 7" brought to mind Laura Mulvey's essay on psychoanalytic theory right off the bat. Though, not all that is stated in this essay applies such as posing a threat of castration on the male characters, but a few elements are present. For example, Cleo has the “to be looked-at-ness” Mulvey talks about. She is constantly dealing with the male gaze from strangers. However, this gaze does not strictly come from men. This gaze is seen by everyone who sees her. Cleo comes off as very conceited and even over dramatic at the beginning which caused me to be agitated with her character. She did not mind this gaze that she received from everyone. In the scene where she is in the hat store, she tries on many hats and thinks to herself something along the lines of "I love looking at myself, I get off on it". Scopophilia, the pleasure in looking, is the basis of this psychoanalytic theory. Sexual difference is conveyed through looks exchanged, images and overall spectacle which results in visual fascination. It is clear that Cleo takes pleasure in looking at herself. It is at the towards the end of the film when I started to feel a bit of sympathy for her. When she meets Antoine, a soldier, in the park her ways seem to shift. She comes off as more happy and understanding, maybe even less into herself and more curious to know about him. I think the film itself is very interesting in that the audience experiences Cleo's transition. We experience her weaknesses displayed at the beginning when she seems to whine about anything and everything. Then we see how she is treated walking down the street and the extra attention she receives because of her beauty and because of her celebrity status, as she is a singer. Indeed, she seems to crave attention as we see in the cafe scene when she goes alone and turns on her song for all to hear. When she realizes that no one is even paying attention to the song or her presence, she becomes a bit frustrated. Cleo always seems to point out that she is a singer as displayed in the taxi cab scene when her song is playing on the radio and she makes a big deal out of nothing saying she is so embarrassed and the song is not good. She also makes a deal out of her sickness and no one believes her because she is prone to over exaggerate. There is a point in the film when she realizes she is only appreciated for her beauty and she is constantly being put on display. This is interesting because she goes to pick up her friend who poses as a nude model for an art class. Cleo tells her that posing nude would be out of her comfort zone. This statement is unexpected because Cleo seems to get off on her beauty and being put on display. When she meets Antoine, she is seen alone in the park where no one can see her, where she is not on display for anyone. In my opinion, it is here where she experiences a conversion to reality which is refreshing because it is the first time I felt warmth from her character whereas before this point all I felt was selfishness and even coldness.

Le Bonheur

"Le Bonheur" by Varda can certainly trigger emotions of shock and even frustration. This is how I felt when viewing the film. It starts off as a picture-perfect day with what seems to be a very healthy and happy family. Gender divisions are defined when François practices the freedom to see another woman besides his wife. I think it is so controversial because of the way this film begins. The viewer falls in love with this family because they seem so happy. The children are adorable and the wife is a beauty always catering to her husband and being a good mother. It is like a slap in the face to the audience when François is so easily seduced by Emilie, a postal worker. François is not disturbing in his affair. As a matter of fact, he is completely honest with Emilie. They are both aware of his love for his wife. What makes it disgusting is that he can be so happy while betraying his partner. During the intimate scenes of the film, it is difficult to recognize who is making love to. Both Emilie and his wife look strikingly similar which makes this plot even more interesting. I understand that you cannot help who you fall in love with sometimes, but a line has to be drawn somewhere. François crossed that line and beyond. It is one thing to have sexual temptation because that is a weakness human beings have, however, he allowed this temptation to transition into the emotion of love. Any which way you look at it, François betrayed his wife and family. Even though he was still there for them on an every day basis providing his company and money, he was wrong. François tells his wife that she comes first and if she does not want him to see Emilie any more, he will not. If you ask me, he is full of it. He missed the wedding that his wife wanted to go to so badly in order to be with Emilie. He did not put her first then and I doubt he would have put her first after. This controversial story is wrapped up in a pretty package of colorful images and bright atmospheres as if it were a musical. "Le Bonheur" is a colorful and utopian presentation of something that is extremely ugly and painful. It begins with a bright and colorful summer day in the country with untamed wildlife everywhere. It ends on a brisk autumn day where the wildlife seems to be cut down and tamed. The colors in the end are not found in nature, but on the clothing the characters are wearing. It is as if after his wife died, the beauty that this family found in nature has been sucked dry and they have to compensate for it through other mediums. They replace the colors as François replaces his wife. It is nauseating he shows no extreme emotion when his wife dies. Her death is so ambiguous because it is not certain whether her drowning was an accident or purposeful. Either way, he does not hesitate to call in Emilie as a replacement. When François notices his wife is missing after they make love for the last time in their picture-perfect spot, he goes from asking "have you seen a blonde in a blue dress?" to "have you seen a blonde?" to "have you seen a blue dress?". It seems as if it is all the same to him- the blondes and the blue dresses; as long as they give him the pleasure and happiness he desires. Cowboys and Indians are often mentioned by the children in this film. Maybe I'm over-analyzing, but I think there is something to be said about this. The little girl wears an Indian headdress whereas the little boy wants to eat meat as the cowboys do. Maybe the little girl is representing females in that they have less freedom than men as Indians have less freedom compared to cowboys. Cowboys are allowed to roam the earth and do whatever they please, as men. Indians are restricted to their reservations as women are restricted to their domestic lives. Gender stereotypes are evident here. With that being said, this film no undoubtedly has a melodrama feel which was prominent in the 1950s. The lavish sets, bright colors, themes of failing love and conflicts of work life versus domestic life all refer to female issues at this time. The music of Mozart is an intriguing pick. His haunting symphonies echo the disturbing plot. The melodies reinforce the images and becomes even more obvious towards the end when the viewer's jaw is dropped in shock at the family with a new wife that is so easily replaced.

Last Year at Marienbad

I have to say, this film did not intrigue me as the others have. There are many repetitions throughout the film, obviously, to emphasize a point. I felt there is almost a theatrical feel to the film. This is because of the slow movements of the actors and the way in which they moved. A slow moving camera captures the gossip and games being played around the baroque style atmosphere of the hotel. Between shots, the characters seem to pause in place until one of the main characters makes a move. The slow and very carefully determined movements brought German expressionism to mind. For example, the over exaggerated and slow but sure movements as performed in "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" echoed in portions of this film. Whether it be the mysterious characters, overacting or slow movements, "Last Year at Marienbad" reminded me of German expressionist methods. It seems as if time is distorted which challenged my mind to distinguish exactly what was going on and when exactly it occurs. The tension is evident between the two forbidden lovers. The male character repeats himself an awful lot when he describes his feelings to his love which makes the viewer yearn for something a bit more, something a bit deeper maybe? The audience gets bits and pieces of images of the past and what happened last year. However, it is still a little topsy-turvy for my taste. In one scene it shows the woman being shot by her husband and after the shooting there is no mention of it and she is seen alive throughout the rest of the film. The same for the scene on the balcony where the lovers are interrupted by the woman's husband. It looks as if the stranger persisting on running away with her falls over the edge, breaking off part of the balcony. Once again, there is no mention of this after. The symbolism is highly effective here and even assists the film in proving its point. For example, the card game that is played proves that this woman's husband is always the winner; he even says so himself. Although, he proves to be the loser in the end when it can be understood that the lovers run away together leaving her husband behind. The card contains competitive elements found in both the game of cards and of love. There seems to be quite a bit of confusion within the film. She says she was never there last year, she says she does not remember the room, the fireplace or the mirror above it in which the stranger responds "what mirror?". She is constantly begging him to leave her alone but it is obvious that she does not want him to. The dialogue between the characters reminded me a little of "Hiroshima Mon Amour" because of the stylized language. The woman responds to the stranger in an odd way instead of asking clear-cut questions from the start. The dialogue and images are not in sync with real time which leads the audience to confusion. Viewing the film in class was the second time I have seen it. After the second time, it was a bit easier to follow and I caught on to a few more symbols and images that I did not recognize in the first viewing. Overall, this film is extremely beautiful because of the elaborate camera movements and lavishly dressed characters, but tends to get bland through too many repetitions and the confusing dialogue.

Hiroshima Mon Amour

"Hiroshima Mon Amour", directed by Alain Resnais, changes the form of film for the French New Wave movement. It is comparable to how Picasso changed art with his use of cubism, or the new ways in which T.S. Eliot wrote poetry. This film screams modernism with its abstract way of expression which results in a more experimental quality. Documentary footage of the horrors of Hiroshima's aftermath is shown at the beginning without revealing to the audience who the two lovers are. The audience only hears their dialogue while viewing the disturbing images. Words, images and music do not often correspond, but somehow it all fits together and makes sense. With that being said, a path of indirection is taken because what the viewer sees and hears is not always directly put together. The characters exhibit a sense of displacement in that she is a French woman in a foreign land and he is a native to the land, but feels displaced in his life since he was away at war for the bombing. An Italian neo-realist feel comes about through the film's use of real location shooting. This film is a bit different from past ones we've seen because of the stylized dialogue. The words exchanged between the uncommon lovers are not ones you would hear every day. This stresses the piercing emotion between them and the pangs it elicits. They are both in a time and space where ordinary life is suspended posing a conflict between the significance of their emotional vigor and their ordinary, every day lives; a conflict between present and past. "Hiroshima Mon Amour" is a fragmentary film because there are a decent amount of disruptions within it. These moments of disconnection spark memory, trauma and remembering altogether. The deliberate discontinuity highlights the emotional resonance present along with a cinema of trauma. The disconnection that exists causes the poor woman to remember trauma whether it is the horrors of Hiroshima or those of her own past. Her breakdown can be paralleled with the trauma of Hiroshima; she is stripped of her identity as Hiroshima is.

Pickpocket

As past films we have viewed pertaining to the French New Wave, Robert Bresson makes successful use of non-professional actors. There are few face closeups, focusing more on closeups of hands and the act of pickpocketing itself. Blank facial expressions are often shown and repeated locations are seen throughout the course of the film, such as his apartment, the bar, subway station, stairs and the racetrack. The absence of non-diagetic music, save a few scenes, is obvious. When music is played, it does not accompany the background like most films. This is one of the many elements that makes "Pickpocket" different. The music only expresses moments of transition or emotional punctuation. For example, it continues even after the end of the film right after Michel's emotional and mental transformation. Even though the music is scarce, there is a consciousness of noise throughout this work. For example, footsteps in the subway station or on the staircase; the opening and closing of his apartment door or when the noise variates from soft to loud at the racetrack when the horses zoom by and Michel can slyly snatch a few dollars.
Artistic patterning in order to achieve the deformation of the plot is shown in two specific instances in "Pickpocket". The first artistic device to deform the plot begins with the very opening sequence when Michel is writing. This is known as “in media res”, or in the middle of things. The viewer is introduced to the plot in the middle of things as Michel is describing what he does best, deviously stealing. As the title of the film may hint at what the movie is about, the viewer is lead into the movie during mid-event in the plot. "Pickpocket" does not start off with a clean beginning, but with a letter leading into a scene of him patiently standing by a woman at the racetrack, waiting for the precise moment to steal from her purse.
In a similar fashion, the plot is also successfully deformed through the use of flashbacks. The film begins with Michel writing, then jumps into the “in media res” of events as earlier mentioned. From time to time, Michel’s writing will be shown as he speaks to the audience about his feelings and emotions pertaining to that certain event or subject. The use of flashbacks causes the plot defamiliarization in the sense that the plot does not become tiresome or bland. Michel’s writing is supposed to be the present event while he flashes back to memories and occurrences he is writing about.
One might even say that gaps in the plot are utilized. It is never clearly stated in the film how Michel meets the other thief whom he eventually works with or how they end up meeting in the bar at a later time to discuss thievery tactics. Minute artistic devices such as gaps in the plot, flashbacks and “in media res” only enhance the deformation of the story and keep the viewer engrossed.