christopher-underwood I have just watched this for the first time in a very long time and just possibly for the first time ever, although that seems unlikely considering what a fan of Goddard's I was in the 60s. As with many of the great director's films it is far better to enjoy and experience them than to try and follow them. The central gangster plot, where man is seduced by bad lady gets involved with case of money and after shootings, torture and death an ambiguous ending, is very much subservient to the whole film of which it is merely the core narrative and of no real consequence to us any more than it seems to be to the characters. So, I say, sit back and enjoy, the verbal interplay, the wondrous and painterly imagery and the wry humour that allows Goddard to nudge us into considering, the troubles of North Africa, the Middle East and of course Vietnam. Jean-Paul Belmondo and Anna Karina are wonderful, both on their own and together - Belmondo must have had it in his contract that he would have a cigarette in his mouth throughout (admittedly Karina does take it out momentarily to give him a kiss, but puts it straight back afterwards). And at the start, even before the two have joined forces, we see Belmondo suffering colour coded party sequences where the guests spout advertising copy as if their own. Later the film will be splattered with wonderful images concocted from partial advertising holdings and bits of neon signs. Beautiful film that absolutely glows on my Blu-ray print.

Ore-Sama Like much of Godard's work, "Pierrot le Fou" doesn't have much of a plot so much as a basic premise. Frenidand, bored and alienated by his robotic upper class peers, leaves a party on bad terms and runs into his still at home babysitter. He drives her home, and then the two start to fall in love. Then they run off, and the rest of the film is their misadventures.The film is filled with subversions and deconstructions. The soundtrack inexplicably stops and restarts throughout. Characters talk directly to the audience, and at points even just flat out say "the audience". The characters are well aware they're in a movie at points ("let's go back to the gangster picture"). There are a few musical numbers, though they are very low key, lacking the grandeur and choreography one would expect. In fact, I love the musical moments in this film because they are so low key and unobtrusive. Action sequences are truncated and undermined. The characters narrate, often telling the audience what the next chapter is, which is pretty much always despair, bitterness and hope. Godard is determined to tear down the curtain, to never let you forget you're watching a movie.Yet, all of these elements come together naturally. It never crosses into stupid pretentiousness. These elements only serve to enhance and give a new layer to a film that is still deeply compelling. Godard apparently didn't care to be sentimental (a lot of the European art directors don't care for that word) but sentimental is one way I'd describe the movie. Here we have two characters whose common ground is being unable to live in their current state of life: Fernindand because it's devoid of any intellectuality and passion, Marianne because she seems incapable of living in a steady life and becomes bored quickly. It's for this reason the two are drawn toward each other and run away together.Much of the film is made up of episodes, as the two end up on a "Bonnie and Clyde" style crime spree (a whole two years before the definitive Bonnie and Clyde movie made waves in the united states), robbing people and trying to stay one step ahead of the police as well as gangster Marianne has angered. The movie is very comedic in it's tone, and while it's easy to laugh at the absurdities of what you see, I found the most humor in the subversions and pot shots at cinematic tropes. In contrast though, you'll have the characters, whether in narration or talking to the audience (especially Fernidand) giving beautiful narration and monologues, punctuated by beautiful imagery (did I mention the film looks really good?). Their feelings for each other indeed begin being put to the test, as while the similarity brought them together, their differences start to bring them into conflict, shown when the characters are hiding out in a beautiful resort with nothing to do. When Marianne suggests going back to "the gangster picture", their crime spree, it makes clear that the distraction of danger and adventure may be what keeps them together.This blending of comedy and deconstruction with almost poetic resonance of feelings comes to ahead in it's ending, which I won't spoil, but needless to say it is both hilarious and touching.If you've seen any of Godard's other films, you have a good idea of what you're in for. If you've never seen a Godard film, this one might catch you off guard, but it's probably among his more easily accessible films.

eshaines I found very little about this film's plot personally appealing. During the course of the set-up of the film, there is little justifiable reason provided by the filmmaker for the viewer to *want* to follow these characters' lives together as the film does, in such dull and aimlessly detailed dialogue. Of course, Anna Karina is, as usual, stunning. The close-ups on her face are truly magnificent. As is the gorgeous Jean-Paul Belmondo, with his artistically perfect features.On a positive note, the sequence in which Karina's character's boyfriend is killed by the two protagonists in their apartment is very interestingly shot and edited, and did provide Godardian interest. Beyond that, it became difficult for the film to hold my attention fully. Maybe I am getting old, and New Wave films simply do not have the effect that they had on my once elitist heart, but I much prefer other New Wave Films to this one. I think Breathless is a much more enjoyable film directed by Godard, and other than the fact that this movie is part of the Criterion collection, which makes it halfway decent at a bare minimum, as well as stylistically interesting, plot-wise, much of the film leaves me wanting.

Jackson Booth-Millard From director Jean-Luc Godard (À Bout De Soufflé (Breathless), Alphaville), I knew this film was featured in the book of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, but I didn't read anything about the plot or story, so I watched with high curiosity. Basically Ferdinand Griffon (BAFTA nominated Jean-Paul Belmondo) is in an unhappy marriage with his Italian wife (Graziella Galvani) and has recently lost his job at a television broadcasting company having been fired, and feeling a need to escape, after attending a mindless party full of boring conversation he decides to run away with his babysitter and ex-girlfriend Marianne Renoir (Anna Karina), leaving his wife and kids and his middle class lifestyle. They go together to her apartment, and he realises she is wanted by gangsters after finding a corpse in her place, they barely escape two of the thugs, and after getting away they decide to keep travelling on a crime spree while heading from Paris to the Mediterranean Sea, in the car that belonged to the dead man. Ferdinand is given the unwelcome nickname 'Pierrot', and together he and Marianne lead an unorthodox life, always on the run, and having burnt the dead man's car (full of money) and sinking a second car in the Mediterranean Sea, they settle down in the French Riviera, but their relationship becomes strained. While Pierrot finds comfort in writing in his diary, philosophising about things and reading his books, Marrianne is getting bored of the living situation reminiscent of something from Robert Louis Stevenson and wants to return to town for more adventure, but entering a night club they only end up meeting one of the men chasing them. After a confrontation with the gangsters the duo is separated in the confusion, Marianne travels around trying to find him, and Ferdinand goes to Toulon and finds a place to settle, but they eventually reunite, and she convinces him to help her get a suitcase full of money, and then she runs away with her real boyfriend Fred (Dirk Sanders), she claimed he was her brother. In anger Pierrot shoots Marriane and Fred, and in the climax he paints his face and decides to get a bunch of red and yellow dynamite sticks and tie them to himself to blow himself up, lighting the fuse he at the last second changes his mind, but he is too late to extinguish the fuse and he is blown up. Also starring Roger Dutoit as Gangster, Hans Meyer as Gangster, Jimmy Karoubi as Dwarf, Krista Nell as Madame Staquet and film director Samuel Fuller as Himself. Belmondo gives the same kind of intriguing performance as he did in Breathless, and Karina is likable as his travelling companion, they make an amusing couple even when there is not really a romantic element. The film looks really good with its use of colour and locations, the changes from genre to genre is interesting, and there are some engaging moments with the crime stuff going on, director Godard called it "an attempt at cinema", it is certainly that, a most watchable drama. Very good!