Examine the key techniques of Jean-Luc Godard and their impact on the French New Wave
The French New Wave, also commonly known as the Nouvelle Vague, refers to the pivotal movement that reinvented cinema. France in the late 50’s and 60’s was a truly exhilarating time for filmmakers and audiences alike, with the rejection of traditional film practises being the ideal foundation for what would be become an era of experimentation in film. It’s a time where France is liberated, Nazi censorship is no longer a burden and audiences can enjoy foreign cinema once more. Before the emergence of the New Wave, French cinema was struggling for reception in comparison with its competitors at the time, Italian and Japanese cinema. Neupert (2007) refers to this in his text History of the French New Wave by simply noting that “the commercial French cinema was regularly condemned in the popular press as teetering, gasping and even suffering from hardening of the arteries.” The New Wave filmmakers rejected the practise of studio production and can be defined for their use of jump cuts, handheld cameras, filming in real locations with an improvised script, characters speaking directly to the camera often wearing their own clothes and a small crew. The focus here for the new wave filmmakers was on the way in which the story is told rather than the substance of the story itself; they wanted to redefine film form. Therefore, capturing a sense of realism in capturing off guard moments and throwing the audience out of the film with the adaption of these experimental features allows them to pose questions about what they are viewing rather than simply being absorbed in the plot. In this essay I will be discussing how the films of Jean-Luc Godard demonstrate key techniques that impacted the French New Wave and earnt him the title of Auteur. The three texts that I have chosen to explore this are A Bout de Souffle (1960), Pierrot Le Fou (1965) and Alphaville (1965).
A Bout de Souffle (1960) starring Jean Belmondo and Jean Seberg is Godard’s first feature film and considered to be the most influential/most defining film to come out of the Nouvelle Vague. Many of the French New Wave directors were inspired by Hollywood mainstream cinema directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles and this was something that Godard certainly adopted for A Bout de Souffle; his own take on the classic film noir. The film follows Michel (Belmondo), the stereotypical suave bad guy, who’s journey we follow through the streets of Paris as he struggles to escape his life of crime and a love affair condemned to fail. Patricia (Seberg), the femme fatale of the film, becomes Michel’s refuge as he is now a wanted criminal and the authorities are trying to locate him.
The opening of A Bout de Souffle is composed of an extreme close-up of a man reading a newspaper “wearing a baggy, crumpled suit with hat cocked and fag in mouth, Michel Poiccard seems almost American”. Wiegand (2012) states that this use of extreme close up to open the film "captures the New Wave's revolt against traditional credits sequence" by creating a direct contrast to the common conventions of mainstream cinema. Michel’s character is symbolic of Godard’s admiration for the Hollywood greats with his undoubtable physical resemblance to the iconic American actor Humphrey Bogart, who later in the film we see Michel admiring a photo of Bogart outside of a cinema which is followed by an extreme close-up of the Bogart picture from Michel’s perspective and then an extreme close-up of Michael looking at the picture in awe as he takes a drag on his cigarette as though he is imitating Bogart. The shots that follow our introduction of Michel inform the audience of the role in which he will take in the plot as we observe him and his accomplice working together so that Michel can steal a car and make his getaway to Paris. Through this scene alone Godard establishes the film as a sort of film noir however as the plot develops it becomes clear that the way in which the story is told is intended to make the viewer challenge everything that they believe defines the art of filmmaking through the use of techniques such as the jump cut which impact the continuity element of the film.
Jump cuts are used to give the film a jagged appearance, making the film cut from scene to scene often with large amounts of time missing. An example of this is in the scene that follows Michel after he has stolen the car and is driving to Paris. The scene opens with an establishing shot of a car driving down a long road surrounded by trees and countryside, then a close-up of Michel driving the car, he reaches to turn on the car radio followed by a cutaway shot of the view out of the car window. It is a clear that time has passed between these two shots taking place because the audio playing from the car radio does not match that of the audio we hear when looking out of the window and because the camera does not pan towards this shot it does not follow the rules of continuity.
Godard’s documentary style of filming reinforces a sense of realism, he often fed actors lines from behind the camera or told them to improvise speech was often dubbed due to the camera being too loud or unwanted background noise. The camera almost acts as a visualisation of the characters with the use of jump cuts and cutaways often being used when Michel is the centre of the plot to highlight his chaotic and disjointed nature which could be argued as the cause of his demise. An interesting element of A Bout de Souffle is the feature of Godard as an actor, though be it a small part, was a breakthrough for cinema as it blurred the lines of roles such as director, producer, editor, actor and allowed Godard to have a physical effect on the plot. This was considered uncommon in the standard practice of filmmaking and reinforced the idea that Godard should be referred to as an “Auteur” rather than simply a director. Neupert notes that this “emphasises the genius of the director and posits an inseparability of director and camera” therefore making them synonymous.
Godard’s 1965 film Alphaville is set in a dystopian society where all forms of emotional expression are forbidden; love and freedom of thought are unheard of and individuals live devoid of conscience. Alpha 60, a super computer, is in complete control of all citizens in Alphaville and ensures that they conform to the strict ideals of society or they will be executed.
Perhaps the film’s most shocking scene is the “swimming pool scene” where we are introduced to the punishment for failure to conform to Alpha 60. A man is being condemned for showing visable emotion when his wife passed away, a completely human reaction to a considerably traumatising event however within the realms of the futuristic society of Alphaville this is viewed as behaving illogically which we have learnt by this point is punishable by death. Within this scene the juxtaposition of the images of women in bathing suits swimming with the act of killing an “innocent” individual is an unusual contrast and isn’t indicative of what is actually taking place. The audience do not directly see anything more than shooting, the implication of them being drowned as part of the ceremonial process is subjective to what the viewer takes from the scene and its significance to the plot. In relation to the sci-fi genre this scene perhaps may not be considered unusual as the odd and unconventional are often embraced as a common convention of the genre in an attempt to create something which evokes a feeling of distance between the viewer and characters.
The juxtaposition of tones is also illustrated through the use of sound, which is arguably what makes Alphaville one of the most compelling texts of Godard’s work within the Nouvelle Vague. The use of non-diegetic sound in scenes including action or violence are representative of Godard’s use of inventive influence on the new wave cinema. This can be seen in the scene where Detective Caution is fighting in his hotel room a cheerful classical song is played which makes the violence of the scene seem more lighthearted and takes the focus away from this and places more interest on the reasons behind this creative choice and any comments that Godard may be insinuating about mainstream cinema.
It can also be argued that Godard is successful in presenting Paris as a “horrific, depersonalised city of the future” through his use of location alone. Shooting on the streets of Paris gives the film a sense of verisimilitude because it allows the viewer to connect with the concept behind the city of Alphaville that the past and future are irrelevant and that we should only be living in the present. This is achieved by choosing a location which audiences can relate to in projections of their own future rather than something which is so absurd that it doesn’t resonate with the viewer. The concept of verisimilitude is a key characteristic of the Godard aesthetic and makes the film recognisable as an object of Godard’s work. Wiegand (2012) refers to Alphaville in his text French New Wave and argues that “it’s perhaps best not to concern yourself with the plot but instead savour the film’s incidental delights” which supports the idea that the work of Godard should be viewed as a work of art with a focus on storytelling rather than the plot progression.
The third text, Pierrot le Fou (1965) is equally as significant as A Bout de Souffle and Alphaville in the timeline of Godard films created with the New Wave. Viewed by many as a “fond farewell to the first part of his career, a last madcap romantic escapade before engaging with more serious concerns.” At this point in Godard’s career as film director he has well established his distinctive visual style; sharp contrasts in colours, jump cuts, confusing/jumpy storytelling and perhaps the most notable in Pierrot le Fou is the breaking of the fourth wall.
Similarly, in Godard’s first feature film Breathless, the story follows a couple who are fleeing from reality with hopes of finding purpose and reason beyond their existence. The lovers in the plot of Pierrot le Fou take the form of Ferdinand and Marianne. The film makes many references to literature and poetry often having characters recite existential quotes that Godard is proposing to the viewer about their perceptions of the world around them. Marianne says “that’s what makes me sad, life is different from books. I wish it were the same, clear, logical, organised.” This is representative of her detachment from reality as she cannot distinguish the lines between a work of fiction and life therefore suggesting she is seeking something which is unattainable as is it does not even exist.
Similarly, in Godard’s first feature film Breathless, the story follows a couple who are fleeing from reality with hopes of finding purpose and reason beyond their existence. The lovers in the plot of Pierrot le Fou take the form of Ferdinand and Marianne. The film makes many references to literature and poetry often having characters recite existential quotes that Godard is proposing to the viewer about their perceptions of the world around them. Marianne says “that’s what makes me sad, life is different from books. I wish it were the same, clear, logical, organised.” This is representative of her detachment from reality as she cannot distinguish the lines between a work of fiction and life therefore suggesting she is seeking something which is unattainable as is it does not even exist.
Pierrot le Fou’s jumpy and confusing plot is considered off-putting for many who are not familiar with the Godard aesthetic though this is what creates emphasis on the place that poetry and literature play take in Godard’s personal life and how it informs his responses to his own reality. This also refers back to the idea that Godard’s intention is to provoke intellectual conversation rather than for the viewer to be absorbed in an engrossing and chronological plot as the New Wave were about creating films that were entirely unique to reinvigorate the somewhat dull films that French cinema were producing before the New Wave. This idea of making the audience active within the plot is best demonstrated through a convention known as breaking the fourth wall. Characters ask questions directly to the camera or even look directly in to the camera when reciting monologues which breaks the barrier between audience and plot and involves the audience as a part of the storytelling.
Overall, the three texts by Jean-Luc Godard clearly illustrate the work of a director who above all doesn’t fear failure. The breaking of many major conventions of the mainstream are achieved through establishing an innovative and creative style of filmmaking whilst remaining a large amount of relevance as a director within the industry. A Bout de Souffle (1960), Alphaville (1965) and Pierrot le Fou (1965) all equally demonstrate the techniques used by Godard and the influence that they had on the films of the French New Wave.
Bibliography:
1) A Bout de Souffle 1960
2) Alphaville 1960
3) Pierrot le Fou 1960
4) Wiegand, C (2012) French New Wave, Herts AL5 1XJ: Oldcastle Books Ltd, p.56. p.57. p.98. p.102.
5) Neupert, R (2007) Introduction, Second Edition, A History of the French New Wave Cinema, 1930 Monroe Street Madison The University of Wisconsin Press
6) The Guardian 6th June 2010 (online) available from https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jun/06/film-jean-luc-godard-breathless-feature-philip-french-french-new-wave date accessed 11th October 2018
7) Night Flight 16th September 2015 (online) available from http://nightflight.com/tonight-on-tcm-jean-luc-godards-dystopian-sci-fi-noir-classic-alphaville/ date accessed 23rd October 2018
8) Discussion Guide for Alphaville Jean-Luc Godard (2015), The Great Books Foundation (online) available from https://www.greatbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Alphaville_guide_final.pdf date accessed 1st November 2018
9) Nowell-Smith, G (2008) Making Waves, 11 York Road, London SE1 7NX, The Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd
10) The New York Times 21st May 2010 (online) available from https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/movies/23scott.html date accessed 8th November 2018
10) Roger Ebert 10th October 1966 (online) available from https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/pierrot-le-fou-1966 date accessed 10th November 2018
