PIERROT LE FOU
France, 1965, 110 minutes, Colour.
Jean- Paul Belmondo, Anna Karina.
Directed by Jean- Luc Godard.
Pierrot Le Feu is one of the most acclaimed films by Jean- Luc Godard. He became well known in the late 50s, early 1960s as part of the French Nouvelle Vague, along with Francois Truffaut, Eric Rohmer, Claude Chabrol. He made striking films like Breathless.
As the 1960s progressed, he became more interested in cinematic theory as well as social theory. He also was interested in broadening his scope, using widescreen and colour. This is evident in his film with Brigitte Bardot, Contempt.
Jean- Paul Belmondo, who had appeared in Breathless, was very popular in action films of this time. Here he is a feckless young man, married, bored, walking out on his marriage and going to Nice with a babysitter whom he had known in the past. The film is something of a road movie as well as an episodic story of the central couple. The woman is played by Anna Karina, often considered Godard’s muse, who appeared in many of his films at this time.
The colour photography is very bright, throughout the French countryside and especially on the Riviera.
The film is also a social satire – especially at the beginning, Godard using colour filters (as in South Pacific) to illustrate the vapid conversation of the chattering classes, relying on commercials and television advertising as well as its jargon in terms of conversation. This is a very telling criticism of consumerism.
The film is somewhat pessimistic at the end – as Ferdinand ties explosives around him and there is a final explosion and fire.
Pierrot Le Feu, like many of Godard’s films, is less for entertainment than for appreciation and discussion.
1. The work of Jean- Luc Godard, his long career, from the 20th century into the 21st? A film-maker of theories? From the New Wave to pure cinema? His interest in cinema aesthetics? His social concerns, Marxism? Consumerism?
2. 1965, his career, his being an established director? His place in French cinema? Style, content, presentation? Cinematic? From black and white to colour? To widescreen? A stage in his career? Forty years more of film-making?
3. Audience response, French response, worldwide response? Arthouse material?
4. The opening, abstract thinking, feeling? The discussion about Velasquez and the book about him? Ferdinand and his life, his questions to himself, his home, his marriage, reading the story? Going to the party? Commercialism, consumerism and his response? The advertising talk? The attitude and behaviour of ordinary people, the middle class and the wealthy? The use of the colour filters?
5. Jean- Paul Belmondo as Ferdinand? His work with Godard? Ferdinand, his age, his wife, not loving her, bored, meeting Marianne, the decision to off, on the road, in Cannes and Nice, their life there, behaviour, the relationship?
6. Marianne, the niece, the babysitting? The past meetings, her character, leaving, Nice, her attitudes and beliefs?
7. The narrative and the collection of episodes? The introduction of the Algierian gangsters?
8. The background of the Vietnam War, the stories of the Viet Cong, one hundred and fifteen people killed, people’s reaction? The themes of the 1960s? France’s history in Indochina?
9. Marianne calling Ferdinand Pierrot, the clown character, tragic?
10. Enough of plot and characterisation to interest audiences? The ideas? The final explosion and fire? The nihilistic touch?
11. French cinema, discussions about cinema, the presence of Samuel Fuller at the reception, speaking in English, Fuller’s status, his attitude towards films, feelings and love? Godard supporting those – but making these principles his own in his own film-making style?
