Michel and Patricia walk down the
Champs-Elysees, he gives back the New York Harrold paper and says "Take it
back, no horoscope". Patricia asks "What's the horoscope?" and
Michel replies: "It's the future." That's Michel and Patricia for
you: random, careless, dreamers, selfish; they kneel only to the god of
"Now".
The celebrated film critic Pauline Kael said that the scariest thing about the
movie is that we are attracted to these characters. Maybe that's subjective,
but I sure can relate to that. All along, the film had me asking "what if
we could live life without goals, without regard to authority or society?"
Well, my hunch is that I would come crashing down to the realization that that
might perhaps become a cardboard life where everything and everyone around me
is just a prop on a stage.
I felt that this movie took me through that journey. The notorious editing
(famous for its accidental jump cuts) complements the plot -- and whether there
is one is a matter of debate -- because it's as unpredictable and law-breaking
as the characters. The music, just like the characters, shifts from classical
and dramatic (sometimes noir-style sometimes romantic) to one with a
jazzy-comedic vibe; the hand-held camera and natural lighting, much like the
characters, conveys the message that we are "living in the moment."
So, to whom would I suggest this movie? The film is tagged as a Crime-Drama,
but it's very obvious that Godard cared very little about the crime elements of
the movie. If you're looking for an exciting crime story, go instead watch
Reservoir Dogs.
No, this is a movie about the fragility of the free spirit, living like Bogie (Humphrey Bogart) as Michel fantasized. If you are like me, the sort of person to whom the joys of cinema spring from its ability to paint life, then this movie is for you. Watch and rewatch it, then go read about post-war french cinema and how the French New Wave lectured Holywood on freedom and truth. Then you will understand why this is a classic.
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