Nana's Death

As far as I can tell, Nana told her pimp that she didn't want to be a prostitute anymore and he decided to sell her off to another pimp. Deal went sour. bang-bang. That's life.

Thanks for putting a spoiler in the title, you genius.

Clearly not the first to say, but is it really that hard to put a spoiler warning in the title?

Holy smoke. I can't believe the number of crazy answers to your simple question. To understand the events leading up to her death, you've just gotta remind yourself of the couple of "tableaux" that preceded the final one. Nana's encounter with the philosopher at the restaurant and about how she found the right words to say what she wanted to say but couldn't say before. That mistakes and errors are part of living and trying to work out your own philosophy of what you want from it. That there is a necessary "social" death in isolated contemplation without others around (or having to live among other human beings) to come to that point of personal epiphany. The next tableau is of her in the room with the new boyfriend that actually cares about her (symbolized by him running down to get her a pack of cigarette while her pimp and friend just ignore her in a previous scene). He's reading from a book about love and philosophy, etc. It's that point when things solidified for Nana and she knows what it is that she wants. The ending is of the pimp trying to get something out of an "asset" he's about to lose (Nana wants to quit). He tries to trade or sell her off to another pimp presumably. There's a dispute over money and neither side would give an inch or Nana up. The gunshots from both sides do her in. The irony is that nobody gets her, including the new boyfriend. Everything comes too late for Nana, her life wasn't her life to live after all. Much like Joan of Arc, who was possessed by another, only that was God. Godard is just an existential fatalist, saying no matter what you do, you're gonna get f..ked in the end anyways. The fact that he makes references to God and gives Nana a semblance of free will is just total irony. The only real thing I've ever gotten from Godard's films is that if you're gonna get f..ked in the end anyways, do it on your own terms. That's his philosophy of art, and perhaps his philosophy of life as well.

holy *beep*! ever heard of spoiler warning, dumbass?!

I think Godard just ran out of money and had to tie things up in one scene. He already had aired out whatever self-stroking, pretentious BS he was trying to get across in the "philosophy" scene.

I was really enjoying the movie up until the final scene, which I see as lazy filmmaking and nothing short of Godard showing contempt for the audience. If all he has to say to me is *beep* you" then that's all I have for him as well.

I watched Vivre sa Vie in the cinema earlier tonight and there were a handful of people who slightly laughed and giggled at the ending when Anna Karina's character got shot and killed. I don't really understand why, maybe they didn't expect it? I thought it was odd.

I didn't want her to die, but oh well, this is Godard and I guess I should've expected it.




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Nana -- her name must be inspired by the famous novel -- wanted to get out of the life and go live with the new guy so she told Raoul she wanted out. Raoul decided that instead he would sell her to another pimp. The two don't like or trust one another very much and the exchange is difficult. Raoul claims he was not paid the full amount promised and so tries to grab Nana back. The other guys are mad and shoot her, wounding her. Then Raoul gets out his gun and finishes her, presumably so that she cannot tell the police about what happened. Fin.