Shocking!

Actually I do watch many films that aren't made for money. And I stand by my statement that the story story itself is nothing captivating by any means.

To answer the other psoter's question, “Avant-garde,” is a word that has been used to describe innovative and cutting edge films, those that experiment with new ideas, forms, techniques, and expressions. At the time when this film was made, it surely was seen as innovative in comparison to other films at the time. Avant-garde films are characterized by a high degree of experimentation such as manipulation in narrative materials, in highly stylized visual representation, or in radical departures from the norms. Vivre Sa Vie, is groundbreaking in its disjunction of sound and image. This disjunction is considered director Jean-Luc Goddard’s major innovation in the history of film.

Perhaps what Goddard accomplishes best with this film is his ability to create a casual piece that is humorous yet dramatic at the same time. He captures his audience by luring them with the intriguing character Nana Kleinfrankenheim. Goddard’s experimentation is apparent immediately during the opening scene, where we listen in on an argument between Nana and her boyfriend Paul. While it is taking place, the audience only sees the couple’s backsides, something fairly unusual if compared to a mainstream film. The conversation among the two is refreshingly realistic as well and it’s amusing to see how the dialogue corresponds to the images of the actors. For example, at one point during the argument Nana says, “What is that look for?” Goddard, in a rather clever attempt to depict this sequence doesn’t actually show us what face Paul had made. Instead, he effectively has the audience anticipate a visual element, and they ultimately are asked to use their imaginations to visualize what face it could have been through the context of dialogue.

In the second scene, we are taken to the place where Nana works, a record shop. Goddard’s choice for camera movement is rather peculiar in this scene. As Nana is asked about certain records to find for a customer, the camera movements are tracking shots, slowly following her movements, swinging directly through pillars, walls, and shelves, without a single cut.

Shortly after, Nana is found on a trip to the movie theaters to view the film La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc. The idea of watching a movie within a movie is a concept Goddard uses as a way of reminding his audience that they, too, are watching a film. The most notable aspect of this scene is the pure silence throughout it. In Goddard’s other scenes, noise is constant, whether it is being generated from the characters themselves or strictly from the background. The La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc scene gives a new value to silence.

Later on as we learn more about Nana and her life as a prostitute, we witness her strongly resisting the man she is with. With no noise accompanying the scene, it is hard not to find it comical. However, if Goddard had added sound, for instance Nana screaming, the scene would be interpreted much differently. Perhaps this is Goddard’s way of showing how important sound is in film.

Goddard raises many questions all the way through his film, and he answers some questions that pay off in the best new-wave type fashion. His dialogue is fascinating even though the story itself isn’t what people will talk about after viewing the film. Goddard breaks almost every Hollywood rule and pulls it off flawlessly.

I feel like Goddard's film-making technique in Vivra Sa Vie outshines his story.