MovieChat Forums > Pierrot le fou (1969) Discussion > Favorite Moment / Shot?

Favorite Moment / Shot?

posted 18 years ago by CreditSequence
34 replies | jump to latest

I find the long-take tracking shot, when Marianne and Ferdinand are interrupted by Franck in her appartment, knock him out and flee, to be not only my favorite moment in this film but perhaps in cinema. Frank walks in and the soundtrack drops leaving only the non-diagenic sound of the voiceover to describe the situation (“It was a love story, it was a gangster film”), Then that last moment we track with Anna Karina: She holds the rifle, the rooftops of Paris go on forever in the background, then the score comes back in with force as the music swells…

It just doesn’t get any better then that.

Any other favorite moments in the film?

[–] Goldmund1710 18 years ago

It's also my favorite scene in the film.My second favorite is where Marianne phones Ferdinand whlie the gangster-midget threatens her with his guns.Then there's a delibirate continuety as Ferdinand rushes to save her.I loved the scene for it's playfullness and the way it conveys space and time ,very typical for the French New Wave.

[–] tim180-2 18 years ago

I loved that scene, especially when Marianne slowly snips the scissors across the front of the camera, with the two Picassos in the background. Pure cinematic transcendence.

The Statue of Liberty shot was really cool too.

I also loved the babbling Syrian Princess, the gun-running dance troupe (it's not often we can enjoy an espionage thriller musical), the Vietnam war play, how the movie comes to a screeching halt at the diner to do documentary interviews of bystanders.

Few films have liberated my way of watching movies more than this one.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] donalexei 18 years ago

ploum ploum tralala !

I loved this film, really good and each scene stuns you, I also liked the ending

SPOILER WARNING :

when pierror/ferdinand tries to commit suicide with tons of dynamite and then says, "apres tout chui idiot (after all I'm silly)" amd then BOOM

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] artysmokes 16 years ago

There are so many brilliant scenes, but I particularly love the one mentioned above. It seems that in every film Karina made, there is at least one shot where she stares at the camera (which is considered a no-no by most directors). As a man, I'm not supposed to swoon, but every time Karina looks at the camera directly, I feel like she's actually talking to ME, and it makes my heart skip a beat.

[–] Enigma1625 16 years ago

That may also be my favourite moment in the film. I love the way she says "ah" so nonchalantly when she looks at the "audience."

[–] Kurogentich 17 years ago

Opening shot w/ Ferdinand reading the literature in the bathtub.

Civilization of the rump magazine scene.

Camera following the bowling ball precisely up the return ramp.

The sound design for the little person on the phone.

Filming of the boat near at the end.

The Lady Eve (1941), Dir. Preston Sturges 8/10

[–] kapnzep 17 years ago

any scene in which Marianne is singing, the true beauty of Godard's film seems to explode forth from the screen. This goes for "une femme est une femme" as well. Anna Karina is blows my mind everytime she is singing... the colors, the music, the subject matter, her beauty.... the style of it all.

I don't know of any other actress that could make all those things come together so perfectly.

Godard's films break every rule and you come away seeing cinema in a whole new way.

[–] Lilbitdramatic23 17 years ago

All of the moments mentioned already are great. I also love the 'Ma Ligne de Chance' musical number.

[–] arian_8769 16 years ago

The moment showing Marianne and Ferdinand lying in the sun and making love is one of the greatets romantic scenes in the history of motion pictures. I just dont know why some people find Godard movies without emotion. And the scene in Marianne s apartment that Frank comes in is also a masterpiece of directing.
My favorite Godard used to be A Woman Is A Woman(1961). But now this is my favorite Godard. And it has one of the best cinematographies i have ever seen!

[–] times_of_jelco 16 years ago

what moment are you talking about??? i've seen the criterion dvd and there's no trace of any love scene. maybe you talk about the scene where they lie on the beach and ferdinand tells the tale of the moon's inhabitant and then marianne says "f_ck me" and then we see the sky and the sun? it's the only scene i can think of, or am i missing something?

[–] Suomi_perkele 16 years ago

All of them are great. Well if I had to choose only one shot that is more memorable than the others, it would be the scissor-thingy for me also. Brilliant.

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[–] skippyj9 16 years ago

My favorite moment was the scene following that with the quick shots of them dropping down and getting into the car and they were saying something like it's a dream I can't wake up from(??? good excuse to watch it again to remember what Marianne was saying).

I also really liked the part where Ferdinand makes an aside to the audience saying she's crazy and Marianne asks who he was talking to and he say the audience. haha.

Oh, and especially the ending. I can't imagine a better way of killing yourself, it was pretty too with his face painted.

There's a lot of great scenes

[–] peacecreep 16 years ago

the shot of them walking into a field after setting the car on fire. stunning.