Great film?

I saw in one of your posts that you're 15. I'm 16 and I saw this film when I was 15 after trying and failing to see a few other Godard films (in order, "A Bout de Souffle," "Bande Apart," and "Le Mepris") and turning them all off. Then, on a whim, I bought "Bande Apart" and flipped at how much I loved it. Then I bought "A Bout de Souffle" and didn't flip, but I couldn't believe that I turned it off the first time I tried to see it. To continue my Godard streak, I did an entirely blind buy, "Masculin Feminin." At first, I thought it was a mistake. I tried watching it again and thought I wasted $30. I watched it one more time and was able to get through it with no problem. I thought it was pretty brilliant. I saw in one of your posts that you like Criterion DVDs and judging by the boards you've posted on, you have the same taste as I do, so I would say go ahead and buy it, but give it a while before you judge it. It's much, much, much slower and requires much more work than "A Bout de Souffle" or "Bande Apart." This film, I would imagine, is pretty polarizing. I think it's a lot like "Bande a Part," but if "Bande apart" is style over substance, then "Masculin Feminin" is substance over style.

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It's absolutely worth a buy, and more than a watch. Goddard is a god!

"People like him have something inside. Something to do with death."
Once Upon a Time in the West

Masculine Feminin is my favorite Godard movie! Chantal Goya's Ye-Ye score gives the movie an incredibly youthful freshness. The innocent naivete of Ye-Ye is an oxymoron in a French culture being deluged by Pop Culture and consumer materialism. France lost its innocence with this movie. I would call this movie tame by our our standards but France restricted access to those over 18. Some interesting sexual / bisexual stuff that is subversively alluded to. In some places Godard didactically beats it over your head yet in the same movie he can be remarkably subtle. Spoiler: Did Paul act with volition at the end or was it an accident? What is Madeline's relationship with Elizabeth?

It is ironic when you consider the NAZI invasion and the Gallic intellectual cynicism; however, the Beatles and the Sexual Revolution seems to have come later to France. Individualism and consumerism overcoming a group mentality whether Godard's Marxism or the mainstream Catholic Church. Odd Paradox when you consider the traditional association of the French with libertines. Hmm....Léaud later said he trembled when he did the bathroom scene with Goya. Goya wouldn't do a nude shower scene even behind a frosted glass.


I'm not a movie critic but I enjoyed watching and rewatching this movie. I think it is a more entertaining movie than Breathless or Contempt from the fun perspective. BB is nice in Mepris but check out Miss LeRoy in M/F. I think Godard becomes a lot more experimental and didactic and loses his mainstream audience in later. I am one of that mainstream audience and that is truly my loss. :(

I just got it today. I would say it's definitely worth the purcahse, especially if you can find it in stores. You should watch The Best Way to Walk if you liked this. Different director, but a similar feel.

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I believe that MASCULINE, FEMININE is just about one of the very best of Godard's canon - though it is playing at the student-run theater on my university campus (Portland State University) this weekend and I may have to see it again just to be sure what I think - it's been a few years...

It's been a Godard sorta weekend, because I watched PIERROT LE FOU for the second time this morning (again, first saw it years ago) and then watched (for the first time) SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL/ONE PLUS ONE (1968) which was his political activist commentary/Rolling Stones music documentary (it records the recording session for the title song - a classic!)...

Looking forward to seeing some of his films again and seeing more films for the first time...