Experimental Cinema - Vivre sa Vie

describe the narrative of mainstream cinema

predictable; usually using todorov’s narratology

what characters are used in mainstream cinema

Propp’s character types

what editing is used in mainstream cinema

continuity editing

what is the subject matter of a mainstream film

not a deep delve into something emotional or difficult, usually quite light-hearted

describe the new equilibrium of mainstream cinema

satisfying and comfortable

Bonnie and Clyde can be considered as influenced by experimental cinema; why might Arthur Penn have chosen to incorporate French New Wave techniques in his new equilibrium

the French New Wave rejects satisfying denouements (as can be seen in Vivre sa Vie) and this is used in Bonnie and Clyde to represent the unfairness of life, as Arthur Penn uses the film to reference the draft in Vietnam

what is the main purpose of mainstream cinema

entertainment and profit

what is the main purpose of experimental cinema

political analysis

which type of film is more likely to be considered high art

experimental cinema

why is mainstream cinema often not considered high art

* it is mass produced
* it isn’t made for a small, exclusive audience
* it often isn’t trying something new and radical, and so there can be considered less presence of auteurship

what do mainstream films hide

film language

what are the characteristics of experimental cinema

* anti-narrative
* foregrounding of film language
* ambiguity
* emotional distancing from character
* low budget

which feature of mainstream cinema does the emotional distancing of experimental cinema reject

alignment

why would experimental cinema want to reject the importance of alignment

because alignment with a character can influence the audience’s opinion, and the French New Wave intended for audiences to have complete autonomy in forming their own decisions, because they were influenced by the ideas of Bertolt Brecht\`

how is experimental cinema also described

* avant-garde
* personal
* playful

experimental cinema disrupts the experience of escapism; why is this

if audiences cannot escape their own bodies and minds, they are more likely to relate the action on the screen to their own experiences, causing them to have a unique and individual response/ interpretation

what experimental techniques can be seen in the opening sequence of *Une Femme est une Femme*

* there is no clear stablishing shot, meaning no sense of time or space (the audience cannot locate themselves within the story easily)
* there is no provision of exposition
* there is a foregrounding of film language - the film starts with the words lights, camera, action!, and the characters often directly interact with the camera (Angela winks at the camera and the man says ‘and off she goes’)

what techniques of mainstream cinema could it be argued that Godard uses

* he shoots Anna Karina as if she is a Hollywood star
* creates a star persona around her
* camera lingering on her
* there are many shots of her doing nothing, and it is as if he is emphasising her effortless beauty here
* Nana’s looks could be considered a homage to Louise Brooks
* he does use continuity editing

how does Godard use techniques of mainstream cinema in an unconventional way

* he films Anna Karina as if focussing on her beauty, but removes all emotional intimacy from his film
* uses continuity editing, but there is not continuity editing in his narrative robbed of cause and effect

what is a new wave

a film movement that seeks to criticise elements or the entirety of its predecessors, offering something new in terms of methodology, ideology, or technology

what was cinema du papa

the French New Wave term for French mainstream cinema

why did the French New Wave dismiss the cinema du papa

* high production value
* reliance of stars
* genre conventions
* privileging of the script

how did the French New Wave believe meaning should be created if the script is not privileged

through mise en scene, and the meaning should not be universal for everyone

what aspects of Hollywood cinema did the French New Wave praise

Hollywood B movies and Film Noir

why may the French New Wave have been less critical of Film Noir

Film Noir derived from another avant-garde art movement, German Expressionism

what are the characteristics of the French New Wave

* low budget
* shot on location
* natural lighting
* hand held camera
* experimentation with sound
* uneven tone
* linking devices borrowed from early cinema in place of continuity editing
* elliptical editing
* film language privileged above the script
* limited emphasis on cause and effect

what linking devices are used in Vivre sa Vie

the film is episodic, and each episode (or tableau) is introduced with a title frame

how is the use of sound experimental in Vivre sa Vie

* direct sound
* the non-diegetic sound is contrapuntal

what experimental techniques are used in the opening sequence of *Breathless*

* the relationships between characters are not made clear and no exposition is provided
* provocative opening shot in place of an establishing shot
* use of jump cuts
* use of space is distorted, with it being difficult to tell where characters are in relation to each other; a shot reverse shot is used but it doesn’t quite work (as the characters are at different distances from the camera?)
* the film starts in media res
* reflexivity in that the dialogue references filmmaking, especially the economic dichotomy between independent and mainstream cinema

who was viewed as the auteur of a film in mainstream cinema and how did this change in experimental cinema

films were generally credited to the actors that starred in them (showing a reliance on star persona) but with experimental cinema, directors became the auteurs of the film

which film genre could the French New Wave be easily compared to

documentary cinema

why are there similarities between the French New Wave and documentary cinema

* handheld camera
* use of real locations
* non-precise blocking
* use of real lighting
* non-actors
* the ideology that improvisation is okay
* this showed the move away from privileging the script

what is an example of a non-actor appearing in Vivre sa Vie, and why did he make an appearance

the French philosopher, Brice Parain - he appeared in the film to make a direct allusion to its philosophical subtext

which sociological movement could the work of Godard be compared to

postmodernism, in the use of fractured narrative and identity, and the film’s reflexivity

tableau one

the bistro, Nana wants to leave Paul, the pinball machine

* we enter the action in media res in a conversation between Paul and Nana, with no exposition to suggest who these characters might be or what their relationship is
* we learn that they are separated and they have a child together
* the tone changes unexpectedly and they play at a pinball machine

during tableau one, how does cinematography show the experimental nature of the film

* the camera is positioned behind the characters, so that the audience cannot see their heads, and this gives the impression that they are refusing to participate in the film
* this refusal is emphasised more in the film’s rejection of shots typical to a conversation - master shots and shot reverse shots
* the camera does catch a glimpse of Nana’s face, but even then it is only a small fractured glimpse and it is in the mirror

in tableau one, the cinematography captures Nana’s face in the mirror - what does this shot symbolise about the themes of the film

* it is only a brief glimpse and only of part of her face - this could suggest the postmodernist idea of fractured and unformed identities
* the fact that we see her face in the mirror suggests she is talking to herself - this reveals the theme of introspection, and the fact that the film will be less plot-based and more an exploration of the self

tableau two

the record shop, Nana lives her life, two thousand francs

* we see Nana at her job at the record shop
* she asks one of her colleagues if she can lend her 2000 francs

what does the mundanity of the scene in tableau two suggest about Godard’s ideology towards filmmaking

* that film should take a more documentary style approach
* nothing exciting needs to happen for something to be worth watching
* film shouldn’t be a means of escapism

tableau two (the record shop) includes panning shots of the outside world, suggesting that Nana is watching the world outside its windows, and the people within it; what does this suggest about her and the plot of the film

she observes life and other people so that she can come to a philosophical conclusion about life; the film’s plot and her are very reactionary, something emphasised by its episodic nature, placing her in different situations and seeing how she responds

tableau three

the passion of Joan of Arc

* Nana watches the silent film ‘The Passion of Joan of Arc’ at the cinema

how does tableau three relate to Godard’s ideology about filmmaking

a shot reverse shot, and subsequently a conversation, is created between the film Nana is watching and Nana herself, who we see is crying; this reminds the audience to be aware of passive spectatorship and how films construct intended emotional responses, and by drawing awareness to this, Godard reminds his audience to be critical of it

tableau four

the police interrogate Nana

what does tableau four suggest about the themes of the film, and what line in particular suggests this

tableau four suggests that the film is an interrogation, in particular, an interrogation of the self

when asked who she wants to be, she replies ‘someone else’

tableau five

the Boulevard, the first man, room

tableau six

meeting Yvonne, a cafe in the suburbs, Raoul

* Nana and her friend meet in a cafe
* we are introduced to a pimp, Raoul, who sees potential in Nana to be a prostitute

what line spoken in tableau six suggests a major theme of the film

‘i think we’re always responsible for our actions; we’re free’

‘i think we’re always responsible for our actions; we’re free’ - what does this suggest

* a major philosophical debate of the time - to what extent do we have free will


* the idea that as part of being free, we live a life with consequence
* Nana is constantly observing herself and her actions
* this is in part why the film is so episodic and involves placing her in a number of varying situations to see how she responds

in tableau six, what song is played on the jukebox when Raoul makes eye contact with Nana

ma mome (my girl)

* this can be evidence for Godard shooting Nana in the style of a Hollywood star

tableau seven

the letter, Raoul again

tableau eight

afternoons, money

* a voiceover of questions being answered about the life of a prostitute, with a montage of footage being used to depict it

what genre does tableau 8 (afternoons, money) evoke connotations of, and what does this do

with the voiceover and montage, references are made to documentary cinema, and this creates emotional distance between the audience and Nana, as well as showing a portrayal of the female body devoid of the male gaze

tableau 9

Nana wonders whether she is happy or not, a young man, Luigi

* Nana dances freely around the upstairs of a cafe, trying to entertain a young man

what does tableau nine (Nana wonders whether she is happy) suggest about the human condition

a juxtaposition is presented, wherein Nana appears to be visually happy in her performance, yet is sad still, suggesting that the two events are not mutually exclusive

Nana is performing in dancing in this scene, and this suggests that happiness is like a performance

how does tableau nine (Nana wonders whether she is happy) show Godard’s influence by the Hollywood mainstream

the cinematography and contents of tableau 9 film Nana as if she is a Hollywood star, and place a lot of emphasis on admiring her; Godard makes it clear that she is being ignored by the male gaze available to her, and so demands that his audience give her all the attention she wants

how does tableau nine (Nana wonders whether she is happy) show Godard’s use of experimental techniques

* the scene stopped the action and slowed the pace of the film, showing its self-disruptive narrative, and lack of cause and effect
* there was a subtle breaking of the fourth wall in how clear it was that Nana is asking for the audience’s attention
* reference is made to the superficiality of film as we are watching Nana perform

tableau ten

the streets, a man, happiness is no fun

tableau eleven

the stranger, Nana, the unwitting philosopher

* Nana talks with the renowned French philosopher Brice Parain in a cafe

tableau twelve

the young man again, the oval portrait, Raoul sells Nana

* Godard’s voice reads Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Oval Portrait’
* Nana and the young man are lovers, and he explains the message of the film - ‘life is art, beauty’
* Nana is finally happy and has found herself
* however this is disrupted because at the end she is killed when the pimp, Raoul tries to sell her

why is the new equilibrium of Vivre sa Vie so unsatisfying

it almost cannot be considered a new equilibrium, because this is Nana’s story - the title (My Life to Live) asserts this - but now without her the story cannot continue

her death seems to have been meaningless - she has found as little meaning in death as she had in life - and it is as if she is simply caught in the crossfire

she had finally found happiness, which would have served as a satisfying denouement, but this is disrupted majorly

what journey is taken by the theme of identity throughout the film, and what film is this similar to

the character is shown as lost with regards to her identity throughout the film, and while it appears that she is trying to find it, this is disrupted by the end, showing Godard’s idea that we can never really know ourselves, and that identity will always be fractured

* this is similar to the presentation of identity in Bonnie and Clyde

how is it suggested that Nana’s identity and sense of self is lost through narrative

* the film begins in media res, meaning that no exposition is provided and the audience aren’t aware of who the characters are
* it becomes increasingly aware that the characters, especially Nana, also have no sense of self
* through the theme of introspection, the line in tableau four, and the philosophical undertones
* thus the audience and Nana have to piece together her identity as the film progresses
* the fractured nature of her identity is shown through the episodic nature of the film

who was Bertolt Brecht

a German playwright, poet, and theorist

what did Brecht see theatre as

a political form

what was Brecht’s criticism of commercial cinema

* it was uncritical and emotionally manipulative
* he believed that audiences ‘hung up their brains with their hats in the cloakroom’

what was Brecht’s ideology of emotion

that without emotion you are free to think

why would Brecht have been critical of emotional manipulation

because of his horror at Nazi propaganda

what theatrical technique is credited to Brecht

distancing or alienation between the audience and the action

how did Brecht create alienation

* breaking the fourth wall
* making the audience aware of theatrical devices
* creating episodic narratives
* using sound or music to counterpoint or disrupt action

where can Brechtian techniques be seen in Vivre sa Vie

* breaking the fourth wall - there are examples of this when Nana makes eye contact with the camera, for example in the opening sequence
* the episodic nature - the film’s subtitle is ‘a film in twelve tableaus’
* this also makes the audience aware of cinematic devices/ film language, by drawing attention to narrative construction
* the narrative is also fragmented in its lack of cause and effect
* use of sound - sound is sporadic and unpredictable in terms of timing, and is often contrapuntal
* distancing - there seems to be a refusal on the part of the characters to participate in the film, such as in the first tableau, when a conversation is had with their backs to the camera
* this suggestion that they know they are being observed also reminds the audience of their own spectatorship

according to David Bordwell, what are the characteristics of art cinema

* narratives that go against the classical mode
* realistic cinema with use of real locations
* psychologically complex characters dealing with real problems
* characters lacking in defined desires or goals
* cinema of reaction rather than action
* may have a documentary factuality and/ or an intense psychological subjectivity
* violations of classical film time and space
* the viewer expects stylistic signatures, not order in the narrative
* ambiguous cinema
* auteurship of the director

what aspects of Vivre sa Vie can be considered real

* direct sound
* use of real locations
* the voiceover describing the very real experience of a prostitute
* the feel of a documentary present here

what was the French New Wave influenced by that led them to create very realistic cinema

Italian Neo-Realism

what Hollywood film can be considered to be inspired by the French New Wave’s realism, and how

Bonnie and Clyde - the characters both die at the end in a display of brutalism, and their is extensive use of real locations

how is the question of Nana’s motivations approached in Vivre sa Vie

she is presented as having motivations, such as being a film star, however, as this is cinema of reaction not action, it can be argued that no attempt is made to achieve them

what philosophical question is Godard arguably trying to confront in Vivre sa Vie

what are the limitations (if any) that are placed on us in attempting to choose the trajectory of our own existence? i.e. do we have free will?

how does the opening sequence suggest the film’s philosophical subtext

the close-ups used on Nana suggests that this will be an interrogation of the central character

how does tableau three suggest the film’s philosophical subtext

by intercutting images from Carl Dreyer’s Le Passionn de Jeanne d’Arc, comparisons are made between Joan of Arc and Nana, through a shot reverse shot effect

* this shows just how little control she has over her own life, and how much is at the hands of the men around her
* the theme of death in the film she is watching suggests just how high the stakes are with regards to what we choose to do with our lives
* by showing the scene where Joan of Arc explains she has a connection with God, it shows Nana as believing she herself is capable of answering philosophical and theological debates

what quote does the film start with and who is this a reference to

‘lend yourself to others and give yourself to yourself’; this is a reference to the 16th Century French philosopher Montaigne

what was Montaigne interested in

the nature of the self, and finding the balance between our commitments to others and our independence

why is Montaigne’s philosophy integral to the film

the film explores to what extent we get to choose how to live our own lives, or whether our commitments to others dictate this and Nana is a prostitute, relating the quote at the start of the film

where can the quote ‘lend yourself to others but give yourself to yourself’ be seen in the film

in tableau 8 during the voiceover, where she instructed not to kiss her clients - she is allowed to sell her body but this is too personal

what is existentialism concerned with

our experience as conscious individuals able to reflect on the existence of our isolated selves

when did existentialism emerge

it became popular after the second world war - ‘where was God in Auschwitz?

how doe existentialism understand free will

* what makes humans unique is their ability to reflect on their own existence
* we can choose to live authentically or inauthentically

how does the existentialist understanding of free will relate to Godard’s filmmaking ideology

his filmmaking, in trying to offer something new and experimental, aligns with the existentialist idea that you can choose to live authentically

how can Nana be seen as an existentialist character

* her husband Paul sees her as self-absorbed - ‘can’t you talk about anything other than yourself?’
* she feels discontent with her existence, saying ‘I want to be someone else’
* In tableau six she proposes the idea that ‘we’re always responsible for our actions. We’re free’
* we can see that she attempts to control her own identity in that her aesthetic is consciously modelled after Louise Brooks

how does Laura Mulvey argue that Godard’s presentation of women is feminist

* Godard has always been at the forefront of debates on politics and representation
* women are integral to his films
* women have been valued on their sex appeal and this is a point that Godard returns to regularly, arguably critically
* he understands the forces that mould women into a stereotype and reduce them to impotence
* Godard has shown the exploitation of women as an image in consumer society

how could it be argued that Godard participates in the male gaze, but how could this be countered

he films Anna Karina as if she is a Hollywood star and he sexualises her by making her narrative revolve around prostitution

however…

* his filming her like a film star allows him to highlight the experimental nature of his film earlier, by suggesting an attracted gaze, but removing all emotional intimacy
* close-ups are used which instead of sexualising the human body, compartmentalise it and show it as a commodity in today’s society

how are men presented in Vivre sa Vie

* as driven by violence and women as being caught in the crossfire
* as making all of the decisions for women

how are women presented in Vivre sa Vie

* the film critiques the idea that female sexuality is women’s singular drive - Nana is pushed into prostitution by her circumstances
* they have little autonomy - ironic given the title of the film
* the female experience is an illusion, with women convinced they have autonomy, but all their decisions being made by men

does Vivre sa Vie suggest that prostitution is natural

Godard criticises the misogynistic assumption that prostitution is integral to female nature - this is done through the emotional distance that is provided through a voiceover

how is narrative used to suggest how much autonomy women have

the narrative of Vivre sa Vie is very episodic, meaning that it includes a lot of restricted narration. This reflects the amount of information Nana is given about her own life, as it is if the audience find information out with her

* power is related to knowledge

is Nana a passive or an active character

she wants to be an active character, but she is forced into passivity by the men around her

when do women stop being centralised in the plot of Vivre sa Vie

at the moment of her death - up until this point, women are not marginalised at all

can the marginalisation of Nana at the moment of her death be considered misogynistic

no, for two reasons -

* it makes a political statement about how replaceable women are viewed as by men
* and it can show the unfairness of life

how is the female body presented in Vivre sa Vie

as a commodity - especially in tableau 8, it is not appreciated in its entirety, but fractured and cut up (much like identity) so that each part can be scrutinized through close-up shots

how is prostitution presented

* the voiceover being a male voice suggests Godard critiquing just how vocal men are on the actions of women, by drawing attention to it - men are accepted as the authority on female’s sexuality
* the voiceover suggests an eternal male presence when she is having sex, suggesting that she never does it for the benefit of herself, only for men - she has failed to ‘give herself to herself’
* he dialogue between her and the man giving her instruction suggests that she is only allowed to ask questions, never to give her own opinion
* tableau 8 opens with a medium close-up of a man, marginalising Nana from a scene about her own body

how are Brechtian techniques used in tableau 8

* the lack of emotion in Raoul’s voice removes emotion from the audience and forces them to see the scene as sociologically didactic
* there is evidence of documentary technique in the scene

how can Vivre sa Vie be considered a criticism of capitalism

the film can be a metaphor for the idea that all work is a form of capitalism - the power imbalance between men and women is echoic of the power imbalance between the economy and the workers