Final Blog: Jean Luc Godard
The relationship between Algeria and the film industry is closely linked with propaganda from French colonialism (1830-1962). The French colonial government used cinema and film as propaganda to whitewash its colonialism's reputation and reinforce stereotypes about Algerians.
Upon realizing the war was won with images and reputation just as much as weapons, the Algerians began fighting French propaganda with photographs showcasing the truth to the worldwide public. The international narrative shifted against French colonialism; New Wave Algerian Cinema inspired people by shining light on France's atrocities, and persuaded some to help and participate in the war effort. The solidarity and internationalism seen during the early years of cinema creation were foundational to Algerian cinema and helped shape the country's themes of war, tragedy, and tales of human strength in many of their films.
THE REVOLT THAT STIRRED THE WORLD! Director Gillo Pontecorvo's highly acclaimed masterpiece THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS is regarded as one of m
Le Petit Soldat (1963), directed by Jean-Luc Godard, is a prime example of the New Wave in Algeria being centered around political drama and strife. Throughout the duration of the film, both sides of the controversial argument regarding the National Liberation Front (FLN) are very present. The politics that were discussed around the time of the film's release are intertwined with the actions that take place in the movie. Sympathizers and objectors to the Algerians have their opinions shown throughout the developing story.
On its eventual release, the movie was seen with plenty of praise. However, because of an infamous torture scene, Le Petit Soldat was held in production for three years after 1960. It was denounced for the depiction of torture on both sides of the French and Algerian methods. Executive creators felt that the time was not right and that viewers could not handle how both Bruno and Veronica were treated in these political times. Nonetheless, the movie saw its release in 1963 to an overall well spread, positive critique. A very decorated critic, the late Roger Ebert gave a coveted 4/4 star review to the film. This was a true honor to the film, as Ebert went on to be the first critic to receive the Pulitzer of Critique in 1975.
Perhaps the success of Le Petit Soldat is not so surprising when one considers how well versed in cinema Jean-Luc Godard was when he directed it. As a young critic in the 1950s, Godard was one of several iconoclastic writers who helped turn a new publication called Cahiers du Cinéma into a critical force that swept away the old guard of the European art cinema and replaced it with new heroes largely drawn from the ranks of the American commercial cinema — directors like Alfred Hitchcock and Howard Hawks.
As a boy Godard read plenty of works by Andre Gide and Andre Malraux. He studied many thoughts of Marx and incorporated both sides of the communist argument into his films. Further, Godard was an avid student of all forms of film and sought many influences from filmmakers and critics alike. One critic that redefined cinema for Godard and helped shape all his films including Le Petit Soldat was Maurice Sherer. Through his mentoring, Jean-Luc Godard was able to follow through with the idea of being a director.
In practice Godard seldom scrambled the timeline of his films, preferring instead to leap forward through his narratives by means like the “jump cut,” which he helped make into a widely accepted tool. Further, Godard never tired of taking apart established forms and reassembling them in ways that were invariably fresh, frequently witty, sometimes obscure but consistently stimulating.
Godard was a prominent influencer of the New Wave Era that swept France and Algeria. In turn, the New Wave helped shape Godard and his works. Perhaps, this is one reason why he helped shape such a significant era in film.
