Favorites : A Woman Is a Woman (1961)
The difference between good films and great films is often hard to put into words, but at times, directors make it easy to identify a great film. Films like these usually aren’t breaking new technical ground, but the way that they masterfully tell their story is so pitch perfect and full of flourish that greatness is undeniable. For my money, Jean-Luc Godard has a handful of these films, and one of my favorites Godard greats is the immaculate Une Femme est Une Femme.
Angela (Anna Karina) is a cabaret dancer determined to convince her lover Emile (Jean-Claude Brialy) to give her a baby. Emile, however, is not convinced that the time is right, and he stubbornly plays contradictory to Angela’s wishes. Alfred (Jean-Paul Belmondo), friend to Angela and Emile, casually but consistently pursues Angela, presenting an opportunity for the couple to test the limits of their relationship and their feelings for one another. Angela’s desires, Emile’s complacency and Alfred’s opportunistic nature all meet in a whirlwind of emotional madness.
Jean-Luc Godard maxes every skill in his book for Une Femme est Une Femme, presenting a film so immersive that it feels like a psychadelic trip or a fever dream... something like a Michel Gondry film without the special effects, or a Paul Thomas Anderson film with Quentin Tarintino level music cues. The story is simple enough to provide a strong foundation for beautiful embellishment, which Godard handles masterfully throughout.
Visually, the film is a complete delight. From the opening shots of Angela dressed brilliantly for film while weaving her way through the streets (among scores of real people), to the brilliant panning shots featuring poetic exposition and emotional information, to the playful shots in the cabaret where Angela dances, to the way that the apartment is shot to provide a playground of push and pull, there are few wasted frames in the film. Visual jokes like the couple eternally kissing, tons of references to real life famous acquaintances (and even an actual appearance from Jeanne Moreau providing a quick plug for Francois Truffaut’s Jules e Jim), and an argument that runs throughout the course of the film involving book titles all play well. There are even a number of 4th wall breaks all used for completely different purposes, each thought-provoking or entertaining in their own right.
Sonically, the film is so playful that it lifts you during your experience. Songs cut in and out, be they interrupted by the sounds of the outside world or swapped out for lyrics (ie Angela’s cabaret scene). Traditional symphonic score is used throughout to punctuate emotion and inform the viewer of exactly how they should feel, allowing a deeper understanding for all characters presented. There are even hilarious soundbites and sound-effect flare thrown in to offset the scoring as to not have the film be deemed too traditional or standard in its presentation.
The writing is playful, a bit meta at times (in terms of referencing the real world), and it turns movie tropes on their ear quite often. The old ‘will they or won’t they’ is not only given a new spin, it is split into a pair of intertwining ‘will they or won’t they’ narratives that make you wonder which, if either, will succeed. Puns and quick wit are found throughout the writing, sometimes even presenting themselves during scenes not meant to be funny on the outset. The only real critique I can give the writing is that it plays as slightly misogynistic when removed from its original context of it being an ode to Godard’s feelings on actress and constant collaborator Anna Karina and placed on a broader scale in terms of it being a reflection on women in general.
Anna Karina shines throughout this picture. Her energy is captivating and infectious, and she matches humor very well with a sense of loving despair. Jean-Claude Brialy plays wonderfully stubborn as Emile, at times clearly playing the opposition only to wind Angela up because he assumes their love will mend everything in the end. It is only when he realizes he may have pushed too hard that we see him display the passion that probably won him Angela in the first place. Jean-Paul Belmondo is the charismatic center of the film, displaying charm and humor that can barely be contained by the frame... he and Karina would later go on to play brilliantly off one another in Pierrot Le Fou.
Certain films are there to show you that the perceived limits of any given format are just that : perceived. This film may be pushing the limits of what a romantic comedy can be in all of the best ways possible, and ages before the term romantic comedy was a thing.
