Juxtaposing images of pristine, romantic innocence with ones of mute, meaningless violence, Godard's Masculin-Fminin first lulls with a hypnotic, disjointed story line and then stuns with scenes of tremendous depth and meaning. This outrageous film follows the somewhat ineffectual courtship of Madeline, an aspiring pop singer, by Paul, an erstwhile journalist and interviewer but mostly groundless searcher. As in most Godard films, plot mechanics are secondary to elements such as dialog (generally marvelous, but sometimes a bit too pointed), lighting (bizarre and oversaturated, but never less than fascinating), shot framing (extraordinarily thoughtful), and performance. Godard allows his camera to linger on single faces, without cutting, for what seems by modern standards to be extremely long segments--perhaps even excruciatingly long--but the remarkably subtle cast members never disappoint, particularly the fantastically adept and frequently hilarious lead actors, Jean-Pierre Laud and Chantal Goya. The filmmaker has little to add to our collective understanding of the relationship between masculine et feminine writ large; in fact, most of the female characters are uncomfortably stereotypical, framed as either willfully oblivious to the world or subtly (or overtly) deadly. But as an examination of a young generation faced with the prospect of war in Vietnam and the vagaries of French socialism, Masculin-Fminin proves remorselessly and chillingly trenchant. A towering influence, it would seem, on Whit Stillman's similarly themed Barcelona--but while Stillman lacks the conviction to follow his instincts to their logical, violent conclusions, Godard faces his uncompromising story with elegance and courage. In French, with subtitles that are occasionally difficult to read. --Miles Bethany
With Masculin Fminin, ruthless stylist and iconoclast Jean-Luc Godard introduces the world to "the children of Marx and Coca-Cola," through a gang of restless youths engaged in hopeless love affairs with music, revolution, and each other. French new wave icon Jean-Pierre Laud stars as Paul, an idealistic would-be intellectual struggling to forge a relationship with adorable pop star Madeleine (real-life y-y girl Chantal Goya). Through their tempestuous affair, Godard fashions a candid and wildly funny free-form examination of youth culture in throbbing 1960s Paris, mixing satire and tragedy as only JLG can.
"oh, to be a young French cineaste and radical in 1965"
Written By: Muzzlehatch
It's interesting to me that though this 1966 film is certainly quite political - overtly so in fact - in retrospect it feels almost the last of Godard's attempts at making a "popular" film with a character-driven storyline. Coming right after the more narrative-driven (but more challenging in most respects) PIERROT LE FOU - referenced here as are other early Godard works - and just before the MADE IN U.S.A., his last real pulp/crime influenced film from this era, it seems like the director is simultaneously stepping back into the semi-documentary mode of the (criminally neglected) Une Femme Mariee and also trying to craft yet another valentine to cinema, a mostly light-hearted one at that.
Jean-Pierre Laud plays Paul, "an unstable young man", a political activist, student, film fanatic and burgeoning writer who works as a pollster. Early on he develops an attraction to Madeleine (Chantal Goya) an aspiring pop singer (the actress basically playing herself) and soon the two of them are elements in a small group of men and women, with the men all politically motivated and sexually aggressive types, while the women for the most part aren't very well represented beyond being objects of desire and more solidly placed in the real world - less interested in the idealism of Paul and his companions.
The film takes place over several weeks in the fall and winter of 1965, and there are numerous references to Vietnam and America's involvement in it; it's a real time-piece in many senses, a portrait of a city between political upheavals and a young generation in the midst of sexual upheavals. But Godard characteristically sees things almost entirely from the point of view of his stand-in, Paul, which limits both his sympathies and ours. Thankfully Laud, possibly the most charismatic nerd in film history, always charms and can make even his most childish and silly obsessions seem important. He is in every way the glue that holds what there is of a narrative, and our interest.
Though the film is divided into 15 sections which don't neccessarily seem to flow smoothly one to the other, acting more as snapshots, moments, than a narrative flow, on the whole this is one of Godard's easier to watch and less experimental-feeling films from this time period. There are definitely some irritations for me, particularly in the condescending, borderline misogynistic interviews that Paul conducts with a couple of pretty vapid young women, but Laud's charm and a lot of self-referential humor and weird spurts of violence that act more as "what the...?" moments than anything else kept up my interest and make for a lot of memorable scenes. It's not, for my money, one of Godard's very best but it's certainly a must for those interested in where the New Wave and French cinema were heading - a marker in time and in the youth of it's participants. Hard to imagine that JLG - and Laud, especially - are now old men - the film remains a snapshot of people and a place forever young.
This Criterion disc is typically beautifully transferred, with Willy Kurant's verit-influenced black and white photography looking suitably crisp yet low-rent throughout. The extras include short interviews in French with Godard and Goya, and in English with Kurant, but the most valuable bonus to me is the English-language discussion by Jean-Pierre Gorin, Godard's collaborator on several of his early 70s political experiments. Gorin brings a warmth and a nostalgic reverie that for me, at least, was the icing on this lovely cake. One tiny caveat: nothing wrong with Chantal Goya's picture adorning the cover, but why didn't they pick the original French poster, which is really striking?
"Wonderful and natural performances by the main talents and just a youth film that is crafted like no other. Highly recommended!"
Written By: Dennis A. Amith (kndy)
It was in 1966 that Nouvelle Vague (French New Wave) director Jean-Luc Godard ("Contempt", "Breathless", "Pierrot le fou") would release his film about youth in the mid-60's titled "Masculin fminin: 15 faits prcis".
Released after the successful "Pierrot le fou" (1965), "Masculin fminin: 15 faits prcis" would become a different film by Godard standards as it would focus on Parisian youth in 1965 but also start to show signs of a different Godard (who separated from Anna Karina, who was a major actress in his films) and also a precursor to his films incorporating his political views. But as for the characters featured in "Masculin fminin: 15 faits prcis", call the young adults that were a sign of the times or as Godard would call them, "the children of Marx and Coca-Cola".
"Masculin fminin: 15 faits prcis" was scrutinized and lambasted by critics during its release in 1966, many of those critics who have revisited the film have taken back what they originally have said and now realize how it is one of Godard's best films and some have considered it a masterpiece that was ahead of its time.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
"Masculin fminin" is featured in black and white and presented in 1:33:1. Cinematographer Willy Kurant supervised the new high-definition digital transfer which was created on a Spirit Datacine from the 35mm grain master. Also, thousands of instances of dirt, debris and scratches were removed from the MTI Digital Restoration Ssytem.
As for the audio, the French monoraul soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from the optical soundtrack master and audio restoration tools were used the Criterion to remove clicks, pops, hiss and crackle. The film is Dolby Digital 1.0 and center channel driven but for those who own modern home theater surround sound receivers, one can easily switch the audio via audio on all channels or stereo, to their own preference. Also, included is a selection for the the optional isolated music track.
Subtitles are in English.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"Masculin fminin" comes with the following special features:
* Chantal Goya (1966) - (4:50) An excerpt of an interview filmed for the TV show "Au-Dela De L'Ecran", Goya talks about being a pop star and working on "Masculin fminin".
* Chantal Goya (2005) - (15:07) Interview with Chantal Goya in 2005 as she talks about her experience working with Jean-Luc Godard and on "Masculin fminin".
* Willy Kurant - (11:59) 2005 Interview (in English) with "Masculin fminin"cinematographer about his career and working with Godard.
* Jean-Pierre Gorin - (15:36) A 2005 interview (in English) in which Godard's Dziga-Vertov Group business partner talks about the historical and experimentation of "Masculin fminin".
* Freddy Buache and Dominique Paini - (24:56) In 2004, Freddy Buache (film critic and founder of Cinematheque Suisse) and Dominque Paini (Director of Cultural Development for the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris) talk about the importance of "Masculin fminin" and how Buache criticized it when it was first released but now considers it an important Godard film.
* Godard on Swedish Television - (4:07) With "Masculin fminin" being a co-production between Godard's Anouchka Films and the Swedish Production Firm Sandrews Films, a Swedish television crew were there to interview the director who was filming the "movie" scene.
* Original Theatrical Trailer - (2:01) The original theatrical trailer. * Rialto Pictures Rerelease Trailer - (1:53) Remastered Rialto Pictures trailer. * Essay Booklet - 14-page booklet featuring an essay "The Young Man for All Times" by Adrian Martin (film critic for the Melbourne Age) and "On the Set of Masculin Feminin" (an excerpt from the article "One Evening, In a Small Cafe" by Phillipe Labro.
JUDGMENT CALL:
"Masculin fminin: 15 faits prcis" is quite a unique film, so unique that it was a film which I absolutely enjoyed. It's not a film that one can come and watch and say, I enjoy "Breathless" or "Pierrot le fou", I will love "Masculin fminin: 15 faits prcis". Nor is it a film in today's modern world where you can think that if you enjoyed young adult films such as "Dazed and Confused" or "Metropolis" that you will enjoy "Masculin fminin: 15 faits prcis" because the structure of the film is so different. There are way too many disruptions for the film's pacing and odd situations that either one can appreciate them or simply dislike them. Especially when you reach the ending.
I absolutely loved the improvisation and also the long use of dialogue between characters. I have said that I enjoyed Eric Rohmer's "My Night at Maud's" for effectively making long dialogue scenes so enjoyable but yet intelligent. If one can capitalize on moments in a film where communication is done effectively. And since the film was created with a low budget,Godard made great use of dialogue. In fact, because Godard didn't use a script, he had earpieces in which the talent were filmed answering questions that the director would ask them. He would effectively use the talent, tell them what to say on the earpiece and try to get an improvised but yet natural answer in which topics would bring out that awkwardness.
For example, a scene where Paul interviews "Miss 19, an actual beauty cover girl for a magazine that is being asked questions, even personal questions about sexuality, her past loves and political views. Her answers were not of an actress but her genuine answers. You can sense that uncomfort in her answers but that's what Godard wanted for this film. True feelings by people who represent that young generation in Paris.
As for the DVD, The Criterion Collection has done a magnificent job in restoring this film, supervised by cinematographer Willy Kurant. A good number of special features that are interesting, informative and enjoyable. It was great to hear from Chantal Goya sharing some of the Godard behind-the-scenes direction with the viewer. How the discussion about Madeleine's music career was actually a dialogue about her own music career but Godard using it on the film. And of course, Jean-Pierre Laud is just a talented actor that both Francois Truffaut and Godard knew how to utilize in their films (despite Truffaut being a bit critical on how Godard handled him for this film). We sense a young man who is trying to make sense of his life. Has a set perspective yet being with a woman who is nothing like him nor does she want to be like him.
Masculin fminin: 15 faits prcis" is a film that is definitely not a perfect film. In fact, because there are quite a few disruptions and the pacing is quite frantic at times, some people may see it as a film that is too artsy for its own good. As mentioned earlier, critics really blasted Godard for this film when it was first released. But the fact was, it was a film ahead of its time and what we have is a time capsule of youth, Paris during the mid-60's that now, many people who lived during that time, can watch this film and say, "this film was a masterpiece".
Overall, "Masculin fminin: 15 faits prcis" is a film that is not only worth of being included in the Criterion Collection but also a Godard film worth owning. Highly recommended!
"Great glimpse into the 60's"
Written By: Gillian E. Mobey
An interesting coming-of-age commentry of the 60s. Great cameos.. you need to look out for them though because they are brief. This was a productive period for French Chantreuses. Goya was one of the ye-ye period girls. Great music, not quite on a par with Francoise Hardy, Sylvie Vartan and France Gall, but not bad.
"Children of Marx and Coca Cola !"
Written By: Hiram Gomez Pardo
If there has been any other devastating and revealing film, capable to portrait with such magisterial realism, nostalgic uncertainness poetry and extraordinary vitality reflecting the contradictions between Marxist dialectic with such background as Paris of the 1960's , fears before Vietnam, and multiple concerns of a whole generation and starred by a sleepless young man (magisterially performed by Jean Pierre Leaud who deservedly won the Silver Bear as Best Actor in 1966), please be my guest.
Jean Luc Godard - one of the most irreverent filmmakers of the French New Wave - tells us a story through a perfectly achieved set of fourteen vignettes, in his accustomed journalistic and documental style, which conforms a work that in spirit still stands as the most powerful film of febrile anguish and active questioning of the emerging generation of the Post war.
A collector item, in few words.
"REGARDER!"
Written By: Kerry Leimer
There are many interesting aspects to the "story" told in "Masculin Feminin", but there seem many more interesting things about Godard's approach to form, seemingly perfected here. The exquisitely timed intrusions and jokes that are once cruel then again simply clever; the seemingly omnipresent quotations which recast the context of the scenes we are viewing; the acknowledgments of the medium which make this so appealingly post modern; the glimpses of a play within a film and of course the hysterically funny and troubling foreign film within the film. Not to mention the use of sound and of music, so completely distinct to Godard -- just consider the on/off shuffling of location sound, music and silence played out in the first few minutes of the film, making their own cinematic confession in a way as different as his single-minded and seemingly arbitrary use of a single, extended piece throughout the course of "Contempt".
All these refinements make "Masculin Feminin" a model of cinema and its potential. The ideas are so thick and rich that it's both difficult and incredibly pleasurable to track the free interplay of ideas and gestures; and the sheer enjoyment of watching such a work offers just the sort of "entertainment" capable of fully engaging rather than simply mollifying the viewer. And in retrospect it's easy to see Godard's profound influence on the work of other directors of the time, especially that belonging to Lindsay Anderson. The difference here being that Godard's technique feels very natural while some others feel self-conscious and quite strained. Compare this work to today's mainstream film culture and it's easy to make that case that cinema has lost its sense of play as well as its way.
"oh, to be a young French cineaste and radical in 1965"
"Great glimpse into the 60's"
