癲狂院 Vixen Owl Cigar..。o○

It's Godard. It's therefore A "Challenging Film"


The film charts the intertwined lives of three characters: Paul Godard (Jacques Dutronc), a filmmaker whose marriage is on the rocks; his ex-girlfriend Denise Rimbaud (Nathalie Baye), who wants to escape to the country; and Isabelle Rivière (Isabelle Huppert), a prostitute who sells her body to lead a free life......

This is a shame, as this is easily on a par with those other works.
During the 1970’s Jean Luc Godard abandoned the notion of making normal commercial films for cinematic distribution in favour of his Marxist-Leninist "Dziga Vertov " propaganda films.
Absolutely gorgeous use of image & sound, as well as history and memory.
The director returned to regular filmmaking in 1980 with "Sauve Qui Peut (La Vie) ", his first theatrical release since his furious outburst against modern bourgeois society in 1967 with "Weekend ".
Delivering another hate-filled attack on almost every aspect of modern society, it’s like he had never been away.

In Praise of Godard...Sort Of...
The title of the film literally translates as "Save If You Can (Your Life) " or "Every Man For Themselves "..
.. but is titled in English as "Slow Motion" , reflecting some of the unusual experimental techniques employed here by Godard.
As such, there is not much point in describing the film's plot but it involves a television director, Paul Godard who, divorced, has an on-off turbulent relationship with his girlfriend Denise.
Denise is keeping her distance, moving out of the flat that both of them share in the city in favour of settling down in the country to write articles for a provincial newspaper or journal..
She knows Godard cannot be relied upon and that he needs her too much to support him through a difficult period in his life.
Paul takes a lot of this anger out on his ex-wife, and rather unpleasantly, he makes sexually suggestive comments about his own daughter Cécile, who he picks up after her football practice.
Paul meets a prostitute, Isabelle (Isabelle Huppert) , who seems to be able to put up with whatever humiliating experiences her clients put her through.
Looking for a flat, Isabelle answers Denise's ad for the flat she is moving out of.

【Isabelle Huppert】 Every Man for Himself 【1980】
Godard consolidates his Reputation
Like Weekend's attack on bourgeois life, "Sauve Qui Peut (La Vie) " takes a particularly bleak view on life..
..But seems to be even bleaker in its outlook by pouring scorn on just about every aspect of society and modern ways of living - the city life, the country life, intellectuals, artists, businessmen...
Everything about their actions and behaviour is turned up, amplified and exaggerated.

Script is the best of Godard's works in terms of content up to "Flirt ".
Somewhere about 30 minutes into the DVD it struck me how much Godard something about movie-making..
That's a rare feeling.. to watch a movie & feel the director's , passion, or fascination for/with the medium.
There's a character named Godard in the movie.
With "Sauve qui peut " Jean-Luc Godard's maturity level and development of his own style really comes into fruition in his film making career.
He has accomplished so much more than perfecting his unique sensibility..
..But also displays his ability to convey complex subject matter on his own terms.

At one point, he says, "The only reason I make movies is because I haven't the strength to do nothing at all. "...
One thinks that the Real Godard would have us believe the words were coming from him.
But !! Seeing his frames, his cuts, the way he sets the light..
The inventiveness of all of it..!!
You just feel his joy in the enterprise.!!
Not as darkly humorous as first films.

If you like Godard's work at all, you'll this film.
If you dislike "pretention " in film, you should probably avoid it...
... But you're missing a lot.
If you enjoy a challenging film, "Sauve Qui Peut (La Vie) "(the original title) is certainly that.
This ignored gem represents an important step in Godard's development as a filmmaker of unique talent.