Movie Notes: Pierrot Le Fou

August 25th, 2009

= 5 stars

Starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Anna Karina
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard

Synopsis

Bored with meeting “squares,” Pierrot (Jean-Paul Belmondo) runs away with Marianne (Anna Karina) on a crime spree.

The Good

• At each moment when I felt my attention drifting, a lurking surprise was sprung, revealing either beauty or surreal horror. An unexplained corpse on the bed, passing lights resembling fireworks, Karina’s profile next to a small painting, a car accident, the sound track cutting out, a parrot and fox marching around a wooden table balanced by a perfectly placed can, or bright technicolor pop art.
• Personally, a heady mix of Bonnie and Clyde, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (colors, and Karina bursts into song a few times), and The Avengers.
• Snide comments on the senseless Vietnam War. Dating from 1965, definitely ahead of its time in that regard.

The Bad

• Agressively artsy French new wave means many scenes that plot wise, make no literal sense. Overall, seems more about using images and cinema to evoke a moood of a reckless couple on the run, breaking away from rational society. The best bet is to forget keeping things straight and just let the experience of images and sound wash over you.

Conclusion

Godard is quoted saying, all one needs in a movie is a girl and a gun. Based on Pierrot Le Fou wrapped around the luminous Anna Karina, I’m inclined to agree. This is a rare sort of film that I already feel certain to watch again, again, and probably a fourth time.