Jean-Luc Godard - Rate/Rank

[Bosco B Thug]

Jean-Luc Godard and his films have proven consistently smarter and more erudite than me. No, I'm not bitter... he should just start putting fucking footnotes in his films, you know, for those less versed in the wider arts, humanities, and philosophical and political thoughts.

As I said in another thread, cinematic didacticism is A-okay if done right, and Godard, the dirty rascal, does it right. Someone should make a compilation list of all the quotations, references, and featurings of famous art works, writings, historical incidents, etc. that occur in his films.

I've no developed thoughts on hand at the moment to give, but I'll post what I know as they come to me. But in the meantime:

Please rank/rate/discuss

1. Socialisme (2010) (filming)
2. Une catastrophe (2008)
3. Vrai faux passeport (2006)
4. Notre musique (2004)
... aka Our Music (literal English title)
5. Moments choisis des histoire(s) du cinéma (2004)
6. Ten Minutes Older: The Cello (2002) (segment "Dans le noir du temps")
... aka Ten Minutes Older: The Cello (Germany)
7. Liberté et patrie (2002) (V)
... aka Liberty and Homeland (International: English title)
8. Éloge de l'amour (2001)
... aka In Praise of Love (International: English title)
9. L'origine du XXIème siècle (2000)
... aka Origins of the 21st Century (International: English title)
10. Histoire(s) du cinéma: Une vague nouvelle (1998) (V)
11. The Old Place (1998)
12. Histoire(s) du cinéma: Le contrôle de l'univers (1998) (V) (uncredited)
13. Histoire(s) du cinéma: La monnaie de l'absolu (1998) (V)
14. Histoire(s) du cinéma: Les signes parmi nous (1998) (V)
15. Histoire(s) du cinéma: Seul le cinéma (1997) (V)
16. Histoire(s) du cinéma: Fatale beauté (1997) (V) (uncredited)
17. For Ever Mozart (1996)
18. JLG/JLG - autoportrait de décembre (1995)
... aka JLG by JLG (USA: review title)
... aka JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December
19. Deux fois cinquante ans de cinéma français (1995)
... aka 2 x 50 Years of French Cinema (USA)
... aka Twice Fifty Years of French Cinema (International: English title: literal title)
20. Comment vont les enfants (1993) (segment "L'enfance de l'art") (uncredited)
... aka Comment vont les enfants (France)
... aka How Are the Kids? (USA)
21. Hélas pour moi (1993) (uncredited)
... aka Alas for Me
... aka Oh, Woe Is Me
22. Je vous salue, Sarajevo (1993) (V)
23. Les enfants jouent Ã* la Russie (1993)
... aka The Kids Play Russian
24. Allemagne 90 neuf zéro (1991)
... aka Allemagne année 90 neuf zéro (France: poster title)
... aka Germany Year 90 Nine Zero (USA)
25. Contre l'oubli (1991) (segment "Pour Thomas Wainggai, Indonésie")
... aka Écrire contre l'oubli
... aka Against Oblivion
... aka Lest We Forget
26. Nouvelle vague (1990) (uncredited)
... aka New Wave
27. Histoire(s) du cinéma: Une histoire seule (1989) (V) (uncredited)
28. Le rapport Darty (1989)
29. "Les français vus par" (1988) TV mini-series (unknown episodes)
... aka "The Cowboy and the Frenchman" (USA: DVD title)
... aka "The French as Seen by..." (literal English title)
30. Histoire(s) du cinéma: Toutes les histoires (1988) (V) (uncredited)
31. Puissance de la parole (1988)
... aka The Power of Speech
32. On s'est tous défilé (1988)
33. Soigne ta droite (1987) (as Monsieur Godard)
... aka Keep Your Right Up (International: English title)
... aka Une place sur la terre comme au ciel (France: subtitle)
34. King Lear (1987)
35. Aria (1987) (segment "Armide")
36. "Série noire" (1 episode, 1986)
- Grandeur et décadence d'un petit commerce de cinéma (1986) TV episode
37. Soft and Hard (1986)
... aka Soft Conversation on Hard Subjects
Meetin' WA (1986)
... aka J.L.G. Meets W.A.
... aka Meeting Woody Allen (USA)
38. Détective (1985)
39. 'Je vous salue, Marie' (1985)
... aka Hail Mary (USA)
40. Prénom Carmen (1983)
... aka First Name: Carmen (USA)
41. Petites notes Ã* propos du film 'Je vous salue, Marie' (1983) (V)
42. Lettre Ã* Freddy Buache (1982)
... aka A Letter to Freddy Buache (USA)
43. Passion (1982)
... aka Godard's Passion (USA)
44. Scénario du film 'Passion' (1982)
45. Sauve qui peut (la vie) (1980)
... aka Every Man for Himself (USA)
... aka Rette sich, wer kann (das Leben) (West Germany)
... aka Slow Motion (UK)
46. Scénario de 'Sauve qui peut la vie' (1979)
47. Comment ça va? (1978)
... aka How Is It Going?
48. "France/tour/detour/deux/enfants" (1977) TV mini-series
49. Ici et ailleurs (1976)
... aka Here and Elsewhere
50. "Six fois deux/Sur et sous la communication" (1976) TV mini-series
51. Numéro deux (1975)
... aka Number Two
52. Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still (1972)
... aka Lettre Ã* Jane (France)
53. Tout va bien (1972)
... aka All's Well (USA)
... aka Crepa padrone, tutto va bene (Italy)
... aka Just Great (International: English title)
54. One P.M. (1972)
... aka One A.M./One American Movie
... aka One P.M./One Parallel Movie
... aka One P.M./One Pennebaker Movie (USA: informal alternative title)
55. Lotte in Italia (1971) (uncredited)
... aka Luttes en Italie (France)
... aka Struggle in Italy (UK)
56. Le vent d'est (1970) (uncredited)
... aka East Wind
... aka Ostwind (West Germany)
... aka Vento dell'est (Italy)
... aka Wind from the East
57. British Sounds (1970)
... aka See You at Mao (USA)
58. Pravda (1970) (uncredited)
... aka Prawda (West Germany)
59. Vladimir et Rosa (1970) (uncredited)
... aka Vladimir and Rosa
... aka Wladimir und Rosa (West Germany)
60. Le gai savoir (1969)
... aka Die fröhliche Wissenschaft (West Germany)
... aka Joy of Learning (International: English title)
... aka Joyful Wisdom
... aka The Joy of Knowledge
61. Amore e rabbia (1969) (segment "L'Amore")
... aka Évangile 70 (France)
... aka La contestation (France)
... aka Love and Anger
... aka Vangelo '70 (Italy: alternative title)
62. Sympathy for the Devil (1968)
... aka One Plus One (UK: director's cut)
63. Cinétracts (1968) (segments 14, 16, 23) (uncredited)
64. Un film comme les autres (1968)
... aka A Film Like Any Other
... aka A Movie like Any Other
... aka Le joli mois de Mai (France: reissue title)
65. Week End (1967)
... aka Le week-end
... aka Week-End
... aka Week-end, un uomo e una donna dal sabato alla domenica (Italy)
... aka Weekend (USA: promotional title)
66. Loin du Vietnam (1967) (segment "Camera-Eye")
... aka Far from Vietnam (USA)
67. La chinoise (1967)
... aka La chinoise, ou plutôt Ã* la chinoise: Un film en train de se faire
68. Le plus vieux métier du monde (1967) (segment "Anticipation, ou l'amour en l'an 2000")
... aka Das älteste Gewerbe der Welt (West Germany)
... aka L'amore attraverso i secoli (Italy)
... aka L'amour Ã* travers les âges
... aka Love Through the Centuries
... aka The Oldest Profession (USA)
... aka The Oldest Profession in the World
69. 2 ou 3 choses que je sais d'elle (1967)
... aka Two or Three Things I Know About Her
70. Made in U.S.A. (1966)
71. Masculin féminin: 15 faits précis (1966)
... aka Masculin, féminin (France: short title)
... aka Masculine, Feminine: In 15 Acts (International: English title: complete title)
... aka Masculine-Feminine
... aka Maskulinum - femininum (Sweden)
72. Pierrot le fou (1965)
... aka Pierrot le fou (UK) (USA)
... aka Crazy Pete
... aka Il bandito delle ore undici (Italy)
... aka Il bandito delle undici (Italy)
... aka Pierrot Goes Wild
73. Paris vu par... (1965) (segment "Montparnasse-Levallois")
... aka Six in Paris
74. Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution (1965)
... aka Agente Lemmy Caution, missione Alphaville (Italy)
... aka Alphaville (France)
... aka Alphaville, a Strange Adventure of Lemmy Caution
... aka Alphaville, a Strange Case of Lemmy Caution
... aka Dick Tracy on Mars (USA: informal title)
75. Une femme mariée: Suite de fragments d'un film tourné en 1964 (1964)
76. Les plus belles escroqueries du monde (1964) (segment "Grand escroc, Le")
... aka De wereld wil bedrogen worden (Netherlands)
... aka Le più belle truffe del mondo (Italy)
... aka The Beautiful Swindlers
... aka The World's Most Beautiful Swindlers
... aka World's Greatest Swindles
77. Bande Ã* part (1964)
... aka Band of Outsiders (USA)
... aka The Outsiders
78. Reportage sur Orly (1964)
79. Le mépris (1963)
... aka Contempt (USA)
... aka Il disprezzo (Italy)
80. Les carabiniers (1963)
... aka The Carabineers (International: English title)
... aka The Soldiers (UK)
81. Ro.Go.Pa.G. (1963) (segment "Nuovo mondo, Il")
... aka Laviamoci il cervello - Rogopag (Italy: long title)
... aka Let's Have a Brainwash
... aka Rogopag (France)
82. Le petit soldat (1963)
... aka The Little Soldier
83. Vivre sa vie: Film en douze tableaux (1962)
... aka It's My Life (UK)
... aka My Life to Live (USA)
... aka Vivre sa vie (France: short title)
84. Les sept péchés capitaux (1962) (segment "Paresse, La")
... aka I sette peccati capitali (Italy)
... aka The Seven Capital Sins
... aka The Seven Deadly Sins (USA)
85. Une femme est une femme (1961)
... aka A Woman Is a Woman (USA)
... aka La donna è donna (Italy)
86. Une histoire d'eau (1961)
... aka A Story of Water
87. Charlotte et son Jules (1960)
... aka Charlotte and Her Boyfriend
... aka Charlotte and Her Jules (International: English title: literal title)
88. À bout de souffle (1960)
... aka Breathless (UK: subtitle) (USA)
... aka By a Tether (UK: informal title)
89. Charlotte et Véronique, ou Tous les garçons s'appellent Patrick (1959)
... aka All the Boys Are Called Patrick (International: English title)
90. Une femme coquette (1955) (as Hans Lucas)
91. Opération 'Béton' (1954)
... aka Operation Concrete (International: English title)

[Philosophe_rouge]

Some people have attempted to do what you ask (footnote Godard, at least in his Histoires du Cinema film, though it's in french);

http://cri-image.univ-paris1.fr/celi...inegodard.html

[Bosco B Thug]

My rankings (and thus, the class I took's choice of curriculum [p.s. I'll post its reading list soon]):

1. Breathless - 8.5
2. My Life to Live - 8.5
3. Contempt - 8
4. Nouvelle Vague (unavailable in US) - 8
5. Passion - 7.5
6. Sauve qui peut (Slow Motion) (unavailable) - 7.5
7. Two or Three Things I Know About Her - 7
8. Weekend - 7
9. JLG/JLG (unavailable) - 6
10. Le Gai Savoir (unavailable) - 6
11. Pierrot le fou - 6

Those 6's I'm probably just giving a default "lower" score to because they're very difficult and dense non-narrative films, and I don't have a bias towards those, nooo. Well, except for Pierrot. That's a narrative film, relatively, and I just don't think it's very good.

Godard's late period films (Slow Motion, Passion, Nouvelle Vague) are so freaking alienating. My first viewings of each of those later period Godard films just felt like really bad dates.

[Bosco B Thug]

Some people have attempted to do what you ask (footnote Godard, at least in his Histoires du Cinema film, though it's in french);

http://cri-image.univ-paris1.fr/celi...inegodard.html

We were going to watch his 'Histoire' films, but we didn't.

But yeah, I need to find a list, because I wouldn't have caught that half of Nouvelle Vague is Dante quotations if it wasn't pointed out to me (yes, I haven't read the Inferno. I know...).

[B-side]

Notre Musique- 8.5
Breathless- 8
Contempt- 7
In Praise of Love- 6
Weekend- 5

I'm sorely lacking. The bottom 3 need rewatches as I went into them with the wrong state of mind.

[Sycophant]

Band of Outsiders - 9.0
A Woman Is a Woman - 5.0
Contempt - 4.0
Week-End - 6.5
Pierrot le Fou - 8.5

[Bosco B Thug]

Contempt and Weekend do have lots of problems, I may be too generous with them. E.g. I'm sorry, but that interminable bedroom scene in Contempt just is not telling me anything.

Someone was having a discussion over whether Week End was reductive or not, which is a valid criticism. I'd say the film's more plain-spoken than reductive, and its entire premise on satiric extremes and over-the-top representations is more open-armed than manipulative/dictatorial, but I'd also agree that the film is the opposite of subtle, especially with all its tiresome antics and oh-so-transgressive sight gags.

Also, Godard's a great director, no ifs, ands, or buts, but he loves to pretend to be amateurish at times and I hate that.

[trotchky]

Contempt - ****
Band of Outsiders - ****

Need to see more, thanks for reminding me.

[megladon8]

Contempt - 3

[Spaceman Spiff]

I really, really, really do not like Godard. At all. His political and philosophical pontifications annoy me, especially when combined with his (I find) overtly obtuse film aesthetic. Breathless was okay. I hated the rest of his films.

I do want to see Vivre Sa Vie, though.

[megladon8]

I really want to see Breathless.

[Ivan Drago]

Contempt - 10
Week End - 9
Breathless - 8
Band of Outsiders - 6.5

[Philosophe_rouge]

Band of Outsiders 10
Contempt 9
Vivre sa Vie 9
Alphaville 9
Pierrot le fou 8.5
Breathless 8
Une femme est une femme 7.5
Le Petit Soldat 6

[MacGuffin]

Éloge de l'amour (2001) - 7
'Je vous salue, Marie' (1985) - 5
Prénom Carmen (1983) - 7
Ici et ailleurs (1976) - 7
Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still (1972) - 6
Tout va bien (1972) - 6
Sympathy for the Devil (1968) - 7
Week End (1967) - 9
Masculin féminin: 15 faits précis (1966) - 9
Pierrot le fou (1965) - 9
Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution (1965) - 7
Bande Ã* part (1964) - 10
Le mépris (1963) - 10
Les carabiniers (1963) - 6
Le petit soldat (1963) - 7
Vivre sa vie: Film en douze tableaux (1962) - 8
Une femme est une femme (1961) - 7
À bout de souffle (1960) - 9

He's my favorite director. Even the lower rated movies (like 7, which means great for me, and under) are probably continuously rewatchable. I just recently bought the Criterions of Pierrot le fou, Une femme est une femme, Bande Ã* part, Masculin féminin, and À bout de souffle, so I'll definitely be rewatching those soon (I already own Le mépris, but haven't gotten around to checking out the seemingly, yet unsurprisingly magnificent job from Criterion.

Priorities right now include: Socialisme (can't wait to see it, the trailer looked incredible), Notre musique, For Ever Mozart, JLG/JLG - autoportrait de décembre, Hélas pour moi, Allemagne 90 neuf zéro, Nouvelle vague, Soigne ta droite, King Lear (but maybe after reading the story it was based on first), Aria, Soft and Hard, Meetin' WA, Détective (because I want to see a work for hire movie by a master), Passion, Sauve qui peut (la vie), Comment ça va?, France/tour/detour/deux/enfants, Ici et ailleurs, Numéro deux, One P.M. (haven't heard about this I don't think, but I'm looking at the subtitle and think about how much I liked Pennebaker's Dont Look Back), Le gai savoir, La chinoise, 2 ou 3 choses que je sais d'elle (Criterion DVD in July!), Made in U.S.A. (will rent the upcoming July Criterion DVD for Karina, the supposedly awesome "As Tears Go By" a'capella and, of course, Godard, but I've heard this is a minor work, so I won't get my hopes up), Paris vu par..., Une femme mariée: Suite de fragments d'un film tourné en 1964 (will rent the upcoming Koch Lorber DVD when it comes out), Ro.Go.Pa.G., and Charlotte et Véronique, ou Tous les garçons s'appellent Patrick (this is featured on the Criterion DVD for Une femme est une femme, so I'll probably check it out this weekend).

Keeping my fingers crossed for: Criterion to release Vivre sa vie (I know they are going to, but I don't think it's going to happen until next year), Weekend, and a remaster of Alphaville.

[Qrazy]

... aka Week-End - C-
... aka Two or Three Things I Know About Her - C+
... aka Alphaville (France) - B-
... aka Band of Outsiders (USA) - B+
... aka Contempt (USA) - A-
... aka My Life to Live (USA) - C-
... aka Breathless (UK: subtitle) (USA) - B-

I find his films usually interesting but I don't really care for his overall approach to cinema.

[Winston*]

My mental image of Godard is of a dude storming around Paris in and out of shops and buliding shouting out whatever tosh comes to his mind "Cinema is truth at 24 frames a second!" "All you need for a movie is a gun and a girl" and he has this dozens strong entourage of identical looking men in tan coats and spectacles following him about with pens and pads, all murmuring "My god that's brilliant" in unison. Also there's a funky bass line playing, but no bass player to be seen.

[B-side]

My mental image of Godard is of a dude storming around Paris in and out of shops and buliding shouting out whatever tosh comes to his mind "Cinema is truth at 24 frames a second!" "All you need for a movie is a gun and a girl" and he has this dozens strong entourage of identical looking men in tan coats and spectacles following him about with pens and pads, all murmuring "My god that's brilliant" in unison. Also there's a funky bass line playing, but no bass player to be seen.

[

Show Spoiler

Rep.

]

[trotchky]

My mental image of Godard is of a dude storming around Paris in and out of shops and buliding shouting out whatever tosh comes to his mind "Cinema is truth at 24 frames a second!" "All you need for a movie is a gun and a girl" and he has this dozens strong entourage of identical looking men in tan coats and spectacles following him about with pens and pads, all murmuring "My god that's brilliant" in unison. Also there's a funky bass line playing, but no bass player to be seen.

Yeah, Godard the man seems like an obnoxious, pretentious prick. Good director, though.

[baby doll]

Just the feature films...

À bout de souffle (1960) / ****
Le Petit soldat (1961) / ***1/2
Une femme est une femme (1961) / **1/2
Vivre sa vie: Film en douze tableaux (1962) / ****
Le Mépris (1963) / ****
Bande Ã* part (1964) / ****
Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution (1965) / ****
Pierrot le fou (1965) / ****
Masculin féminin: 15 faits précis (1966) / ***
La Chinoise (1967) / ****
2 ou 3 choses que je sais d'elle (1967) / ***
Weekend (1967) / ****
Sympathy for the Devil (1968) / ***1/2
Tout va bien (1972) / **1/2
Ici et ailleurs (1976) / ****
Passion (1982) / ****
Prénom Carmen (1983) / ***
Détective (1985) / ***1/2
Je vous salue, Marie (1985) / ****
Hélas pour moi (1993) / ***1/2 (the rating in my signature is a first impression; I've since seen the film again and liked it better on second viewing)
JLG/JLG - autoportrait de décembre (1995) / **1/2
Éloge de l'amour (2001) / ****
Notre musique (2004) / ****

[Boner M]

Notre musique - 6.5
Éloge de l'amour - 6
Hail Mary - 6
First Name: Carmen - 7
Passion - 8.5
Sauve qui peut (la vie) - 7.5
Sympathy for the Devil - 5.5
Week End - 9
Two or Three Things I Know About Her - 8.5
Masculin féminin - 7.5
Pierrot le fou - 6
Alphaville - 4.5
Bande Ã* part - 8.5
Contempt - 6
Vivre sa vie - 10
A Woman Is a Woman - 5
Breathless - 7

Need to see roughly half of these again. Also I still need to get around to reading Brody's Everything is Cinema, although it seems to have evoked the ire of hardcore cinephile circles.

[Melville]

Pierrot le fou - 9
Alphaville - 7
Bande Ã* part - 7.5
Contempt - 5
Vivre sa vie - 8.5
Breathless - 6.5

I guess I should watch some of his later stuff.

[origami_mustache]

All the Boys Are Called Patrick (short)
Breathless - 9
A Woman Is a Woman - 8
My Life To Live - 9.5
Les carabiniers - 7
"The New World" episode from RoGoPaG - 6
Contempt - 9
Band of Outsiders - 9
Alphaville, A Strange Case of Lemmy Caution - 8.5
Pierrot le fou - 8.5
Masculine Feminine - 8.5
La Chinoise - 6.5
Week-End - 8
Hail Mary - 8
"In the Blackness of Time" episode from Ten Minutes Older: The Cello - 9.5
Our Music - 8
Une catastrophe - 9

[balmakboor]

I like everything that I've seen from Breathless through Week End. Then he lost me for the most part. I like parts of Tout va bien and Notre Musique. I do love Hail Mary though.

Personal favorites:
Contempt
Pierrot le fou
La Chinoise

I'm dying to see Made in USA and Two or Three Things I Know About Her.

[baby doll]

I like everything that I've seen from Breathless through Week End. Then he lost me for the most part. I like parts of Tout va bien and Notre Musique. I do love Hail Mary though.

That's a pretty broad dismissal of forty years' work, ranging from his Groupe Dziga Vertov stuff to his videos with Anne-Marie Miéville to his recent features and found footage videos.

[MacGuffin]

Masculin féminin: 15 faits précis (1966) / ***

Did you watch this again or something? I remember you disliking it.