2 ou 3 choses que je sais d'elle

TSPDT Greatest Films #252 2 ou 3 choses que je sais d'elle (Jean-Luc Godard, 1967)

A Godard film is as always a film that makes people think and talk about it. For 2 ou 3... it's this pattern that I can use to present the film. Well, it's an uncommon and sometimes floppy film. The scenes are rhythmed with urban and industrial shots of modern life.

The woman is a spouse and a mother that prostitutes herself to feed and to provide for her family. This is not Godard's first or last thoughts on prostitution. Besides being the oldest profession of humanity it's a job that represents and reflects the changes on the modern society. In 2 ou 3... we never really encounter the clients of the protagonist unlike Vivre sa vie where the "milieu" and the rituals are more explored. Godard chose look at the materialist world and consumerism that breeds the needs to earn more and more money to fulfill those empty materialists needs. The woman is used like a vehicule to show the changes of the urbanity and how the modernity is killing inch by inch the integrity of humans by giving them new "opiums" for the masses with negative conclusions. The late 1960's were a period of changes and the Vietnam War was more and more a concern in Godard's mind. Like Masculin Feminin, 2 ou 3... has also his anti-War message with the son of the main character telling a dream about the Vietnam.

Far from being as good as Tout va bien, Week-end, Pierrot le fou, 2 ou 3 choses que je sais d'elle is interesting as a cult Godard film. It should be seen as a pre-Dziga Vertov group film.