Since a month or so I've been discovering the films of Jean-Luc Godard. I have known his most notable work since ten years or so. Like many I watched À bout de souffle as an introduction to his work, after I've seen his most Hollywoodian film; Le Mépris/Contempt. Then I felt in love again with his work while watching Pierrot le fou and shortly after Week-End. But apart those widely known films, one cinephile must see all of his films. Why? you must ask! Watch them and then you'll answer to that question, because I haven't seen them all yet...
Godard is one of the most prolific director of all time touching and influencing so many filmmakers, artists, critics and people. Without him the seventh art wouldn't be the same! He dared to break barriers where there were and to put some where there weren't. He imposed many obstacles just to make himself be better and better. Even if the public didn't always responded positively to his films, the fan base was there and everywhere on the planet he started New Waves of Cinema; Tchekoslovakia, Brasil, America, Quebec, etc.
In the 1980's he was more of a low-profile "cineaste" and the spotlight was no longer his friend. This break came approximately in the events of the year of May 68. He choose to stay away from the system that has risen him as a star.
His 1980 film, Sauve qui peut (la vie), is three persons' lives and relationships, there is Mr. Godard (Dutronc) a filmmaker, Isabelle (Huppert) a prostitute, and Denise Rimbaud (Baye) a film editor who wants to have some fresh air and goes on a vacation. Many Godardian themes are exploited here and especially with the story of Isabelle he tackles this "profession" once again. The film is a pretext to study the different sexual relations that exist between humans and how they are the last reflexion of who and how someone behave and really is. Sexuality is for many the last step where the masks of our controlled conformist society are forgotten. Godard in a vile way shows how people are adept of degradant sexual habits and how he perceives the majority of the population has empty sexual relationships.
Apart from being completely contempting, Sauve qui peut (la vie) is far from being a total waste of time. It hits hard but it is very up to date with the discussions on how teenagers are oversexualized and how sex is available at one click from Google and how people still have major couples problems because of their failure to communicate and/or infidelities, etc. The propos of Sauve qui peut (la vie) is very deep and I will certainly read more about it to complete this review with more knowledge and a more profound analysis of its themes.
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