Sunday, January 17, 2010

Made in USA. 1966



I have just watched this Jean-Luc Godard film, released last year by the Criterion Collection. This happens to be a very important film in Godard's career. On a sentimental level this is the last film he made with his muse and wife, Ana Karina, they were already divorced by then.

On a professional level this film marks the end of the so called New Wave movement in Godard's career. This film is full of personal references, film references, literary references as well as political. This is to become the film that will lead the way of his future films full of political discourse.

The film goes hand in hand with another film that was filmed right after called "2 or 3 things I know about her", the story behind this film is as interesting.

A kind of thriller with a complex but loose narrative, indicative of Godard's dilemma as far as where to go next? In the last scene a very strong Ana Karina's character, Paula Nelson kills a character named David Goodis, some critics believe he is Godard's alter-ego, encouraged by the fact that the character's his last line is "you stole my youth". This of course can be interpreted in all kinds of different ways. Watch it and make your own conclusions.

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