Jean-Luc Godard

[Leopold]

Nice. I found it even more inscrutable than most, but I am admittedly deficient in knowledge of current European affairs.

[dustin]

At the end of 1994, for only the seventh time in its 60-year history, the New York Film Critics Circle voted a Special Award. The citation read: "To Jean-Luc Godard, for his career as critic, proving the art of cinema to the world, and as filmmaker from Breathless to Histoire(s) du Cinema, exemplifying the passion of sound and image." At the award dinner January 22, 1995, JLG was paid eloquent tribute by NYFCC chair Armond White, presenter Arthur Penn and, incidentally, Best Director honoree Quentin Tarantino. Hélas pour nous, the recipient was present only in spirit - and by fax:

To: Armond White, Chairman

Dear Sir

Thanks for your electronic mail dated January 20, 11:23 A.M. Too little good health. Too big snow to the airport, and too few banknotes saved for the ticket.

Hollywood always used to say that your servant is not fit for telling stories. I therefore said in the last chapter of my stories of cinema that nothing is lost, except honor.

And it is then my duty - no copyrights, only copyduties - not to accept any loger the honor of your reward. Do please accept the incomplete following reasons for such a genuine and shy statement.

JLG was never able through his whole movie maker/goer career to:

• Prevent M. Spielberg from rebuilding Auschwitz
  Convince Mrs. Ted Turner not to colorize past and dear funny faces
  To sentence M. Bill Gates for naming his bug's office Rosebud
  To compel New York Film Critics Circle not to forget Shirley Clarke
  To oblige Sony ex-Columbia Pictures to imitate Dan Talbot/New Yorker Films when delivering accounts
  To force Oscar people to reward Abbas Kiarostami instead of Kieslowski
  To persuade M. Kubrick to screen Santiago Alvarez shorts on Vietnam
  To beg Ms. Keaton to read Bugsy Siegel's biography
  To shoot Contempt with Sinatra and Novak
  etc.
  etc.

I'm still not over, dear Sir, through my long voyage to the home of cinematography, but I missed indeed quite a lot of ports of call - no girls in every ports, but no honors I could deserve.

Do please ask the distinguished audience some indulgence for the piteous English of your colleague, and send the reward to the Bleeker Street Cinema if remaining.

Faithfully,

Jean-Luc Godard

[johnnyutah]

lel

i wouldnt want an award from armond white, quentin tarantino, either

[dustin]

1968

George Lucas, a prizewinning student filmmaker at age twenty-three, said to a Newsweek correspondent about Godard, "When you find someone who's going the same direction as you, you don't feel so alone."

[Leopold]

hahahaha

[dustin]

I think I've seen enough Godard now to do Godard Rankings:

Je vous salue Marie
Nouvelle vague
Détective
Notre musique
In Praise of Love
Une femme est une femme
Vivre sa vie
Film Socialisme
Hellas pour moi
WEEK END
Adieu au langage
Passion
Prenom: Carmen
Contempt
JLG JLG
Alphaville
Germany Year 90 Nine Zero
Pierrot le fou
Tout va bien
Breathless
Band of Outsiders
Sauve qui peut
Keep Your Right Up
King Lear

[johnnyutah]

Wow contempt not #1

[dustin]

Une Femme est une femme (1961) - Godard






Playful and vibrant, Godard's take on musical after massive success of Breathless is a pure joy. It vastly relies on the charm of Anna Karina who ignites the cinemascope technicolor screen. Paris is never more beautiful as Karina, Belmondo and Brialy roam around Raoul Cotard lensed, busy city, mostly unaware of their filmmaking shenanigans. It's good to see Godard celebrating youth and youthful optimism about the cinema before his cynicism and grumpiness took over. It liberating it must've felt. So many great moments. So exuberant! So lovely.

[dustin]

[youtube]4T0yAis07RQ[/youtube]