Ep #3 - Anna Karina With Godard in the 60s

Any discussion of modernism in ‘60s films has to begin with Jean-Luc Godard, the era’s single-most important innovator in the language of popular cinema. But because the mere mention of his name can cause certain movie lovers to bristle and run as far away as possible, we decided to tackle his occasionally difficult output in the most approachable way possible. So in this episode, we focus on the films Godard made with his greatest star and muse: Anna Karina.

No matter how discursive and inscrutable the lightly plotted cinema of Godard can get, Karina always brings the charm, intelligence and humor, effectively turning his potentially alienating distancing techniques and cinematic experiments into pure subversive pleasure. Cinema60 celebrates Anna Karina, who stands out as the perfect ‘60s woman in a decade of few notable roles worthy of actresses with significant charisma or talent.

The following films are discussed:

• Le Petit Soldat (The Little Soldier) (1963)
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Starring Anna Karina, Michel Subor, Henri-Jacques Huet

• A Woman is a Woman (Une femme est une femme) (1961)
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Starring Anna Karina, Jean-Claude Brialy, Jean-Paul Belmondo

• Vivre Sa Vie (My Life to Live) (1962)
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Starring Anna Karina, Sady Rebbot, André S. Labarthe

• Band of Outsiders (Bande à part) (1964)
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Starring Anna Karina, Sami Frey, Claude Brasseur

• Pierrot le Fou (1965)
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Starring Anna Karina, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Samuel Fuller

• Alphaville (1965)
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Starring Anna Karina, Eddie Constantine, Akim Tamiroff

• Made in U.S.A. (1966)
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Starring Anna Karina, László Szabó, Jean-Pierre Léaud

• The Oldest Profession (Le plus vieux métier du monde) (1967)
Episode: “Anticipation, ou l'amour en l'an 2000”
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Starring Anna Karina, Marilù Tolo, Jacques Charrier