First Godard?

Alright so I have heard a lot about Godard but have not seen any of his films. What is his best? or what should be my first? I have read the synopsis’s of all his films on this website…and none of them really stand out as anything particularly interesting. Seems to be french women and marxism. But i am guessing there is much more than that ;D

Watch Breathless. It’s about an American woman and criminals. (Plus it has tigers!).

Breathless is one of my absolute favorites. That and Pierrot le Fou can be found on Netflix Instant Watch. Check ‘em out! Also once you get through those two as an introduction, you should check out Weekend here which is a great example of late 60’s Godard.

Breathless or Band of Outsiders seem like they would be the best to start with. I think I saw Alphaville first… and while I love it, maybe not the best to start with.

I love Band of Outsiders. Its the only Godard that is actually fun to watch.

They have band of outsiders at the barnes and noble by me over here……maybe i should pick that one up while the sale is still on.

It’s worth it, especially since you can get it out the door for $15.

Breathless is a MUST.

You know what I say? See em in order. Breathless, A Women is a Women, Vivre Sa Vie, Contempt, Band of Outsiders, Pierrot Le Fou…
But then again you might wanna watch Band of Outsiders sooner so you won’t lose interest by the time you get there. Its a very fun to watch film that’s inovative, hilarious and engaging. thought I’ll make the case that A Women is a Women is the funnest Godard. I think people generally overlook Godard’s adventurous and fun side. All of his films that I’’ve seen thus far have that side to them, some alot more than others though.
And I know I left some out but I was only listing the ones thus far that i’ve seen. If women and marxism (and other political and random ramblings that are apparently supposed to mean something) don’t interest you, stay clear away from 2 or 3 things I know about her…The only Godard so far I’ve genuinly hated and had to fast forward parts.
Band of Outsiders was my first.

and for one thing…ANY criterion you can get for 15 bucks is well worth it except for a select few.

i thought I was done….but i found $85 in a dead bank account…..and now the obsessions are starting a new XD I think ill fit band of outsiders in there

I can relate. A few years ago I had the biggest, most uncontrollably money sucking obsession with samurai films.

Pierrot le Fou was my first and and remains my favorite. I checked it out from my library and watch it everyday for 2 weeks (the check out period)

That’s a bit much for Pierrot le Fou…I loved the film but could hardly get through it once. Now you may be saying to yourself “if he could barely get through it how does he love it?”
Well madame et monsieurs…that’s just the mystery, trickery, contradictory cinematic power of Jean-Luc Cinema Godard.

I’m having a hard time deciding between the new release of Black Narcissus or Band of Outsiders at the Barnes and Noble 50% off sale. Decisions, damn decisions! Why can’t I be rich during these sales?

BAND OF OUTSIDERS!!!!!!!!! Well, I haven’t seen Black Narissus. haha…so my opinion, though it IS in all caps, may not be the best to help you decide… Maybe go with Narcissus? Because Band of Outsiders is an older Criterion and probably wouldn’t be too much on Amazon, whill Black Narcissus is a spankin new criterion and will be the same price anywhere…So if you plan on eventually getting both you could take that route?

The really is no easy “in” to Godard. Breathless is definitely his most fun. Band of Outsiders remains a personal favorite of mine. It’s fun, as others have said, and it’s notable for being one of the few Godard films that counts as drama—which is to say that it’s a Godard film where the fates of the characters seem to matter as much if not more than the postmodern exercises, academic discourse, and autobiographical subtext. Contempt and Pierrot le fou are two of his masterpieces, but I would definitely wait till you’re on his wavelength to tackle them. (I still need to see Weekend).

I still need to see Weekend also. As well as Masculin Femmenin I got my next Godards planned out. ha
Also am kind of weary about seeing Le Petit Soldat, but I sort of want to be some kind of completist as far as seeing all his pre 1966 works.

Weekend is brilliant. It’s genuinely a lot of fun. It’s crazy stuff. Then again, I find the ideological exposition in Tout va bien fun, so maybe you just need to be a weirdo to enjoy it. It’s probably worth gauging how much you like Godard’s style, and how interested you are in mid-20th century radical politics, before you get to films like his post-1966 output.

I’d say that Weekend, Contempt and Pierrot le fou are his masterpieces. Maybe 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her as well, but I struggle with it too much to really love it. Pierrot le fou is the film that I really clicked with – it’s fun, cool and wonderfully colourful which makes it very easy to watch, but you start to get some of the richer thematic elements show through. What I like about Godard is the viscerally exciting nature of many of his films (I don’t get this with Breathless, strangely enough), which really allows me to engage with the object as a whole a lot more.

Breathless, Band of Outsiders and Alphaville were my first. I didn’t care for the first, sort of enjoyed the second, and really liked the third. But it was Pierrot le fou that hooked me on him.

Oh, and definitely get Black Narcissus over Band of Outsiders. Getting addicted to JLG will be better for you in the long run, but Black Narcissus is the better of those two films.

I would have found Godard’s and Belmondo’s bashing of Americans (“NEWWW YAARRRKKK!!!”) in Pierrot Le Fou offensive if it wasn’t so damn hilarious.
That’s aside the point though

I think Masculin-Feminin should get an honorable mention. It’s definately an undervalued classic…

The American stuff in Pierrot le fou is great. I love Belmondo and Karina’s dramatisation of the Vietnamese war.

I badly need to watch Masculin, féminin again. I was going over some Godard recently, but got sidetracked by something else. Bah!

Double post. My bad.

Yes, definitely “Breathless”, “Bande a part”, and “Pierrot le fou” are the most accessbile (most straight forward) Godard films, so I think they are the best for a start. Maybe also “Le Mepris” and “Vivre sa vie” although they are slower and more contemplative…

Breathless, Une Femme est Une Femme, Vivre Sa Vie Pierrot Le Feu, Masculin et Feminin and Alphaville are brilliant, I basically hate everything else I have seen of his (Weekend, La Chinoise, Le Mepris, Detective, Passion etc). I have a very love/hate relationship with Godard.

I’d go with BREATHLESS, ALPHAVILLE, PIERROT LE FOU and CONTEMPT as your first Godard viewings. Those were pretty much mine, although not in that order (ALPHAVILLE was first and then BREATHLESS.)
If you can’t get past those, skip the rest.

" a woman is a woman" is def the most fun and lighthearted Godard film I’ve seen. A very good place to start imho.

I’d start with “Film Socialsme” which you can download here —

http://www.torrent2crazy.com/search/jean+luc+godard+socialisme

“I have read the synopsis’s of all his films on this website…and none of them really stand out as anything particularly interesting.”

Godard can’t be stuffed into a synopsis.

“Seems to be french women and marxism. But i am guessing there is much more than that.”

TONS more than that.

Seek out “Contempt,” “Vivre sa vie,” “Made in USA,” “Passion,” “A Woman is a Woman,” “Pierrot le Fou,” "Nouvelle Vague, " and “Detective.”

Godard is the sort of director who puts form over content. He has tons of great stylistic ideas and doesn’t pay very much attention to having interesting characters or coherent plots (Or to keeping the fourth wall intact). If you like that, you’ll like Godard. Personally I enjoy Breathless but don’t like his other stuff I’ve seen. Contempt is an hour and a half of whining that he can’t have as much money as he wants to make whatever movie he wants whenever he wants. (Contempt = 8 1/2 – self-awareness).

Breathless, A Woman is a Woman_, Contempt, and Band of Outsiders are among his most accessible films, and, yes, they defy summary.