Vivre sa vie
Directed by: Jean Luc Godard
Written by: Jean Luc Godard
Starring: Anna Karina, Sady Rebbot, Andre Labarthe

While I’m in no way an expert on the cinema of Jean-Luc Godard, the limited exposure I’ve had to his films — Contempt, Breathless, Band of Outsiders, Sympathy for the Devil, and now Vivre as vie — seems to suggest that his work thrives in an analytical environment, where pointing out all of the stylistic flourishes is part of the ‘fun’. As a storyteller, he’s sometimes quite cold and his characters are often callous, but Vivre sa vie takes a lighter — and occasionally fun — direction, offering an interesting perspective (the back of people’s heads) on a story of a girl figuring it all out (life and money) in 1962 Paris.

The film follows Nana (played by Godard’s muse/lover, Anna Karina) who’s story is a familiar one; an aspiring actress turns to prostitution out of desperation and curiosity. Godards stylistic approach is typically unconventional, framing one of the first extended dialogue scenes on the backs of the characters heads; a choice that a more insightful person than I might suggest represents something clever, but in reality seems to exist purely to draw attention to basic film conventions. Godard is continually playing with the language of cinema with characters purposely silhouetted, designing close ups based on a strict set of perspectives (almost like a police mugshot) and having characters directly address the camera. Godard has Nana re-enter rooms until she gets it right and repeat lines until she finds the perfect delivery, playing on her aspirations of movie stardom within the dingy reality of her chosen profession.

The film is pretty light in tone — pop culture references, a song and dance number — considering its subject matter. I guess it just supports Nana’s outlook on life; Vivre sa vie. Godard breaks the story down into chapter breaks, literally listing what’s to come before each scene. For example: Chapter 1, A cafe – Nana wants to give up – Paul – The Pinball Machine. You can almost check these things off as they appear on screen. There’s a lot of hanging out in this film, and a scene in which Nana engages in a philosophical discussion with an old man at a diner was particularly entertaining in its sincerity and borderline banality. I’d say the only scene I had problems with was the last one. It may be abrupt by design, but whether or not its intended doesn’t change the fact that I felt it was more confusing than devastating. Outside of this, I actually had a pretty good time with the film and thought Nana was a likeable character.

The Criterion blu ray release of Vivre sa vie arrives in its intended 1.33:1 aspect ratio and it looks great. There’s a natural film grain intact throughout and the contrast levels really make black and white photography pop. The soundtrack is presented in its original, uncompressed French monaural with English subtitles. As far as extras, you’ve got your usual great selection provided by Criterion, including a few stand outs: audio commentary by film scholar Jean Narboni (conducted by historian Noel Simsolo), a 1962 French television interview with actress Anna Karina, excerpts from a 1961 French expose on prostitution.

This release is probably a must for Godard fans and another great example of Criterion’s ability to display the benefits of high definition beyond special effects driven blockbusters.

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