#238: GODARD, Jean-Luc: A Woman Is A Woman (1961)

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GODARD, Jean-Luc (France)
A Woman Is A Woman [1961]
Spine #238
DVD
OOP


With A Woman is a Woman (Une Femme est une femme), compulsively innovative director Jean-Luc Godard presents "a neorealist musical — that is, a contradiction in terms." Featuring French superstars Anna Karina, Jean-Paul Belmondo, and Jean-Claude Brialy at their peak of popularity, A Woman is a Woman is a sly, playful tribute to — and interrogation of — the American musical comedy, showcasing Godard's signature wit and intellectual acumen. The film tells the story of exotic dancer Angéla (Karina) as she attempts to have a child with her unwilling lover, Émile (Brialy). In the process, she finds herself torn between him and his best friend, Alfred (Belmondo). A dizzying compendium of color, humor, and the music of renowned composer Michel Legrand, A Woman is a Woman finds the young Godard at his warmest and most accessible, reveling in and scrutinizing the mechanics of his great obsession: the cinema.

84 minutes
Color
Monaural
in French
2:35:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2004
Director/Writers


Based on an idea by Geneviève Cluny.
Screenplay by Jean-Luc Godard.

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Twenty-four page booklet featuring essays by J. Hoberman and Michèle Manceaux.

Commentary

None.

Charlotte et Véronique ou Tous les garçons s’appellent Patrick (All Boys Are Called Patrick (1957)

An early short film by Godard with Brialy, written by Eric Rohmer.
Qui êtes-vous Anna Karina?

Excerpts from a 1966 French television interview with Karina, Brialy, and Serge Gainsbourg.

Publicity

For A Woman is a Woman featuring the original trailer, rare on-set photos by photographer Raymond Cauchetier, a poster and stills gallery, and a promotional audio recording for the film.
Documentary 3

Controversial altered ending

Theatrical trailer

Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

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