When you hear the term, “auteur”, it’s hard to miss out on one of the most radical, most brilliant, most influential directors of all time, Jean Luc Godard. From Breathless (1960), to Week End (1967), to La Chinoise (1967), to King Lear (1987), and to Goodbye to Language (2014), Godard exhibits one of  the most distinct, most distinguishable styles of all time, constantly challenging and ultimately breaking the conventions of cinema as a medium with his authentic direction, self-reflexive revelations, bright, albeit contrasting color combinations, sound (or sudden cuts and absence of it) and the powerful message brought across by his dialogue and overall themes of his films (which has often be criticized for being “over-intellectual” at times.)

His capability to dissect important, sometimes taboo issues and riddle them with autobiographical tendencies is unparalleled. Frames from his films reveal books, films, paintings, compositions that has influenced and molded his overall personality and psyche. His sharp turn towards that which is radical and revolutionary, by obtaining and fully subscribing to the Marxist-Leninist-Maoist ideology at the height of the May ’68,  has gained one of the most effective political insights and revolutionary propaganda of his time, greatly affecting the reconstruction of what defines cinema as an art, and as a social apparatus that shape the masses’ sociopolitical and cultural dispositions. With almost venereal admiration, we take a look at his life’s works and identify how he came to rise and maintain his well-deserved auteur status, as one of the best directors of all time.

Godard’s illustrious career starts off with his work at a dam while studying for a degree in ethnology at University of Paris becoming his inspiration for his first-ever short film, Opération Béton (1954; Operation Concrete) . This was a start of a long career full of autobiographic revelation of experiences, inspirations, or influences in his works, without compromising the quality or narrative of his films. His first and most commercially-successful film, Breathless (1960), first revealed his mastery in improvisatory filmmaking, having outlined the script overnight and revising it between rehearsals. It showcased a self-reflexive story (with his involvement present on the screen, when he spoke behind the camera towards the characters for some of the dialogue, a tendency that would be prevalent in most of his films, like La Chinoise (1976) ) of a cook’s silly infatuation with an American girl who betrayed him earlier on to the police for his admiration of Humphrey Bogart. Showcasing flimsy, quirky, ignominy between man and woman in  either too hazy or too bright abstraction, this was a common, if not obsessed-over attribute in Godard’s early works such as Vivre sa vie (1962), Contempt (1963), Pierrot le fou (1965).  As if to blur the boundaries between one’s own reality and that which is imposed by others, by the mind’s imaginations, or by the art of filmmaking itself, Godard creates the cinematic conditions that betray the illusion that cinema is an escape from reality, like an act of magic that exposes enough of the secret to let people in on the trick, but not too much that they are still left in disbelief. His films portrayed abstraction by contrasting colors, vague emotions, awkward pauses in musical score and effects, strategic focus of the camera on a (mostly still) scene while some actual heated action takes place somewhere else, Godard pioneered the utilization of some of these tricks to elicit disturbance and non-compliance from the audience. This cemented the effect of his films on scholars, critics, and even the masses of his time.

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The era of French New Wave cemented Godard’s celebrity status as a director, which means his films from (1960 – 1967) were more celebrated than any of the others,  from Breathless (1960), to Bande à part (1964) to Alphaville (1965) to Week End (1967).  Many scholars disregard his later works for its intense politicization or just immense artistic detachment from his earlier works, even to the extent of saying it was the period of his diminishing auteur status.  However, the history of Cinema would like to differ. The wave of May ’68 brought in the radicalization of films as social apparatus to influence political ideologies that therefore shape public opinions and important stances. The Marxist perspective in film has given the field a chance to portray social realities that tackle poverty, working class woes, injustice, and inequality. Godard formed the Dzigo Vertov filmmaking collective with radical Jean Pierre-Gorin, focusing on experimental, revolutionary aesthetic that veered away from the concept of commercial, capitalist bourgeoisie form of entertainment. He was presented with a dilemma regarding accessibility of politically-motivated films to the masses-- commercial establishments did not want to portray socialist-fueled films that attacked commercialization,  and the masses did not want to see films that weren’t of the mainstream format. Godard, despite and through all,  embodied his Marxist aspirations and produced politically-induced films. Week End (1967) is a self-reflexive expose portraying violence, hatred, an ideological apocalypse, a strange affinity of a man and a woman, and portrayal of indifference to suffering as causes of the saturation of the society. Tout va bien (1972) is a self-reflexive film regarding a film director’s experiences in the years to follow May ’68, carrying over signature Godard style, political and self-actualizing,  La Chinoise (1967) follows a youth’s Party collective’s radical interpretation and implementation of their Maoist ideology, causing them to depart from France’ ruling Communist Party and almost burning down a university, and killing the Ministry of Culture. Pierrot le fou (1965) is a color-explosive films contain many similarities with Breathless but with more understandable leftist leanings, even towards of self-destruction by the characters. Je vous salue, Marie (1985), is a self-directed critique on his female representation in films, on an overarching male gaze which Laura Mulvey years later will come to identify, elaborate, and appreciate.

The era of French New Wave cemented Godard’s celebrity status as a director, which means his films from (1960 – 1967) were more celebrated than any of the others, from Breathless (1960), to Bande à part (1964) to Alphaville (1965) to Week End (1967).  Many scholars disregard his later works for its intense politicization or just immense artistic detachment from his earlier works, even to the extent of saying it was the period of his diminishing auteur status.  However, the history of Cinema would like to differ. The wave of May ’68 brought in the radicalization of films as social apparatus to influence political ideologies that therefore shape public opinions and important stances. The Marxist perspective in film has given the field a chance to portray social realities that tackle poverty, working class woes, injustice, and inequality. Godard formed the Dzigo Vertov filmmaking collective with radical Jean Pierre-Gorin, focusing on experimental, revolutionary aesthetic that veered away from the concept of commercial, capitalist bourgeoisie form of entertainment. He was presented with a dilemma regarding accessibility of politically-motivated films to the masses-- commercial establishments did not want to portray socialist-fueled films that attacked commercialization,  and the masses did not want to see films that weren’t of the mainstream format. Godard, despite and through all,  embodied his Marxist aspirations and produced politically-induced films. Week End (1967) is a self-reflexive expose portraying violence, hatred, an ideological apocalypse, a strange affinity of a man and a woman, and portrayal of indifference to suffering as causes of the saturation of the society. Tout va bien (1972) is a self-reflexive film regarding a film director’s experiences in the years to follow May ’68, carrying over signature Godard style, political and self-actualizing,  La Chinoise (1967) follows a youth’s Party collective’s radical interpretation and implementation of their Maoist ideology, causing them to depart from France’ ruling Communist Party and almost burning down a university, and killing the Ministry of Culture. Pierrot le fou (1965) is a color-explosive films contain many similarities with Breathless but with more understandable leftist leanings, even towards of self-destruction by the characters. Je vous salue, Marie (1985), is a self-directed critique on his female representation in films, on an overarching male gaze which Laura Mulvey years later will come to identify, elaborate, and appreciate.

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*** This written work is a requirement for the Auteur Theory class at the University of San Carlos. Any form of copying or publication is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated.***