A Woman Is A Woman

A Woman is a Woman (Une Femme Est Une Femme) (1961)

Runtime: 83 minutes

Directed by: Jean-Luc Godard

Starring: Anna Karina, Jean-Luc Brialy, Jean-Paul Belmondo (RIP)

From: Euro International Films/Rome Paris Films

RIP Jean-Paul Belmondo

In the past I've seen only a few of Belmondo's movies; there was the original Breathless but the majority was the action films he did later in life where he did all his own stunts (none other than Jackie Chan admitted to be inspired by him); I can recommend The Professional, The Outside and Fear Over the City for those who want to see him do that. As his other action work is real difficult to track down in English, instead I rented this French New Wave film... one seen last night and only earlier today I discovered that yesterday was the 60^th anniversary of its release.

Something like this isn't usually in my wheelhouse (a romantic comedy w/ quirky moments and some songs) and A Woman is a Woman very well could have turned sour for me. Thankfully it did not and instead I was charmed by this tale where Anna Karina is a striptease artist-including one number where she wore what I'll call “a Donald Duck outfit”-who suddenly wants a child with her beau Jean-Luc Brialy. He balks and in jest suggests she gets knocked up by his buddy Belmondo. She unexpectedly agrees...

I don't want to spoil all the surprises in this movie but I will mention that at times I was wondering what Godard was going—then again, if I saw more of his pictures (especially in the latter half) I'd be making that query often! The opening credits themselves announce that this would be different from the norm; as words and names fill the screen and flash by quickly, you hear what turns out to be a director-Godard himself?-setting up the cast to start the opening scene. From there there are interesting non-sequitors, notable uses (or non-use) of sound, intertitles, etc. It was more fun than I expected and for certain the lead three are on screen almost the entire time so thank goodness they all delivered. Perhaps I should see French New Wave at least a little more often. Anyhow, last night's picture was a fitting tribute to an actor that was a huge deal in Europe, to the point that only his surname needed to be used in advertising.