Vivre sa vie (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

A fan of Godard's work, I had seen excerpts and the trailer on YouTube, which finally impelled me to buy this Blu-Ray disc. I love this film on many levels.Primarily, I wanted to see the Paris of 1962 again, the Paris of my first visit as a child, to smell the Gitanes and Gauloises, to see the people, the cafés, the streets; the true Paris before it became an imitation of itself. I still love Paris, and am conscious of some of the less positive changes, but choose to ignore them (as much as possible). I mention this because Paris is very much a character in the film and is the page upon which the story has been written. People who knew Paris in earlier years will especially appreciate it. There is even a great shot of people standing in line for Truffaut's "Jules et Jim". Shots like that give it somewhat a documentary feel, of being there in the present; and also it is somewhat of a time capsule of life in that time and place.Secondly, I of course love Anna Karina who is incredibly beautiful and has such a lovely inner quality, plus her Danish accent drives French guys like me crazy (lol). But when you see the filmed interview that comes with the disc, you will see how different she is in "real life" and appreciate even more her work as an actress, even if the character of Nana was a co-creation with Godard. I wanted to see her in this film also because she was not yet really a big star, and I find there is less self-awareness in performance in the early part of a career, which is more interesting to watch.Thirdly, I love the way Godard explores new ways of telling a story on film. This was the type of film-making that inspired me in film school, and there are so many lessons one can learn from him. I find watching his work really can open up one's mind, inspire creativity, and help one think outside the box. So many films today seem very packaged and formulaic, so Godard for me is particularly refreshing. Only 83 minutes long, this film seems to have more in it than some major epics.The opening of the film looks a bit grainy, perhaps because of the low light exposure, and I wondered if the blu-ray made an appreciable difference in definition, but as the film continued I saw that the blu-ray does add to the clarity and was worth getting.The story itself is tragic, so be prepared for that, even if there are some wonderful lighter moments. One's heart breaks for all the Nana's who have met the same fate, but even so, Nana takes full responsibility for her actions. Godard asserts that she was able to "keep her soul", but I doubt this is often true in real life. In any case, it is refreshing to see a film from a time when one could have a 10-minute philosophical discussion on film, which I think would not really even be possible in France today. Don't expect to be titillated though, and I greatly admire Godard for this, especially with the subject matter. Today everything would unfortunately have to be very graphic, but Nana never is shown in more than the beginning stages of undress or finishing dressing. There are a few nudes in one scene, but each is more like a brief "still life". As a result, the sordidness of the "profession" becomes very real and believable, and for me it is proof that in film too, less is more.There are a few nice extras, such as the interviews with Karina, and film prof Jean Narboni. And there is an interesting documentary about prostitution in Paris at that time, including an interview with the author of the work upon which the film is based. I would have liked to have an interview with Godard from the period, but it is not on this disc. The film however is itself very telling about Godard and his feelings about filming Karina, his wife at that time; feelings he expresses in a voice-over reading of the "Oval Portrait" by Poe, a story of an artist and his muse. "Vivre Sa Vie" is very much such a story.

In the character of Nana Anna Karina explores Godard's thoughts and feelings about art, and how open-ended this precious gift is, in terms of articulation, whether through acting (Anna Karina), writing as Poe does, or Plato, or Hegel or Nietzsche. Godard does not define, or create a film as a lesson on life's hazards, filled moral prescriptions , antidotes, hand-me-down phrases that only bring one closer to life, to Nature that is mortal and very destructive. (Witness te close of the film.)Nietzsche says that art is not an imitation of nature at all, but is rather a metaphysical supplement, raised along side Nature only to overcome Nature. I agree. And Godard seems to be on this wavelength, but would never reveal it. Closeness to the world in art is not art for Godard. Distancing, almost barricading the self from the world in order to come towards it with assurance and strength represents the artistic nature overagainst the non-artistic mundane, so-called real world.Nana tries to transcend a Paris that is unkind to her, manipulative, and very dangerous. She does in a way overcome, retreat from the closeness to the world as a prostitute. But this life is too insistent on ignorance, irrationality, sickness, and death to be liberating. Nana hasn't the strength to be the actress she desires to be, could be. She is too close to oblivion, the way art can be threatened by oblivion, as Godard shows as he explores the relation between being driven by matter, things, people and their bad faith, and driving against the forces that threaten to obliterate the mind and its memories.Beautifully acted, Vivre Sa Vie is a major benchmark in the history of cinema..indeed art.

Interesting French Film which looks a little amateurish by today's standards.

Beautiful crisp transfer.

The tragic story of a beautiful young French woman who works in a record store near the Arch of Triumph but as in the case of many jobs in Paris-France the job pays next to nothing and she is forced into prostitution. Many cases were like that in Paris at the time. This movie is not really fictional

good!!

Sad, playful and brilliant

GREAT CRITERION WORKS FOR A GODARD AWARD-WINNING WORK...STILL DON'T GET WHY THE WOMAN CHOSE TO BE THIS WAY. MAYBE LIFE IS JUST LIKE THIS.

Interesting

Film da vedere nella versione francese (sottotitolata per me che son arrugginito!)Gli sguardi intensi, inquieti, mai sopiti di Anna Karina sembrano accompagnare e tenere sul filo lo spettatore per tutta la durata del film. Una ragazza che dalla provincia ha sete e fame di libertà, e finisce con il trovare un simulacro di questa mercificando il suo corpo.Una storia vera a cui Godard ha dato sensibilità e profondità. Una Parigi che oggi è scomparsa, ma che vive frame dopo frame in questo film bellissimo.

Le premier DVD comprend Vivre sa vie (1h20).Le second : les trois courts-métrages de Godard tournés avant A bout de souffle : Tous les garçons s'appellent Patrick, avec Jean-Claude Brialy et Anne Colette (la petite amie de Godard à l'époque, avant qu'il épouse deux autres de ses actrices : Anna Karina et Anne Wiazemsky - décidément, et avec toutes les trois le même prénom !), Charlotte et son Jules, avec Jean-Paul Belmondo (entièrement doublé par Godard !) et... Anne Colette, et Histoire d'eau avec à nouveau Brialy.Chaque court-métrage est précédé d'une présentation par Noël Simsolo, dont deux interviews sont aussi proposées : celle de Jean Narboni sur Vivre sa vie, et de Mathieu Amalric sur les trois courts-métrages.A priori je ne vois pas très bien le rapport entre Vivre sa vie et les trois premiers courts métrages français (il en avait réalisé deux en Suisse avant) de Godard, qui offrent déjà un avant-goût d'A bout de souffle (Charlotte et son Jules) et d'Une femme est une femme (Charlotte et Véronique ou Tous les garçons s'appellent Patrick, pour citer le titre complet !), mais leur point commun est d'être des Godard moins connus mais excellents !Vivre sa vie est un magnifique portrait de femme, une déclaration d'amour à Anna Karina à travers de magnifiques plans rapprochés de son visage - tout le film est comme vu de son regard, qui transmet chacune de ses émotions avec une grande sensibilité, et "vit sa vie" avec une sorte de distance mélancolique qui impressionne et surprend chez Godard.A noter une brève séquence magique, particulièrement intense où Nana (Anna Karina), laissée seule à sa table de café par son maquereau qui propose de lui présenter un ami (de la même profession), observe fascinée un jeune homme qui écoute la chanson qui sort du juke box : c'est Jean Ferrat qui écoute sa chanson Ma Môme... Bref instant de lumière où Nana entrevoit une autre vie, avant que la chanson soit coupée et qu'on retourne au dialogue des deux "amis" ("c'est une femme du monde ou une pouffiasse, celle-là ?").Dommage que les dialogues soient parfois inaudibles (superposition d'autres voix, ou bruit de verres dans les cafés !), surtout la voix légère d'Anna Karina ! Je sais, c'est voulu par Godard, mais frustrant, surtout la première scène qui marque la rupture entre Nana et son compagnon Paul : ils sont filmés de dos, comme pour maintenir le spectateur soigneusement à distance ! Déconcertant, mais ne vous arrêtez surtout pas à cela.Les trois courts métrages sont délicieux (Tous les garçons est un petit chef d'oeuvre) et autant d'étapes qui mèneront à A bout de souffle. L'interview de Jean Narboni (à propos de Vivre sa vie) est éclairante, mais celle de Mathieu Amalric sur les courts-métrages hélas de peu d'intérêt, et vraiment pénible car il cherche ses mots tout du long, semble parler parce qu'il est obligé et s'être levé du pied gauche, sans avoir eu le temps de prendre son café !Indispensable pour tous ceux qui voudraient approfondir leur connaissance de Godard et de la meilleure partie de son oeuvre, très loin de beaucoup de ses films ultérieurs, remplis de blabla et narcissiques.

The subject of the film is mentioned in this review, so please be aware that this could be a spoiler for anyone who doesn’t know what the film is about.Forty-odd years ago when I first discovered foreign (and probably more often than not, French) films that were occasionally shown late at night on the telly, I soon realised that I was watching cinema that was noticeably “different”, and not just because the actors spoke in a language that I didn’t. I also noticed that what was shown on the telly was often the best of foreign cinema (however one measures such subjective art). Watching “Vivre Sa Vie” reminded me of how good it was to discover those amazing “best-of” foreign films that were (often) from another era and from another country (and especially somewhere other than Hollywood USA).Made five-and-a-half decades ago, “Vivre Sa Vie” is in some respects, an historical film, as it shows life in Paris in the early Sixties, for example where some scenes had been shot in bars and when building, cars and people are shown as life went on for the people of the city, and it is educational in that way that cinema sometimes can be, and also educational in what it tells one about attitudes regarding prostitution at that time in France or at least in its Capital.Education aside though, I found “Vivre Sa Vie” to be very entertaining. From the very first scene where the actors have been filmed from an unconventional angle, its “different-ness” is one of the things that made it so entertaining. Though a fictional story, the narrative gives us that story in such a way that the film has a documentary edge to it. The black and white photography works brilliantly adding to the enjoyment, and in a way that colour film might not have been as good. As well as the stylised directing and filming, editing is also great and it goes, almost without saying (in a film that I enjoyed so much) that I found the acting to be great as well. Great music also – there is a beautiful piece of music by Michel Legrand that is played at times throughout the film which is a delight to listen to, but also other music coming out of Juke Box’s in Bars (one record being put on by the singer of the song!).The DVD that I watched of “Vivre Sa Vie” had been digitally re-mastered from a restored print and I must say that the picture quality was really great, this was far from any scratched and corrupted old bit of film that had been used and it must have been as good (better even?) than audiences would have seen in the cinema in the early ‘60’s.The DVD also came with a 60-page booklet “Key Scenes and Dialogue – Jean-Luc Godard”.On the DVD you get:“Vivre Sa Vie” (1 hour 20 minutes)Scene SelectionGallery

A meno di 10 euro un film CAPOLAVORO della storia del cinema e con l'aggiunta di alcuni piccoli extra... Normalmente si trova in commercio solo la versione da 15 euro senza nessuna aggiunta, ma questa è senza dubbio la versione migliore!Acquisto consigliatissimo