A woman is a woman (1961)

I was surprised to learn that I was less annoyed with A woman is a woman than several other Godard films. One impression remains, however. It is something that mars all of Godard's early films (I haven't seen his later work, from the seventies onward). It is the depiction of women. Godard may be interested in pastiche. Godard may be interested in style. Godard may be interested in cheeky references. But in every single movie, we see the same type of chic female body trotting from frame to frame, pouting with her lips, uttering "I despise you" to some male whose destiny it is to lose everything. A woman is a woman is less doom-ridden than some other films. Instead, it is a light-hearted film with lots of quirky one-liners and confused dialogue. A pastiche of musicals and comedies, it revels in inspired non-sense. And Godard's usual bag of tricks. In one of the funniest scenes, we see Angela perform a strip show - that is what she does. The camera pans from her to the ogling of the audience. The ogling eyes belong to weary men are all dressed in trenchcoats. Somehow, the result is quite hilarious. The film follows the romance and non-romance of Angela and Émile. Angela dreams of having a baby but her partner is reluctant. You will not be shocked to hear that they have a quirky relationship. Godard's camera tracks the movements in their lush aprartment. Lamps are carried around while a piece of whimsical dialogue is locuted, bicycles are a means of transportation in the elegantly lit rooms. A woman is a woman is of course no less self-conscious than any of Godard's movies. As the rest of his oevre it is fun to watch but it leaves me absolutely cold, except for the scene I already mentioned, which was a strike of genious. "Even the lightest of Godard’s films is touched with a political consciousness and sensitivity to the modern female condition lacking in the works of most of his Nouvelle Vague compatriots." Well, I don't know about that.