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Review: Pierrot le Fou (1965)

Pierrot le Fou (1965)

TLDR: Despite being a 'classic' and perhaps one of the quintessential European New Wave films, Godard's Pierrot le Fou is the antithesis to today's contemporary mainstream movie-going experience. It is an entertainingly goofy affair yet also baffling and often indecipherable. It is both an homage and also a commentary on the medium of film, and one that requires a good deal of contemplative afterthought to ponder what exactly it is you've just watched...

I will admit that Pierrot is the first film by the legendary Jean-Luc Godard that I have seen. While I knew his status as an auteur and as one of the best of his craft, I didn't quite know his 'style' going into this film. As anyone who has seen some of Godard's will know, within twenty minutes or so, I was taken for quite the turn - I quickly felt like I was part of Ferdinand and Marianne's chaotic joy ride through the European countryside filled with romance, crime, non-sensical anecdotes and jump cuts, and, of course, musical interludes. 

Yes, Pierrot le Fou does have a story. It is about Ferdinand, a married man and father who becomes disenfranchised with his bourgeois lifestyle in Paris who has a run-in with his babysitter/ex-girlfriend and the two decide to rekindle their affair and hit the road together for some serious shenaniganning (yes, that is now a word). What transpires plot-wise is much less important than the atmosphere and feeling that the images, audio and sequences seek to evoke in its audience. In fact, there are multiple times when the proverbial fourth-wall is broken cementing Godard's message - that he and his characters are very much aware of us the audience watching their story - and therein lies the fun. The result of this is a dreamlike adventure that, to me, often felt Lynchian but in a happy-go-lucky way. The film is rife with absurdities, colourful characters, Hollywood commentary and easter eggs, and lots and lots of 60's vibrancy and progressiveness (that is, other than one scene that is highly offensive/racist in today's world).

Anyone going fresh into this film needs to leave their expectations of a tight film at the door. If not, you will quickly give up on this one. It took me quite a while to understand how to watch this film (a phrase that I am sure many young movie-goers will groan or roll their eyes at), however, once you accept Godard's vision and settle in for the experience, there is a plethora to enjoy and contemplate on. No, not everything makes sense and, likely, not everything is intended to have 'a point'. However, at the end of the day film is a medium of art - that is a combination of audio and visual that serves to evoke emotion and sentiment in its viewer. And, in that, Pierrot le Fou is surely one of the most evocative films I have seen.


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