Masculin Feminin (The Criterion Collection)

There are many interesting aspects to the "story" told in "Masculin Feminin", but there seem many more interesting things about Godard's approach to form, seemingly perfected here. The exquisitely timed intrusions and jokes that are once cruel then again simply clever; the seemingly omnipresent quotations which recast the context of the scenes we are viewing; the acknowledgments of the medium which make this so appealingly post modern; the glimpses of a play within a film and of course the hysterically funny and troubling foreign film within the film. Not to mention the use of sound and of music, so completely distinct to Godard -- just consider the on/off shuffling of location sound, music and silence played out in the first few minutes of the film, making their own cinematic confession in a way as different as his single-minded and seemingly arbitrary use of a single, extended piece throughout the course of "Contempt".All these refinements make "Masculin Feminin" a model of cinema and its potential. The ideas are so thick and rich that it's both difficult and incredibly pleasurable to track the free interplay of ideas and gestures; and the sheer enjoyment of watching such a work offers just the sort of "entertainment" capable of fully engaging rather than simply mollifying the viewer. And in retrospect it's easy to see Godard's profound influence on the work of other directors of the time, especially that belonging to Lindsay Anderson. The difference here being that Godard's technique feels very natural while some others feel self-conscious and quite strained. Compare this work to today's mainstream film culture and it's easy to make that case that cinema has lost its sense of play as well as its way.

Nice crisp video of a somewhat perplexing new wave movie. The thing that really sets the Criterion version off is the collection of extras that come with it. The interviews with Chantal Goya, the photographer, and two film critics provide insight into Goddard's thought processes and the making of Masculin Feminin that alone are worth the price of the DVD. If you're interested in this era of French film making, buy this for the interviews if for nothing else.

Wonderfully funny day-to-day life of your typical young Parisian Maoist in love with a pop star.

A classic French movie. Necessary for any Francophile's film collection.

An interesting coming-of-age commentry of the 60s. Great cameos.. you need to look out for them though because they are brief. This was a productive period for French Chantreuses. Goya was one of the ye-ye period girls. Great music, not quite on a par with Francoise Hardy, Sylvie Vartan and France Gall, but not bad.

Perfect comment on the zeitgeist for Godard's time, very poetic, and an atypical narrative. I highly recommend this any fan of French new wave, or films that capture the essence of a time and place and particular perspective.

This movie is awesome

Great