Vivre sa vie (1962)
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard

Film Review

One of the most significant films of the French New Wave, Vivre sa vie is quintessentially Jean-Luc Godard at his best.  The approach used in this film is quite different to his earlier films.  Here, we have twelve tableaux - distinct episodes which illustrate the unfolding life of the tragic Nana.   It is an approach which works well, not only for its novelty value but because it allows Godard to adopt a very different mood and style for each segment of the film.  As a result, every scene has a surprising personal depth and impact, heightened by some ingenious photography and often profound dialogue.

Nana is played by the delightful Anna Karina, Godard's wife at the time.  The director and his subject work very well together.  Nana is a beautifully crafted creation, like an artist's portrait of his beloved wife (an analogy which Godard uses very powerfully in one segment of the film).

The slightly off the wall humour, the crude editing, the abrupt and shocking ending - all the traits that marked out a New Wave film are here in force.  But above that,  Vivre sa vie has a poetic eloquence and lucidity of expression that makes this a truly memorable and worthy film.

Film Synopsis

Nana is an attractive woman, in her early twenties, who works in a Paris shop that sells records.  Her job bores her and she dreams of becoming an actress.  She has a boyfriend, Paul, a failed journalist, and together they have a child, which is now in the care of a nurse.  Unable to come up with the two thousand francs she owes in back rent Nana finds herself locked out of her room by her concierge.  Through a friend, Yvette, Nana gets to meet Raoul, a pimp.  Desperate for cash, Nana offers her services to him as a prostitute.  The experience isn't so bad as she had expected, but Nana resents being under Raoul's control and so she hastily dumps him and gets herself another pimp.  Nana's philosophy is that it is her life and she can live it as she chooses.  Tragically for her, Raoul does not agree...