1965 film directed and
written by
Jean-Luc Godard.
Starring
Jean-Paul Belmondo,
Anna Karina,
Dirk Sanders,
Raymond Devos,
Samuel Fuller,
Roger Dutoit,
Hans Meyer,
Jean-Pierre Lêaud.
Based on the novel
Obsession by
Lionel White.
It's film-noir, it's comedy, it's tragedy, it's an artistic statement, it's improvisational, it's a musical, it's a political statement, it's a love story, it's quite possibly the most perfect movie ever filmed in the French language.
The movie tells the story of Ferdinand, a burnt-out-on-life and freshly fired advertising executive (Belmondo) who, after a party which he has a run-in with Samuel Fuller at, abandons his family and goes on a journey with the babysitter, Marianne Renoir (Karina), who he was in love with five years earlier.
A few things get in the way of a happy life for Ferdinand and Marianne. The first of which is the fact that she always tends to call Ferdinand by the name of Pierrot which he doesn't take too kindly to. Secondly would be a mobster that Marianne kills and steals gun running profits from.
This particular obstacle sends them headed towards her brother (Sanders) for refuge. Along the way they muse on and parody American culture and attitudes in front of American soldiers, write poetry, insult French actors, break out into song, and run into the occasional gangster or three.
And then the couple grows apart. Ferdinand tries to get some answers out of Marianne while she's trying to enjoy a game of bowling. After some talking Marianne has Ferdinand meet her at the pier, only to abandon him with her...um...brother. So Ferdinand listens to Devos' grand nonsensical and musical story, and hitches a ride to the island. And well, the ending is all about accidental gunshots, blue paint, and a nice explosion...it's a great damn ending.
Just watch, watch, watch today.
If you consider yourself any kind of movie brat or foreign film geek or whatever. Watch this thing.