Vivre Sa Vie (1962)
"Vivre sa vie: Film en douze tableaux" (original title)

Twelve episodic tales in the life of a Parisian woman and her slow descent into prostitution.

Director:

Jean-Luc Godard

Writers:

Marcel Sacotte (book), Jean-Luc Godard (story),

Stars:

Anna Karina, Sady Rebbot, André S. Labarthe

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anna Karina	...	Nana Kleinfrankenheim
Sady Rebbot	...	Raoul (as Saddy Rebbot)
André S. Labarthe	...	Paul
Guylaine Schlumberger	...	Yvette (as G. Schlumberger)
Gérard Hoffman	...	Le chef
Monique Messine	...	Elisabeth
Paul Pavel	...	Journaliste
Dimitri Dineff	...	Dimitri
Peter Kassovitz	...	Le jeune homme
Eric Schlumberger	...	Luigi (as E. Schlumberger)
Brice Parain	...	Le philosophe
Henri Attal	...	Arthur (as Henri Atal)
Gilles Quéant	...	Premier client
Odile Geoffroy	...	La serveuse de café
Marcel Charton	...	L'agent de police

Storyline

This film explores a Parisian woman's descent into prostitution. The movie is comprised of a series of 12 "tableaux"-- scenes which are basically unconnected episodes, each presented with a worded introduction.

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Plot Keywords:

prostitution | billiards | eviction | pool table | paris france | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

20 September 1962 (France)

Also Known As:

My Life to Live

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$64,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films de la Pléiade, Pathé Consortium Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min 83 min (restored integral)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The story being read to Nana is "The Oval Portrait" by Edgar Allan Poe.

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Quotes

Nana: Shouldn't love be the only truth?
The Philosopher: For that, love would always have to be true.

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Connections

Referenced in The Night Is Young (1986)

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Soundtracks

"Ma môme"
Written by Jean Ferrat and Pierre Frachet
Sung by Jean Ferrat
Conducted by Alain Goraguer

User Reviews

Pure like Jimmy Reed

Officially translated as "My Life to Live", but literally (preferably?) "To Live Her Life." Shop girl (Anna Karina) turns to prostitution, but "gives her body to keep her soul." New Wave asceticism. Twelve tableaux, each individually titled. Analytic detachment that still breathes in the moment, true to time, and is one with the world.

Isn't' it sad? Even the purist Pacific Film Archive could find all the original uncut material only in a badly battered 16 mm print. (Wouldn't there be a zillion pristine 35 mm prints available if Julia Roberts or Bruce Willis were in it though?)

The usual Godard potpourri: homage to American gangster flicks (which, in my opinion, only detracts), existentialist digressions, written word headings, a crew of roustabout knockabout outcasts. Even though less than his best, it's far far better than anything above.

Godard opens the aperture to capture the world through his lens in all its flawed beauty and freshness. Karina is gorgeous, spontaneous, alive. The film hardly ever misses the heartbeat of now, present time, with all its rawness and unfolding surprises. The story hardly matters; I could watch Godard depict garbage being collected, anything. There is the feel, the eye, the instinct. Freedom. It's like childhood play, like Jimmy Reed, primitive, honest.