Bande à part (1964)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Jean-Luc Godard

Writers:

Jean-Luc Godard (screenplay)
Dolores Hitchens (novel)

Release Date:

5 August 1964 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

Two crooks with a fondness for old Hollywood B-movies convince a languages student to help them commit a robbery.

Plot Keywords:

Paris | Paris France | Criminal Gang | Neo Noir | Newspaper

Cast

Anna Karina	...	Odile
Danièle Girard	...	English Teacher
Louisa Colpeyn	...	Madame Victoria
Chantal Darget	...	Arthur's Aunt
Sami Frey	...	Franz
Claude Brasseur	...	Arthur
Georges Staquet	...	Le légionnaire
Ernest Menzer	...	Arthur's Uncle
Jean-Claude Rémoleux	...	L'élève buveur d'alcool
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michel Delahaye	...	Le portier
Jean-Luc Godard	...	Le narrateur
Monsieur Jojot
Claude Makovski	...	Pupil
Michèle Seghers	...	Student in English Class

Directed by
Jean-Luc Godard

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jean-Luc Godard		screenplay
Dolores Hitchens		novel "Fools' Gold"

Original Music by
Michel Legrand

Cinematography by
Raoul Coutard

Film Editing by
Françoise Collin
Dahlia Ezove
Agnès Guillemot

Costume Design by
Christiane Fageol

Makeup Department
Janou Pottier	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Philippe Dussart	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hélène Kalougine	....	assistant director (as Hélène Kalouguine)
Jean-Paul Savignac	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Antoine Bonfanti	....	sound
Robert Cambourakis	....	sound assistant
René Levert	....	sound
Jean Philippe	....	sound assistant

Camera and Electrical Department
Fernand Coquet	....	electrician
Pierre Coquet	....	electrician (as Pierrot Coquet)
JeanClaude Duran	....	grip
Bernard Largemain	....	grip
Georges Liron	....	camera operator
Marilù Parolini	....	still photographer (as Marilou Parolini)
Théo Robichet	....	camera operator
Roger Schleich	....	grip

Other crew
Patricia Finaly	....	office production assistant
Jeanne Marie Olivier	....	office production assistant (as JaneMarie Olivier)
Maurice Ritta	....	publicist
Urbain Sarf	....	publicist
Suzanne Schiffman	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Anouchka Films
• Orsay Films

Distributors

• Columbia Films (1965) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1965) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Silver Screen Collection (2008) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2009) (Sweden) (DVD)
• British Film Institute (BFI)
• Columbia Films (France)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Pan Vision Oy (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Pathé Contemporary Films (1964) (USA) (subtitled)
• Rialto Pictures (2001) (USA) (re-release)
• Royal Films International (1966) (USA) (subtitled)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• YLE Teema (2009) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Musée du Louvre, Paris  location (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Band of Outsiders (USA)
The Outsiders

Runtime:

97 min | USA:95 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Chateau d'Eau, Porte des Lilas, Le Métro, Paris, France

Company:

Anouchka Films

Trivia:

The voice narrations are provided by the director, Jean-Luc Godard.

Quotes:

Le narrateur: My story ends here like a dime novel. At a superb moment, when everything is going right. Our next episode, this time in Cinemascope and Technicolor: Odile and Franz in the tropics.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Valehtelija (1981)

Soundtrack:

J'entends, j'entends

Amazing Film

This is a very rich and entertaining work. The plot revolves around two men and a woman who decide to rob the employer of the woman's aunt. However, Godard uses this slender plot as an excuse to riff on a wide spectrum of subjects. The would-be criminals run around, dance, recite newspapers stories to each other and have pretend shoot-outs.

This film is a lot of fun. Watch out for the celebrated dance sequence in the cafe and the scene where the three hold a minutes silence and all the noise on the soundtrack is cut off for the duration.

Acting wise, the film is stolen by the lovely Anna Karina (who was Godard's wife at the time) as the sweet, vague woman at the centre of the trio. Godard himself does the voice-over narration relating the story.

Filmed on the cold, de-glamorised streets of urban Paris, the film has a spontaneous feel that adds a lot to the exhilarating feel of the whole work.

This film is a charming, fun and suspense filled picture from one of the world's most interesting film-makers.