Vivre Sa Vie (1962)

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

3 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	...	Jeune homme (as Peter Kassowitz)
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 | french new wave | philosophy of love | shootout | street prostitution | 

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Taglines:

The many faces of a woman trying to find herself in a world of men.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the cinema, Nana watches the film Carl Theodor Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

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Quotes

Nana: Suddenly I don't know what to say. It happens to me a lot. I think first about whether they're the right words. But when the moment comes to speak, I can't say it. Why must one always talks? I think one should often just keep quiet, live in silence. The more one talks, the less the words mean.

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Connections

Referenced in Godard, l'amour, la poésie (2007)

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Soundtracks

Ma môme
(uncredited)
Written by Jean Ferrat and Pierre Frachet
Sung by Jean Ferrat
Conducted by Alain Goraguer

User Reviews

One of the best movies ever

The French New Wave remains one of the finest movements in film history. Jean-Luc Godard was one of the most innovative filmmakers to emerge from this movement, and Vivre sa vie is one of the best films ever. Long before the Hong Kong cinema proved substance could be downplayed with style, Godard was doing it. The film's plot follows a woman's descent into prostitution, but the story isn't what people will talk about after viewing the film. Godard breaks every Hollywood rule and pulls it off nicely.

If you want to see the conventions of Hollywood broken and a true auteur at work, rent Vivre sa vie.

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

20 September 1962 (France)

Also Known As:

My Life to Live

Filming Locations:

Le Rallye Villiers - 3 Place de la Libération, Levallois-Perret, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Box Office

Budget:

$64,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,336, 1 June 2008

Gross USA:

$24,517

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$24,517

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