Band of Outsiders (1964)

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

Director:

Jean-Luc Godard (as Cinéma)

Writer:

Dolores Hitchens (novel)

Stars:

Anna Karina, Claude Brasseur, Danièle Girard

Cast

Credited 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	...	Legionary
Ernest Menzer	...	Arthur's Uncle
Jean-Claude Rémoleux	...	L'élève buveur d'alcool
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michel Delahaye	...	Le portier
Louis Jojot	...	(as Monsieur Jojot)
Claude Makovski	...	Pupil
Michèle Seghers	...	Student in English Class

Storyline

A triangle: Franz, Arthur, and Odile. Franz, a young man with Alain Delon good looks, has met Odile in an English class. She lives in Joinville with wealthy benefactors and has mentioned to Franz that Mr. Stolz keeps a pile of 10,000 franc notes unlocked in his room. Franz tells his friend Arthur, a swarthy guy whose shady uncle is pressing him for money. Arthur and Franz, who mimic American movie tough guys, case Odile's house, pressure her to assist them with a burglary, and make passes at her as well. She's alternately compliant and distressed. Will they pull off the heist?

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Plot Keywords:

burglary | the madison dance | french new wave | love triangle | nouvelle vague | 

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Taglines:

A Who-Dunit, Who's Got-It, Where-Is-It-Now Wild One From That "Breathless" director Jean-Luc Godard!

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

BFI (distributor) [UK]

Country:

France

Language:

French English

Release Date:

5 August 1964 (France)

Also Known As:

Band of Outsiders

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$120,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$28,656, 19 August 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$37,651, 7 August 2016

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Films,Anouchka Films,Orsay Films

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

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

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Goofs

Odile is wearing long socks in the house but when she leaves the house to meet the men at the factory, she is wearing stockings.

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Quotes

Le narrateur: [During the dance sequence] Now is the time for a digression in which to describe our heroes' feelings. Arthur keeps watching his feet, but his mind's on Odile's mouth and her romantic kisses. Odile is wondering if the boys notice her breasts moving under her sweater. Franz thinks of everything and nothing. He wonders if the world is becoming a dream or if the dream is becoming the world.

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Crazy Credits

For the last time (?) on the screen Music by Michel Legrand

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Connections

Referenced in Rio das Mortes (1971)

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Soundtracks

Les Parapluies de Cherbourg
(uncredited)
Music by Michel Legrand

User Reviews

Jean-Luc "Cinema" Godard

With this film Godard returned to the (petty) crime genre and his fascination with American pop culture. Odile (Karina), Arthur (Brasseur) and Franz (Frey) meet in an English language class and become friends. When naive Odile tells them she lives in a house where a large amount of money is cached, their imagination runs wild. Fantasizing and discussing Hollywood B-movies and pulp literature, they decide to rob the house with the help of Odile.

Godard goes to even further extremes in "violating" traditional storytelling with his voice-over narration, giving the viewer information during the action and letting his characters talk to the camera. It might not be Godard's most innovative release, compared to let's say BREATHLESS, CONTEMPT and TWO OR THREE THINGS I KNOW ABOUT HER, but is probably more entertaining and accessible to modern audiences than almost any other pre-1970 film he made (his later work is difficult to grasp for any audience). In the case of CONTEMPT audiences might have flocked to the cinemas because of Brigitte Bardot's presence, but besides BB-devotees, that's hardly a recommendation now. But this one generally is an entertaining and insightful film, with the dancing sequence in the bar justly memorable, as is the 9-minute tour of the Louvre.

Still, essential for movie buffs. Godard even credited himself as Jean-Luc "Cinema" Godard. Quentin Tarantino paid tribute to this film naming his production company A Band Apart.