Masculin Féminin (1966)

A romance between young Parisians, shown through a series of vignettes.

Director:

Jean-Luc Godard

Writers:

Jean-Luc Godard, Guy de Maupassant (stories)

Stars:

Jean-Pierre Léaud, Chantal Goya, Marlène Jobert

3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Jean-Pierre Léaud	...	Paul - un jeune homme instable
Chantal Goya	...	Madeleine Zimmer - une petite chanteuse
Marlène Jobert	...	Élisabeth Choquet - la copine de Madeleine
Michel Debord	...	Robert Packard - un syndicaliste
Catherine-Isabelle Duport	...	Catherine-Isabelle
Evabritt Strandberg	...	Elle (la femme dans le film) (as Eva-Britt Strandberg)
Birger Malmsten	...	Lui (l'homme dans le film)

Storyline

Paul is young, just demobbed from national service in the French Army, and disillusioned with civilian life. As his girlfriend builds herself a career as a pop singer, Paul becomes more isolated from his friends and peers ('the children of Marx and Coca Cola', as the credits announce) and their social and emotional politics.

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Plot Keywords:

singer | friend | french | france | politics | 

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Taglines:

Jean-Luc Godard's Swinging Look at Youth and Love in Paris Today!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Rialto Pictures

Country:

France Sweden

Language:

French Swedish English

Release Date:

22 March 1966 (France)

Also Known As:

Masculin Féminin

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$26,855, 13 February 2005

Gross USA:

$200,380

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$200,380

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anouchka Films, Argos Films, Sandrews

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Due to the portrayal of youth and sex, the film was prohibited to persons under 18 in France - "the very audience it was meant for," griped Jean Luc Godard.

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Quotes

Elisabeth: Move your behind, Madeleine.
Madeleine Zimmer - une petite chanteuse: Don't say "behind." Say "bottom."
Paul: Not "bottom." "Buns."
Elisabeth: No, you say "butt."
Paul: No, "Bum."
Madeleine Zimmer - une petite chanteuse: "Heinie."
Elisabeth: "Moons."
Paul: "Rear end."

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Crazy Credits

Contrary to what Paul and his friend decide in the laundry mat sequence, Godard points out just before the credits that the word "féminin" does in fact contain another word: "fin" [end].

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Connections

Referenced in 2 Days in Paris (2007)

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Soundtracks

Comment le revoir
(uncredited)
Written by Jean-Jacques Debout
Performed by Chantal Goya
Editions de RCA

User Reviews

beautiful

I can't get over how beautiful this film is. First, Leaud gives such a wonderful performance, and its humor is easily overlooked; his face, in certain scenes, has an aloof, unsuspecting, and innocent quality, that it ads to his confusion-we wonder how he can be involved in something as serious as the communist party. He travels through his life with a sort of on-purpose, slash, accidental attitude that I can never quite explain. Then, there's Madelaine. Madelaine, with her jet black hair, confusion of love vs. sexuality, and striking beauty, represents everything I love about the women of the French New Wave. Very insecure, but, at the same time, they have definite plans and agendas. Finally, with all of the political and social commentary, it's easy to overlook just how visually beautiful the film is. The two protagonists, in bed, unsure of what to make of their intimate situation. They're so close, so attracted to each other, and Godard puts them in such a beautiful composition and lighting that it almost seems saccharine, but they still don't know what to make of it.