Not one of my favorite Godard films - this 1990 entry, Novelle vague (New Wave, so to speak). While there were things about the film that left me un-fulfilled after repeat viewings, I probably can't recommend the film to someone who might, by the luck of the invisible film-geek Gods, find the tape in the video-store and only will watch it once. By the time I had my third viewing of this (the first two times I just couldn't get through to the end, maybe too tired, maybe just not in the mood for so much Godard going on), I respected it a little more than on my first viewing, though that's giving it some more credit than it should. Bottom line, folks, this is a hard-core, un-abashed art-film, where symbolism is turned up to eleven on the intellectual amp, images are put forth that do hold interest (and when I say that I mean sporadically) in the poetic, love nature over the man-made structure sense, and of course Alain Delon and Domiziana Giordano as the lead couple. Although Giordano is given some emotions to work with (and her start to the film, in which she accidentally runs over a hitchhiker on the road, should kick off something more interesting than it does), Delon mostly walks around with the same face, looking dour and un-happy until midway through the film, which I won't spoil. To put it another way, it makes his performance as the ultra low-key killer in Le Samourai look like Robert De Niro in Goodfellas.
To say that the film has no coherent plot is a give-away. If you're looking for the kinds of stories that kept Godard's new-wave films of the 60's, which were interspersed here and there with the philosophy and poetry he over-loads here, may be disappointed. In fact, the film almost achieves an ironic success in making the film far from the real purpose of the new-wave to start with. Godard gives us characters in this film, but some are left on the screen so briefly it's hard to comprehend what they're talking about. Some of the stuff on the corporations are interesting, as well are a few pivotal scenes to what story there is, but then it's gets downplayed by the mainly pretentious attitude. Maybe my biggest problem with the film is that Godard seems to be backing a viewer, not just myself but any particular viewer who'd seek this film out, into a corner- a part of me feels guilty for thinking a lot of the film just wasn't good because there was some good to it. The editing by Godard himself had a rhythm to it I kinda dug, the cinematography kept the colors vivid, and the choices in music were the typical, free-fancy Godard we know from the 60's.
But in all, and perhaps I can't put my finger on it, Novelle vague is just not my cup of tea. Maybe someday some hip, cool movie professor will give me another perspective on what I'm missing.
