The conversation has several idiosyncrasies which drove me mad, the first being a lag in responses during the conversation. The term awkward silence doesn't even begin t address what happens here; it seems like whenever one of them speaks, the other waits about 20 seconds before responding. This makes the vieer do a few things:
1. It makes the viewer realize that Madeline does her hair and makeup about 1453 times during this one scene.
2. It makes the viewer really consider what Paul and Madeline are saying to each other.
With all of this time to contemplate the lines, the viewer starts to notice a few trends between the male and female gender which can then be reapplied to the entire film. Just briefly;
1. Women are concerned with giving their bodies to someone who will appreciate and value them, as well as American consumerism, cosmetics, etc.
2. Men like boobs. (exaggerated and sarcastic, but still a rather effective summary)
This gets revisited several times throughout the film:
1. The conversation between Catherine and Paul's friend (boobs)
2. Anytime Madeline talks about being a singer (american pop star)
3. The event with sugar cubes in the cafe (boobs)
Just this small exchange between Madeline and Paul represents several of the gender conflicts which can be traced throughout the film.
While reading your post, I agreed with everything you said up to your second point about the effects of Godard’s lack of shot-reverse shot and the dialogue’s cadence more generally in regards to love. While he indeed uses many techniques throughout the film to highlight various differences between le masculin and le féminin, Godard’s portrayal of sexuality and its deviousness among youth culture might be the singular commonality that joins the two.
ReplyDeleteYou argue the teenage boys focus on getting in bed (and on boobs) while the “[w]omen are concerned with giving their bodies to someone who will appreciate and value them.” However, many scenes paint the females as equally lascivious. After all, it is Madeleine who simultaneously maintains at least two relationships with any success: one with Paul and one with Elisabeth. Unless she holds firm beliefs about polyamory, I doubt she maintains both partners for the sake of their appreciation and valor. Godard’s framing and the dialogue in the scene where they all sit together to eat at a café highlight my perspective. In one long take from an angle that simultaneously shows all three, this shot shows how Madeleine and her friend, unable to contain themselves, begin flirting with each other even in the presence of Paul. Elisabeth reaches a hand out to caress Madeleine in the moments when Paul loses himself whistling a tune, a gesture she readily turns her head into to receive. Besides its implications about Madeleine and her sexual philosophy, this scene also critically displays Elisabeth’s character as well. She accepts her role as secret lover even after Paul mentioned the baby on the way right before Madeleine entered the café.
All in all, the film presents both genders’ stances on sexuality as exploratory and equally half-baked, suggesting this uncertainty characterizes youth more generally rather than one or the other. Madeleine has sex with Paul and gets pregnant, although she barely even knows him. Elisabeth, it seems, finds happiness as long as she gets any cut of the action, almost like a femme fatale. Even Catherine’s character represents little more than a naïve girl overly desperate for male attention. In the final moments when a police officer interrogates Madeleine, again without any shot-reverse shots, her final comment could well summarize both the masculine and feminine opinion on sexual values: “I’m not sure,” with a blasé side glance.
Daniela Mejia
Phil, you totally get the "moment" approach. I can tell you were beginning with a moment and looking outward for patterns. This is very much like V.F. Perkins' style of writing film criticism. But, Daniela has poked a couple of holes in your reading. She says it best when she says, "[Madeleine's] final comment could well summarize both the masculine and feminine opinion on sexual values: “I’m not sure,” with a blasé side glance." And yet, I still think this idea could be fleshed out if either of you want to develop it into a paper. Yes, definitely start with the moment and look for other instances that might support your reading. But, don't forget that Godard isn't as concerned with telling a story as he is with raising questions.
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