Masculin, féminin
Encyclopedia
Masculin, féminin is a 1966 black-and-white
French film
directed by Jean-Luc Godard
.
The film stars French New Wave
icon Jean-Pierre Léaud
as Paul, a romantic young idealist and literary lion-wannabe who chases budding pop star, Madeleine (Chantal Goya
, a real life Yé-yé
girl). Despite markedly different musical tastes and political leanings, the two soon become romantically involved and begin a ménage à quatre with Madeleine's two roommates, Catherine (Catherine-Isabelle Duport) and Elisabeth (Marlène Jobert
).
Ostensibly basing his film on two stories by Guy de Maupassant
, Godard creates a strikingly honest portrait of youth and sex (in France, the movie was prohibited to persons under 18 — "the very audience it was meant for," griped Godard — while the Berlin Film Festival
named it the year's best film for young people). The camera probes the young actors in a series of vérité-style
interviews about love, love-making, and politics.
Masculin, féminin is a notable film within Godard's 60s period of filmmaking, and is considered by critics as representative of 1960s France and Paris. The film contains references to various pop culture icons and political figures around that time, such as Charles de Gaulle
and André Malraux
to James Bond
and Bob Dylan
, and follows Godard's non-linear filmmaking techniques and narratives. The main story is at times interrupted by various sequences and sub-plots, including a scene paraphrased from LeRoi Jones
’ Dutchman
.
Arguably the most famous quotation from the film is "This film could be called The Children of Marx
and Coca-Cola
", which is actually an intertitle between chapters.
at the 16th Berlin International Film Festival
.
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
French film
Cinema of France
The Cinema of France comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad.France is the birthplace of cinema and was responsible for many of its early significant contributions. Several important cinematic movements, including the Nouvelle...
directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard is a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter and film critic. He is often identified with the 1960s French film movement, French Nouvelle Vague, or "New Wave"....
.
The film stars French New Wave
French New Wave
The New Wave was a blanket term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s, influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema. Although never a formally organized movement, the New Wave filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of...
icon Jean-Pierre Léaud
Jean-Pierre Léaud
-Early years:Born in Paris, Léaud made his major debut as an actor at the age of 14 as Antoine Doinel, a semi-autobiographical character based on the life events of French film director François Truffaut, in The 400 Blows....
as Paul, a romantic young idealist and literary lion-wannabe who chases budding pop star, Madeleine (Chantal Goya
Chantal Goya
Chantal Goya is a French singer and actress.Chantal Goya started her career as a yé-yé girl, singing a catchy mid-'60s hybrid of girl-group pop and French chanson...
, a real life Yé-yé
Yé-yé
Yé-yé was a style of pop music that emerged from France, Québec and Spain in the early 1960s. The term "yé-yé" derived from "yeah! yeah!" The style expanded worldwide, due to the success of figures such as the French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg....
girl). Despite markedly different musical tastes and political leanings, the two soon become romantically involved and begin a ménage à quatre with Madeleine's two roommates, Catherine (Catherine-Isabelle Duport) and Elisabeth (Marlène Jobert
Marlène Jobert
Marlène Jobert is a French actress, singer and author.Jobert was born in Algiers, Algeria , the daughter of Andrée and a father who flew for the French Air Force. She is a Pied-Noir of Jewish heritage. She came to Metropolitan France when aged 8...
).
Ostensibly basing his film on two stories by Guy de Maupassant
Guy de Maupassant
Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a popular 19th-century French writer, considered one of the fathers of the modern short story and one of the form's finest exponents....
, Godard creates a strikingly honest portrait of youth and sex (in France, the movie was prohibited to persons under 18 — "the very audience it was meant for," griped Godard — while the Berlin Film Festival
14th Berlin International Film Festival
The 14th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from June 26 to July 7, 1964.-Jury:* Anthony Mann * Hermann Schwerin* Lucas Demare* Jacques Doniol-Valcroze* Yorgos Javellas* Richard Todd* Takashi Hamama* Gerd Ressing...
named it the year's best film for young people). The camera probes the young actors in a series of vérité-style
Cinéma vérité
Cinéma vérité is a style of documentary filmmaking, combining naturalistic techniques with stylized cinematic devices of editing and camerawork, staged set-ups, and the use of the camera to provoke subjects. It is also known for taking a provocative stance toward its topics.There are subtle yet...
interviews about love, love-making, and politics.
Masculin, féminin is a notable film within Godard's 60s period of filmmaking, and is considered by critics as representative of 1960s France and Paris. The film contains references to various pop culture icons and political figures around that time, such as Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
and André Malraux
André Malraux
André Malraux DSO was a French adventurer, award-winning author, and statesman. Having traveled extensively in Indochina and China, Malraux was noted especially for his novel entitled La Condition Humaine , which won the Prix Goncourt...
to James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, and follows Godard's non-linear filmmaking techniques and narratives. The main story is at times interrupted by various sequences and sub-plots, including a scene paraphrased from LeRoi Jones
Amiri Baraka
Amiri Baraka , formerly known as LeRoi Jones, is an American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays, and music criticism...
’ Dutchman
Dutchman (play)
Dutchman is a play written by African-American playwright Amiri Baraka. It played at the Cherry Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village, New York in March 1964 and won an Obie Award. Made into a film in 1967, Dutchman was the last play produced by Baraka under his birth name, LeRoi Jones...
.
Arguably the most famous quotation from the film is "This film could be called The Children of Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
and Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
", which is actually an intertitle between chapters.
Cast
- Jean-Pierre LéaudJean-Pierre Léaud-Early years:Born in Paris, Léaud made his major debut as an actor at the age of 14 as Antoine Doinel, a semi-autobiographical character based on the life events of French film director François Truffaut, in The 400 Blows....
- Paul - un jeune homme instable - Chantal GoyaChantal GoyaChantal Goya is a French singer and actress.Chantal Goya started her career as a yé-yé girl, singing a catchy mid-'60s hybrid of girl-group pop and French chanson...
- Madeleine Zimmer - une petite chanteuse - Marlène JobertMarlène JobertMarlène Jobert is a French actress, singer and author.Jobert was born in Algiers, Algeria , the daughter of Andrée and a father who flew for the French Air Force. She is a Pied-Noir of Jewish heritage. She came to Metropolitan France when aged 8...
- Elisabeth Choquet - la copine d'Elisabeth - Michel Debord - Robert Packard - un syndicaliste
- Catherine-Isabelle Duport - Catherine-Isabelle
- Eva-Britt Strandberg - Elle (la femme dans le film)
- Birger MalmstenBirger MalmstenBirger Malmsten was a Swedish actor. He had many roles in Ingmar Bergman's movies.-Selected filmography:*It Rains on Our Love *A Ship to India *Music in Darkness *Eva...
- Lui (l'homme dans le film)
Awards
Jean-Pierre Léaud won the Silver Bear for Best ActorSilver Bear for Best Actor
The Silver Bear for Best Actor is the Berlin International Film Festival's award for achievement in performance by an actor.- Awards :- External links :*...
at the 16th Berlin International Film Festival
16th Berlin International Film Festival
The 16th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from June 24 to July 5, 1966.-Jury:* Pierre Braunberger * Franz Seitz* Emilio Villalba Welsh* Khwaja Ahmad Abbas* Pier Paolo Pasolini* Lars Forssell* Hollis Alpert...
.