Film Review: Une femme est une femme
By Matthew Portman
This film is set in the 1960’s in Paris, France. It centers around the complicated relationship between Angéla, an erotic dancer and her lover Émile. We are introduced to these characters as having a very love/hate relationship. The drama begins when Angéla is struck with a strong desire to have a baby. When she suggests this to Émile, he pushes the idea away. However, Angéla almost desperate to conceive, toys with the idea of becoming impregnated by Émile’s best friend Alfred as it seems he is willing. It starts with everything being no more than a harmless joke, but soon escalates into a whole bunch of problems and misunderstandings. However all ends on a lighter note and Angéla finally gets what she wants!
Jean-Luc Godard’s film is a playful experiment of ‘new wave French cinema’
which has been discussed by critics as being a comedy, tragedy or even both
. In my opinion this film bares both aspects but more comedic rather than dramatic. On one side, humor is conveyed as they communicate by using various book covers. Another example is Émile’s casual bicycle ride around their apartment and how he plays with a broomstick. Or even Angéla’s inability to cook. The only tragedy I found in this film is the storyline, but when you look past the arguments and jealousies, the scenes are all written in a way that gives the viewer the ability to find aspects of humor all the time, whether being obvious or subtle. I found it quite hard to see the film as being a tragedy because of the sheer comedic genius that Godard employs. Even the scenes that are supposed to be serious, something will happen or someone will say something to completely change the atmosphere! Sam Juliano said, ‘Godard's a women is a women is purposely intended to be a light-hearted movie, much like a cinematic pop song,’
and I happen to agree with him!
French new wave was a term used for French filmakers in the 50s/60s to describe European art cinema.
This film is very typical of its era as classic French 1960’s. The excessive smoking, the interior design and lay out of the rooms and even the way they dress. There is no way anyone could mistake where and when this film was set. I find it very easy to relate this film in style to David Hockney’s 60’s paintings like ‘A Bigger Splash’ and ‘Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy.’ Or even his later work like ‘Interior With Lamp’ in 2003. Not only does the cubist style portraits bare a significant resemblance but also the colours Hockney uses is straight out of 1960’s design. In the end, I strongly believe this film is a good example of clever French new wave. I also think Godard explores the boundaries between relationships and people so beautifully that the film could even be thought of as a romance.
