My Life to Live

Vivre Sa Vie (1962) Review

Cinematography by Raoul Coutard

If you're going to ask what film could possibly beat my love to Steven Spielberg's 1993 Schindler's List i would likely answer "Vivre Sa Vie".  Vivre sa Vie or My Life to Live is one of the earliest Jean-Luc Godard works and it was one of the greatest of his, yet the brilliancy of this film didn't came from a very conventional attraction rather it came from it's purposely artistic work in a very self-conscious type movie which i consider unconventional way of enthralling the audience. It was 1960's where the french new wave has started to rise but also it was the point where Godard's started make much more deeper movie with an all out reliance on his own style.

Since the moment i discover Jean-Luc Godard films i couldn't take my eyes off to it, but to clarify i wasn't enthralled by Godard for the very first time i saw one of his film, it actually made me scratch my head but later on i notice his style and the curiosity of mine strikes in that made want to see more of his films. The more i get into his movies the more i realize that without a doubt Godard is one of the greatest film directors out there, he is best known to understand the real beauty of a film itself, from the characters to the things that goes around it and i think Vivre sa Vie is one of the best examples of his passionate film-making style that purposely inspired a lot of moviegoers just like me. 

Vivre Sa Vie is about the tragic life of Nana (Anna Karina) diverge into Twelve scenes which show not a progress but just a highlights of her journey of her life. The movie itself is tragic by story and by characters but the movie doesn't want you to sympathize about Nana's character rather to learn from it. Vivre sa Vie is a self-invented experience, experience that we don't have to receive in our lives to learn from it. It doesn't have a story structure to really tell it's progression and the ending is perfect to show off that the conclusion of the whole story was made already from the very beginning. It's not an average film (most of Godard's work) where you can share the story of it by saying "This is how it begins and this is how it ends" It mostly kind of a film that you can just tell what it's all about and then that is.

It's probably one of the favorite film of all time, because of it's very unique style,  if you really look to it, it has very simple plot to consider however Godard mixed it up a ton of experimental approach if not focused it cannot be visible at many people. The first you would notice about the movie is the focus of the camera to the main itself, Nana played by Anna Karina, the focus is literal where it comes to the point where she had to look straight to the camera, well that helps to really show the emotion of Nana beyond her eyes, we see that this girl has been through something on her life and she's facing it somewhat. And those kinds of visualization does help a lot on clearing up the situation without using verbal messages. 

One of the best example of that is the time where she had to see 1928's Passion of Joan of Arc, that made not only reference but also a resemblance to the challenges of the particular character of Nana will going to face and it was just the beginning. The camera movements are also one to notice and be enthralled by the way it moves, following the character of Nana and i think it's important. Combining those elements with a fantastic score, is just dramatically perfect. The music itself is a character, it's more like a soul that gives emotion to the whole sequence whenever it was being played.

Overall Vivre Sa Vie is a artistic experience type of movie. The Absence of a usual Act Structure even made more interesting and clearer. Godard's use of emotion, motions, and sounds are just gorgeous. It has also a pretty unique film for a French New Wave back on 60's. Anna Karina's Performance are incredible which on that time she and Godard are together. It might be a film that has a the elements of the issues about Prostitution but the fact is it was only a mere part of the real element of the movie really wants to tell.

Godard's films is like human behavior itself, i give Vivre Sa Vie (1962) a solid 10/10, and i do really recommend it anyone specially to those people who are interested seeing french new waves.

Vivre Sa Vie or My Life to Live (1962) was directed by Jean-Luc Godard starring Anna Karina, Sady Rebbot, Brice Parain and more...