Paris in the Early Films of Jean-Luc Godard
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University of St Andrews Université de Perpignan – Via Domitia Erasmus Mundus Masters Crossways in European Humanities Cinematic Cities: Paris in the Early Films of Jean-Luc Godard Analysis of A bout de souffle, Vivre sa vie, Alphaville and Deux ou trois choses que je sais d'elle Student: Marina Šišak Supervisors: Dr. Elise Hugueny-Léger (University of St Andrews) Dr. Isabelle Cases (Université de Perpignan – Via Domitia) Academic year: 2008-2009 DECLARATION I, Marina Šišak, hereby certify that this dissertation, which is 22,084 words in length, has been written by me, that it is a record of work carried out by me, and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. All sentences or passages quoted in this dissertation from other people's work (with or without trivial changes) have been placed within quotation marks, and specifically acknowledged by reference to author, work and page. I understand that plagiarism – the unacknowledged use of such passages – will be considered grounds for rejection of the dissertation, and, if serious and/or persistent, may render the candidate ineligible to receive the Mundus degree. I also affirm that, with the exception of the specific acknowledgements, this dissertation is entirely my own work. Signature: Date: 19 October 2009 2 ABSTRACT The present work examines the role of cities in cinema and the ways of analysing them. It examines their convergences and explores their different aspects. It brings together Henri Lefebvre’s theory of urban space of and Gilles Deleuze’s film theory and argues that similarities of real and cinematic cities lay in their dependence on the dimensions of time and movement and in the fact that they are both products and producers of space/reality. These theories are used in the analysis of representations of Paris in Godard’s early phase: A bout de souffle (1960), Vivre sa vie (1962), Alphaville (1965) and Deux ou trois choses que je sais d’elle (1967). It is argued that these cinematic cities are firmly based in reality, by including procedures used in documentary films. However, they also transgress it, by emphasising their invented and intertextual side. Moreover, the formal analysis of these cities proves their significant differences, connected with historical and social turbulences of French society in the 60s, as well as with the profound transformation in Paris architecture and city planning. They are also induced by important changes in French cinema, in particular by the New Wave movement. Consequently, Godard’s attitudes towards cinema and directors (the auteur policy) and towards popular and classical culture significantly change, which can be seen in the shift of these cinematic cities from beautiful to repulsive, from personal to historical and from influencing the characters to absorbing them. The city’s importance in the narrative also grows with these changes. Nevertheless, the analysis shows Godard’s continuity and persistence in an always subversive response to society and a highly individual approach to cinema. The latter is mostly expressed in Godard’s preoccupation with creating art that would change/produce society, in which these cinematic cities prove to succeed. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank: My supervisors, Dr Hugueny-Léger and Dr Cases, for guiding and correcting the present dissertation, giving me important suggestions and remarks and encouraging me in my work. I am particularly indebted to Dr Cases and her class ‘Coupes et plans’, for giving me a significant insight in different ways of approaching cinematic cities and providing an important source of information on the topic. My friend Lana, for linguistic suggestions and the time and effort she spent on reading and commenting on this work. My Crossways friends and particularly Alessandra and Snežana, for their constant encouragement and support. My family, for believing in me and for being such a tremendous support. Ivan, for his love and patience and for ‘living’ through this dissertation with me. Godard and Karina, for the beauty. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................................... 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................. 4 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 8 METHODOLOGY............................................................................................................................ 10 STRUCTURE ................................................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 1: CINEMATIC CITIES ................................................................................................ 13 1. CONVERGENCES OF CINEMA AND THE CITY ................................................................... 13 Parallel development .................................................................................................................... 13 Cinema halls ................................................................................................................................. 15 Production ..................................................................................................................................... 16 Architect-director .......................................................................................................................... 17 Experiencing (cinematic) cities: time and movement ................................................................... 18 2. DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF CINEMATIC CITIES .................................................................... 19 The city as a document ................................................................................................................. 19 Invented (intertextual) city ........................................................................................................... 21 3. PARIS ON FILM .......................................................................................................................... 24 CHAPTER 2: PARIS AND GODARD IN THE 1960S .................................................................... 26 1. CHANGES OF THE POST-WAR PERIOD ................................................................................ 27 2. PARIS: CHANGES IN ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN PLANNING .................................... 29 3. CHANGES IN CINEMA: THE NEW WAVE PHENOMENON ................................................ 33 Technical innovations and cinemaphilia ...................................................................................... 33 Documentary approach ................................................................................................................. 35 Reception and the end of the movement ....................................................................................... 36 4. THE CHANGING ASPECTS OF GODARD’S CAREER .......................................................... 37 5 CHAPTER 3: THE (UN)ATTRACTIVE CITY CENTRE: PARIS IN A BOUT DE SOUFFLE AND VIVRE SA VIE ........................................................................................................................... 40 1. FASCINATION WITH THE DECOR: THE CITY’S IMPORTANCE IN THE NARRATIVE . 41 2. CHOICE OF PLACES: PARISIAN LANDMARKS AND ANONYMOUS PLACES ............... 43 The city centre and its landmarks ................................................................................................. 43 The periphery ................................................................................................................................ 44 Anonymous places ........................................................................................................................ 45 3. CHARACTERS IN THE CITY .................................................................................................... 48 4. PARIS: BETWEEN A DOCUMENTARY AND A MYTH ........................................................ 50 Paris as a document ...................................................................................................................... 50 The invented and intertextual Paris .............................................................................................. 52 5. THE LIVED SPACE OF GODARD’S PARIS: CONCLUDING REMARKS ............................ 54 CHAPTER 4: PERIPHERY AND THE FEARS OF MODERNITY: PARIS IN ALPHAVILLE AND DEUX OU TROIS CHOSES QUE JE SAIS D'ELLE .............................................................. 56 1. THE CITY AS A CHARACTER AND A THEME ..................................................................... 57 2. CHOICE OF PLACES .................................................................................................................. 59 Exterior places: the periphery ....................................................................................................... 59 Interior places ............................................................................................................................... 61 3. THE FUSION OF CHARACTERS AND THE CITY ................................................................. 63 4. THE CITY: DOCUMENTARY AND INVENTED ..................................................................... 65 Paris as a document .....................................................................................................................