Godard's Schick Commercial

and just in case the video doesn't load, here is the YouTube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En1P8CWmL-A

I had no idea that Godard + Gorin did a commercial in order to finance themselves as film-makers, and I find that fascinating. Considering much of the anti-capitalist content + themes they were producing at that time under the Dziga Vertov group, it seems both hypocritical + subversive at the same time - hypocritical in directly financially benefiting from the capitalist marketers promoting consumption, subversive in using the funds to create the material they found important. One source below mentions how Godard + Gorin charged the advertising agency a full week of shooting wages, and shot the ad in half a day.

In reading some blogs + my own pigeon French, what is interesting in the commercial is not only the casting of Juliet Berto (whom you'll recognize from 2 ou 3 choses, Weekend + La chinoise), but what the couple is actually arguing about - the radio broadcast is blaring news about Palestine, the girl doesn't want to hear about it, the guy thinks it's important to hear. The domestic scene is obviously one of Godard's favorites, and it's interesting how Godard can incorporate politics and reference both his past interests as well as his current ones.

I found some other thoughts around this commercial as well for further reading if anyone is interested:
http://inpursuitofsilence.com/2010/04/15/godard-for-schick-an-irresistible-sonic-curio/
http://www.filmbrain.com/filmbrain/2009/03/histoires-daftershave.html
http://marspoetica.net/2010/02/07/jean-luc-godards-tongue-in-cheek-schick-commercial/


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