Paintings and Reproductions from Passion

These are the paintings being recreated in the film within Passion. (As I have been working on this post, I found that there also may be recreations of these images throughout the rest of Passion and outside of that film within the film as well.) The only image from Passion that I could not find was the reproduction of Goya’s “The Family of Charles IV." (The complete list of reproduced paintings is from Chapter 7 of Speaking about Godard.)



Goya's "The Family of Charles IV"



There is no doubt that the overall theme of light—the search for the (right) light--is of paramount importance to Godard and is a major theme in Passion. It is interesting to look at these paintings in an attempt to further understand or identify what light he was drawn to or looking for.

In the El Greco, Ingres and Goya’s “The Nude Maja” the use of light is focused on the divine and the female form respectively. And those are precisely the parts of the paintings that Godard highlights for reproduction. The other three Goya’s show light very strongly. “3 de Mayo” illuminates the men being executed and in that sense, the light assists in their deaths. The parasol in "The Parasol" is used to shield the woman from the light outside and Goya captures the light pouring in the room from outside in “The Family of Charles IV.”

The Rembrandt, the Delacroix and the Watteau are paintings out of doors. In some ways, Godard’s reproductions of these actually clarify (at least for me) the focus of the light and his interpretation of the paintings themselves. (And as James Roy MacBean says, in an essay for Film Quarterly, “Passion, unlike Rembrandt’s “Nightwatch,” will offer a precise source of illumination” in the visual sense.[1])

This post is an obviously primitive, cursory exploration of the film, the paintings and theme of light. But viewing the paintings alongside the reproductions is my first step towards a more thorough investigation into these topics.

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[1] James Roy MacBean, “Filming the inside of His Own Head: Godard's Cerebral Passion,” Film Quarterly

 Vol. 38, No. 1 (Autumn, 1984): 20.

 

Rembrandt's "Nightwatch" top

Godard's reproduction below





 



El Greco's "Assumption of the Virgin" left

Godard's reproductions right

 



 Goya's "The Nude Maja" top

Godard's reproduction below

  

 



Goya's "3 de Mayo" top

Godard's reproduction below




Goya's "The Parasol" top

Godard's reproduction below

  

  Ingres' "Small Bather" top
Godard's reproduction below







Delacroix's "Entry of the Crusaders into Contantinople" top

Godard's reproductions below





Watteau's "Pilgrimage to Cythera" top

Godard's reproduction below

Sienna



Entertainment Value in Breathless and Masculin/Feminin

In Masculin/Feminin, 2 or 3 things I know about her and La Chinoise, Godard’s cinema undergoes a dramatic shift in style and intent.  More than ever, the filmmaker begins to frame his expressions with a serious and literary tone.  Unlike Breathless, in which audience attention was directed squarely on the characters and story (with some light references adorning the scenario), the later output directs the audience towards a message.  The repercussions of such a shift are numerous. By changing directorial approach, the work appears to gain a certain philosophical and political vigor.  Granted, Godard ascribes a new level of intellectual legitimacy to his films. 


In terms of entertainment value, I believe that this supposed value is not a requirement for any film or work of art.  Any cineaste that identifies entertainment value as an essential requirement for a film is not a cineaste at all.  Nonetheless, within a consumer culture, we are generally conditioned to analyze how we feel about a specific product.  The most basic assessment begins with the question of good or bad.  Was this a good film or a bad film?  During this post-screening stage, it is equally important to question the value of a film in terms of what was expressed rather than whether it provided an instance of diversion.  In terms of Godard’s work, the audience must not fall into the “thumbs up/thumbs down” form of analysis. By contrasting two films from his early and late 60’s period, we can begin to identify the shift in spectatorship.


Breathless has generally been identified as an entertaining film.  When compared with Masculin/Feminin, both works contain similar structural elements: boy meets girl, boy romances girl, boy/girl relationship results in the death of the protagonist.  Although both films have a similar story structure, the tone of each film is decidedly unique.  Specifically, the shift in tone can be noted in the long form scenes of the hotel room and the bathroom.  The Michel/Patricia scene applies amusement within the act of seduction.  Both characters apply movement, facial expression and diversion to interact with each other.  The moment in which Patricia rolls up a poster and frames Michel within the image is indicative of this playfulness.  Not only a reference to cinema, the framing allows us to visually acknowledge the attraction between both characters.

In contrast, Paul and Madelaine are not permitted the same freedom.  Their movement is restricted.  Facial expressions are kept to a minimum and the only form of personal expression is encapsulated within Paul’s flipping cigarette and Madelaine’s repeated combing.  Morrey acknowledges the shift when speaking about Masculine/Feminin, “This scene depicts an attempted seduction and, as such, might be compared to the long hotel-room scene in A bout de soufflé, yet it has none of the fun or playfulness of Godard’s first feature.” (48)

            

This example represents a microcosm of Godard’s work as a whole.  Ultimately, I enjoy both scenes with equal passion.  The playfulness of Breathless is enjoyable and entertaining.  The starkness of Masculin/Feminin foreshadows the inner turmoil of each character.  Although the scene is not outwardly entertaining, it has a relevance that reaches beyond audience satisfaction.  Rather than providing a diversionary satisfaction, the scene provides a satisfaction of profound expression. 


To conclude, I would like to share the trailer from Masculin/Feminin.  By observing the pace, rhythm and energy of the trailer, it would be fair to assume that the film would have similar inherent qualities.  My fascination with the trailer is the manner in which it provides an entertainment value that the film does not.  Paradoxically, the film as a whole stresses a meaning that is only glossed over in traditional box office product.  As an analytical example, the trailer provides the viewer with an opportunity to appreciate both approaches to film style and to distinguish between entertainment and depth of expression.  


With his later films, Godard appears less concerned with entertaining and more interested in “informing” an audience.  He is consumed by the message and, more specifically the text or literary foundations from which the content is derived.  In my next blog entry, I would like to analyze whether or not this approach reflects a symbolic betrayal to the integrity of the cinematic arts.

echeverria