Jean-Luc Godard: An Investigation Into His Films and Philosophy

Film lovers who read French have long known and admired CINÉMA D'AUJOURD'HUI, the distinguished series of monographs on film directors published in France by Editions Seghers. The series-each book in an up-to-date version, complete with many photographs is now becoming available in English, to the enlargement and enrichment of film thought in the English-speaking world. Jean-Luc Godard: for better or for worse, Godard is the voice of our time. In an extraordinary, un-precedented outpouring of films-from the hurt-ful Breathless through the vicious, brilliant satire of Weekend to the present-he has lashed out at a society that forbids true relationship between people. In this study Jean Collet-an important French film critic, active participant in the ciné-club movement and major contributor to the magazine Télérama-examines with intelligence and with sympathy what makes Godard run. Whether Godard has, in fact, subverted his art in the interests of revolution can only be deter-mined with the perspective of time. For now, one can be certain only that he expresses-more re-sponsively than any other filmmaker, more re-sponsively than any artist in any medium-the anger, the confusion, and the existential despair that racks our world. Mr. Collet's study is sup-plemented by selections from Godard's own thoughts on filmmaking and society, by excerpts from screenplays, and by a broad spectrum of critical and personal opinion.