Jean-Luc Godard is dead. The French-Swiss director died today, September 13, 2022, at the age of 91, the Guardian reports in unison with other media. Godard is one of the key figures in the New Wave, which began in the late 1950s put the cinema to the test.
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From film critic to director: Jean-Luc Godard
Godard was born in Paris on December 3, 1930 and grew up in Nyon, Vaud, where he also went to school. His father was a doctor and ran a private clinic. His mother came from a wealthy banking family. For his studies he returned to Paris, where he first studied intensively with the medium of film came into contact.
From the beginning he resisted a traditional understanding of cinema. As a film critic, he was interested in the extreme and the radical. Especially his texts in the renowned film magazine Cahiers du cinema caused a stir. There Godard wrote, among other things, alongside later directing colleagues such as Jacques Rivette and Éric Rohmer.
Out of breath – Trailer (German)
Writing about film wasn’t enough: Godard ventured behind the camera in 1954 and presented his first short film, Opération Béton. And then, in 1960, “Breathless” completely shook the cinema. Natural light, handheld camera and jump cuts: Godard created one vibrant movielike it had never been before.
Out of breath, Jean-Luc Godard whirls up the cinema
The 1960s were Godard’s most productive and influential creative period. Masterpieces such as The Contempt, The Outsider Gang, Eleven o’clock at night, Weekend and Alphaville – Lemmy Caution against Alpha 60 were created here. Godard was always looking for new ways to do this break up familiar cinema and to challenge viewers’ viewing habits.
The Contempt – Trailer (German) HD
Godard has created both groundbreaking and provocative works on both a cinematic and narrative level. Political content and aesthetic border crossings: Even in the later years of his career, which received less attention in general discourse, he showed great curiosity Pushing the limits of cinema. Film Socialisme, Bildbuch and the most radical of all 3D films, Adieu au langage, show this.
Further texts on Jean-Luc Godard:
In 2010, Jean Luc-Godard received an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement.
Which Godard films have particularly impressed you?