During the early 60s a film movement began that eventually
took hold in all countries but started in France. Dubbed the New French Wave
the style of film making attempted to use new techniques, to toss aside
traditional ways of making movies and to attempt to create something completely
new and different. Many of the biggest names in the movement were film critics
who went on to become directors themselves. While there were several of these
directors to note, perhaps the biggest two were Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc
Goddard. In 1960 Goddard broke out with his film BREATHLESS starring Jean-Paul
Belmondo. The following year he made LE PETIT SOLDAT. Due to controversy it
wasn’t released until 1963. But it is now on blu-ray from Criterion.
Let me say up front that much of the film will be confusing
the many because of where and when it takes place. Then again perhaps it’s just
my own shortcomings. I for one was not aware of the history of the Algerian War
involving France and thus the film was more confusing than if I was more
informed perhaps. Then again maybe not.
The story revolves around Bruno (Michel Subor), a young
photojournalist with connections to a right-wing paramilitary group working
with the French government. He is given instructions by his superior to
assassinate a professor who is accused of aiding Algerian fighters. He refuses
to follow through on this, insisting it’s not his place to do this sort of
work.
While all of this is going on a friend of Bruno is introduced
to a young woman who is considering being a model named Veronica (Anna Karina).
Veronica believes in the cause of the Algerian fighters but their discussions
float back and forth between politics and love.
When the left leaning group begins to suspect Bruno of being
a double agent he is kidnapped and tortured. He convinces them he is
trustworthy and allowed to leave. This solidifies his decision to follow
through on the instructions given to him before. But then he learns his group
has taken Veronica captive and are employing their own methods of torture
against her.
LE PETIT SOLDAT was not considered one of Goddard’s more
successful films and even to this day is considered controversial due to the
subject content. But as I said earlier, without knowing all of that information
the controversy seems moot. So instead I focused my thoughts on the film
itself. In all honesty even while trying to place myself in that time period,
when considering what was being attempted here, I found myself bored.
The film has no steady flow, perhaps being what Goddard was
attempting to do. While that might have seemed praiseworthy at the time as
something innovative and new, I found it to be pretentious and an attempt to
create art where there was none. Sure it’s different but different doesn’t
always make something good.
The film also spends more time talking than most with many
points being made repetitively. Even though the subtitles were easy to keep up
with even in English there was far too much talking almost to the point of
preaching rather than a film with a story. And the moments where talking wasn’t
taking place felt like just someone with a camera walking around shooting the
actors going from place to place with dialogue dubbed in later. Again, that may
have been what Goddard set out to do but it doesn’t make for an enjoyable
viewing.
I’ve often said that there is art and there is the
pretentious pieces of material offered to the public and considered art. More
often than not these items are paintings, statues, film or something else that
the people they were intended for either don’t get or don’t care about. For
some reason rather than calling them out for what they are, the king not
wearing any clothes, critics instead praise them for fear of not being “in the
know” or realizing what current trends are.
I’ve never felt that way. While I love the fact that any and
all films are being preserved for historical reasons or for fans of certain
films and directors who want to collect everything, I still call movies as I
see them. For me this one dragged, was implausible and boring on all levels.
But if you love hand held camera work, enjoy listening to someone ramble on
about politics with no points or watching what feels more like a home movie
than a feature film then maybe you would enjoy this one.
Kudos to Criterion for their handling of the film for those
fans of French New Wave, Goddard or art films. The film is being released on
blu-ray with a digital restoration approved by cinematographer Raoul Coutard.
Extras include an interview with Goddard from 1965, an interview with actor
Subor from 1963, an audio interview with Goddard from 1961 and an essay by
critic Nicholas Elliot.
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