Une Femme Est Une Femme -1961- Access
The "woman" in question is Angela Récamier, played by Godard’s then-wife and muse, Anna Karina, in her first major film role. Angela is an exotic dancer at a strip club in Paris who decides she wants a baby. It is a simple desire, rooted in a traditional view of womanhood, yet her approach to achieving it is thoroughly modern and chaotic.
), refuses to cooperate, Angéla turns to his best friend, Alfred ( Jean-Paul Belmondo
“Tragedy = a man crying. Comedy = a man falling down.” – Title card une femme est une femme -1961-
When Godard set out to make Une femme est une femme , his ambition was delightfully paradoxical. He wanted to make a musical, a genre deeply rooted in the artifice of Hollywood studios, but he wanted to film it with the naturalistic freedom of the Italian Neorealists. He wanted the singing and dancing of a Gene Kelly picture, but filmed on the streets of Paris with direct sound and available light.
The narrative centers on (played by Anna Karina), an exotic dancer living in Paris who suddenly decides she wants to have a baby—and she wants to have it within 24 hours. Her boyfriend, Émile (Jean-Claude Brialy), is skeptical and refuses to participate in her urgent timeline. The Lovers' Tussle The "woman" in question is Angela Récamier, played
The narrative is deceptively simple: (played by Anna Karina ), a Parisian striptease dancer, decides she wants a baby "right now". Her partner, Émile ( Jean-Claude Brialy ), is a reluctant participant, leading Angéla to turn to his best friend, the romantic Alfred ( Jean-Paul Belmondo ), as a potential alternative. This playful yet emotionally charged love triangle unfolds across the streets and domestic spaces of Paris, characterized by what Godard described as "musical neorealism". Innovative Style and Cinematic Techniques
The keyword "une femme est une femme -1961-" often surfaces in discussions of unique genre films. Godard famously called this his "first real film," and it is his only genuine attempt at a musical—though attempt is the operative word. ), refuses to cooperate, Angéla turns to his
This is a film that quotes its influences obsessively. Characters walk past movie posters for The Apartment and West Side Story . Émile reads a book about the director Nicholas Ray. They argue about cinema as if it were a sports match. For the cinephile searching for "une femme est une femme -1961-," this meta-commentary is the treasure. It is a love letter to cinema written in the very language it is destroying.
In Jean-Luc Godard’s vibrant 1961 film Une femme est une femme
When Angela’s boyfriend, Émile (Jean-Claude Brialy), refuses to father a child with her, she turns to their friend and neighbor, Alfred (Jean-Paul Belmondo), in a blackmail scheme of intimacy. "If you don't give me a child," she seems to imply, "I will find someone who will." This triangle allows Godard to explore the difference between love and lust, stability and passion.
Visually, Une femme est une femme is a feast. Cinematographer Raoul Coutard, a staple of the New Wave, lenses the film with a vibrant color palette that mirrors the French flag—reds, whites, and blues dominate the frame, often in the form of clothing, storefronts, or lighting. This adds a layer of cheerful artificiality to the proceedings.