In 1967, Jean-Luc Godard made a film called Weekend, famous for its beautiful tracking shot of a traffic jam and the collision that caused it.
To many fans of Godard's work up to this point it is as if he was one of the casualties, or more potent: that this car crash is an apt metaphor for the next 12 years of his career.
But why?
Why do even ardent Godard fans, including those who followed and loved his work in the 80s, 90s, and throughout the 21st century hate or dismiss his 70s work?
Why did he lose mainstream appeal?
Why did he go from participating in Cannes to protesting Cannes and getting the festival shut down?
What happened?
In this episode we will try to answer this very question, and look at how the one of the worlds most esteemed "auteurs" went on to become a "collaborator".
We will look at the two partnerships that defined his career in the 70s, namely the Marxist-Leninist-Maoist collective the Dziga Vertov Group, and his long time partner and collaborator Anne-Marie Mieville.
We will also discuss 3 of the films he made in this period in great detail:
- Wind From the East
- Tout va Bien
- Numero Deux
Are they worth seeing? Listen in, and find out.