Godard and Feminism Part VI: Masculin Féminin (1966)

Jean- Luc Godard began his career as a film critic for the French film magazine Cahiers du Cinéma before evolving into a filmmaker. Godard never lost his desire to critique the weaknesses he saw in cinema and populare culture. As a result, his films became a slate in which he could convey his dissatisfaction on, as well as the means to deconstruct conventional, socially accepted themes, narratives, and thought processes. In his film Masculin Féminin, Godard breaks the continuity of the story by intercutting title cards with random statements and thoughts. On one of the most memorable intertitles, the card reads: “This film could also be called the children of Marx and Coke Cola.” Such statement proves itself as a more fitting, descriptive title due largely to Godard’s focus on political awareness and social indifferences.

Much like the typical Godard film of the 60s, Masculin Féminin uses a budding relationship to pedal the wheel of much larger and broader themes like love, consumerism, liberty, sexuality, the concept of gender roles, social qualms, and the passiveness of the modern society in which the film takes place. Masculin Féminin relays how Paul (Jean-Pierre Léaud), a young French idealist, superficially falls in love with a young up and coming pop star, Madeleine (Chantal Goya). Although they are worlds apart they are placed in situations that gives them, and more so the audience, insight into each others personalities as opposed to them truly learning from or of themselves. The dichotomy of awareness among Paul, Madeleine and the group of people they surround themselves with becomes the driving force of the film.

Masculin Féminin is a time capsule of France in 1965. The Beatles and Bob Dylan were taking over the music charts, The Vietnam War had just begun and birth control was a hot topic around the world. Yet, none of that matters to the youth featured throughout Masculin Féminin except for Paul and his friend Robert whose ideas of being revolutionaries are gratified by graffiting messages of empowerment on bathroom stalls and the sides of unsuspecting cop cars. Depicted mostly from the perspective of Paul, Masculin Féminin rides the line of hypocrisy and uncertainty by a passionate young man with big ideas, little influence, and at times, juvenile ways of thinking.

Masculin Féminin has a pristine look that is sharp and precise a result of Godard’s use of natural lighting in most scenes. The use of black and white helps create a photographic essence to each frame that is only heighted by the implementation of rule of thirds to create remarkably balanced images in each frame. Godard’s use of handheld camera throughout Masculin Féminin allows for intimate, lingering moments between characters that is fortified by interview based, cinéma vérité style of filmmaking. An interview with a woman known as  “Miss 19” or  “a consumer product,” allows Paul (and Godard through in-eared headphones on set) to investigate the private thoughts and desires of a young French woman. The scene is captivating in its realness as she grows uncomfortable with the questions about politics and sexuality and at times refuses to answer. Interestingly enough she dicusses her views on Americans informing us that she believes American women were freer than French woman. The generalized topic of French women is touched on during a voiceover in which a woman states, “there is no average Frenchwoman.” The statement is amplified by Godard’s ranging depiction of women, once again delivering credence to the feminine experience as a whole.

People of all walks of life are featured through Masculin Féminin. Madeline is more focused on her career than her relationship with Paul. In fact, she doesn’t place importance on the relationship itself seeing it instead a way to pass time and have fun. During an interview with Madeline early on in the film, she answers her own question: “what’s the center of your world?” with the answer “me.” Madeline even mentions in a journal entry read through voiceover narration that she’s glad Paul is in love with her and that perhaps she’ll let him screw her soon. Madeline is seemingly emotionally detatached from her relationship with Paul despite telling him she loves him. Madeline thus takes on the “masculine role” in the relationship. Likewise, Paul doesn’t fit the typical gender role of a male, instead finding it hard to control his emotions, which in his words are “everything” while “ideas are nothing.” Paul is more readily willing to accept the idea of falling in love because the center of his world is “love.”

A voice is given to multiple marginalized people throughout Masculin Féminin. Although such scenes are short, their impact is withstanding. For instance, during a train ride Paul and Robert overhear a discussion between a white woman and two black men. As the woman venomously stereotypes them as repressed murderers, one man gets the chance to rebuttal calling her out for being an empty-hearted materialist. The man then goes on to criticize the yuppies within French society who use racial candor, but then openly admit to loving musicians like Charlie Parker and Bessie Smith despite not being aware of the tone and intentions of the artists. Similarly, Paul stumbles upon two men making out in a bathroom stall. Paul watches for a few seconds, allowing us the gaze to do the same before he is insulted for watching and the door closes.

Masculin Féminin is not Godard’s most feministically empowering film because it is told through a male perspective. However, that is not to say that the film is misogynistic or chauvinist in any because women are given liberation of life and choice, something not frequently seen in films of its time or even today. Not all the women portrayed lack depth, in fact Marlene, Madeline’s close friend, seems to admire Paul’s mentality even going as far as to question if really loves Madeline after she admits to him that she’s not sure if she believes in God. But, for Godard Masculin Féminin is more about the political standing of society at the time. It’s focus is how the youth dealt with the issues of their time period and how society happily wears blinders to avoid the crushing injustices around them. Like all of his films, Masculin Féminin longs to directly challenge your inner belief system and for that, my hat is off.