Jean-Luc Godard and Feminism
In January, I embarked on a series of reviews that looked to explore themes of feminism in the films of cinematic maverick, Jean-Luc Godard. What started as an inquiry to my own assumptions proved to be a fruitful, eye-opening experience and reminder of why Jean-Luc Godard is not only my favorite director, but personal hero. I found that Godard possessed a keen sense of passion for the feminine form and mind. Most if not all of his stories revolve around a woman in someway or another allowing her to be the catalyst for change in thoughts, actions, and assumptions surrounding her.
Godard’s films are some of the most important films in cinematic history because they push the boundaries of what cinema should essentially be and do. Godard longed to not only entertain his audiences, but teach them as well. My inclination towards furthering my own education has long cemented a bond with Godard that began the first time I watched a film of his, and will likely thrive throughout time. I admit, my experience learning from Godard is still in its infancy. Between a full-time job, freelancing for two other websites, and having some semblance of a social life, it was impossible for me to watch all the films I wanted to of his. So, instead in January, I chose to randomly watch 10 of his films from the 1960s to understand how he viewed and expressed women during the cusp of the second wave of the Feminist movement.
As time goes on, my intent is to watch almost all of Godard’s film to see what his most contemporary themes and stories revolve around. I can only hope each and every one of you who has read if only a sentence from the series has been intrigued enough to personally explore Godard and his themes of love, sex, and politics. Each month I will attempt to complete a series relating to a specific topic in hopes of expanding reader’s, as well as my own, consciousness and knowledge of cinema and its conflation to real life.
The Cinephiliac 
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