Jean-Luc Goddard's 1980 return to 35 mm filmmaking after a decade of experimental video and 16 mm political films brought on by the 1968 student riots. This Criterion Edition was purchased with three others that, as I've said, each was a bust.
I tried watching this a month or so ago and could not finish. Today I returned to it, determined to see it through. Unfortunately it joins the other Criterions on the for-sale-at-Amazon list.
Goddard's "experimental" touches include: going into slow motion, or still frame, in the middle of random scenes for no apparent reason. Having a very loud noise, such as a train passing or a group of people talking, completely obscure the dialog in some scenes. Overlapping two or more images (unrelated) making montages which do not relate to anything in the story. Completely inappropriate (and unmotivated) outbursts about butt-fucking his 11-year old daughter.
Yeah, like that.
The "story" (if you can call it that) is about a guy, a TV producer, who wants to quit his job and move to the country. His soon-to-be ex-wife and soon-to-be ex-mistress are similarly disenchanted with their lives.
Heavy, huh?
The title is used to declare an emergency, when self-preservation takes over from any sort of gallantry or social codes. Maybe that's meant to be descriptive of the characters in the movie, or Godard's process in making the movie, but I'm a simple man and confess if it was it went right over my head.
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