Les Carabiniers

Rating:
Summary: Godard's Treatise on War is difficult, but enlightening
Review: Godard made his 5th feature with the goal of infuriating the viewers, he succeeds on one level. But on another level, he made a masterstroke film that condemns war and inanities of blind patriotism. But employing a fictional setting and war, Godard is able to get at the heart of the matter more quickly than most anti-war films, because he doens't have to "waste time" setting the scene of the battle - whether it's D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge or Back to Baatan - those operations have to be faithfully re-created and, I guess, in Godard's mind cloud the real issues that are mined in an anti-war film.

Shot in 16mm to accecentuate the war correspondant feel of the picture, Godard employs he unique, trade-mark sound editing to most effective results and creates a world that takes to task the materialist cultures of the west that fight wars in order to ensure continued monied-existences for the citizenry.

The DVD transfer is remarkably clean, considering the elements and the style that Godard wanted. It probably looks better that even Godard intended. A worthy purchase those looking for a strident, fresh examination of that unqiuely human enterprise - war.

Rating:
Summary: Exasperatingly enchanting
Review: I saw this film some 8 years ago in a revival theatre along with most of Godard's early classics. As a part of his body of work, Les Carabiniers fits in snugly, but I would most emphatically recommend NOT to start your Godard spree with it. The film appears messy, with inconsistent pacing, strange comic interludes, baffling dialogue and pointed (but rarely obvious) commentary about the nature of war. Godard utilizes some action scenes (taking cues from Sam Fuller) and plays with the conventions of Hollywood cinema with obvious delight. Much of this is true of all his films up to WEEKEND. But at the heart of this small film there is an anger that would only resurface years later - probably due to the fact that this film was pulled from the market soon after its release (thanks to public indifference and critical vehemence, both of which are understandable reactions if you expect your standard fare from a film such as this). It is invigoratingly different, energetic to a fault, and of course pure Godard. It doesn't have (m)any familiar faces in it, and the sloppy approach with eccentric acting only enhances the narrow line between innocence and cruelty that the film repeatedly touches on. Very much worth a look, but be cautious in your expectations.

Rating:
Summary: When a good idea vanishes!
Review: Sans souffle would be the most appropiate title to intend describe the efforts made for Godard in this film built with a very good proposal that soon it decays in the boreness due the lack of intention .
Imagine a flight without any plan . This picture describes the merciless behavior of the war , but Godard emphasizes the insanity of this social phenomen abusing of cliche .
The script is extremely flat and predictable . And really nothing happens . A dissapointed movie in the filmography of one of the New Wave pioneers who gave with this issue the first signals of lack of creativity concerned with the world in that age .

Rating:
Summary: Hit-and-miss
Review: This is more "straight" than most Godard films. It resembles the type of biting satire that another filmmaker might make; it's strange, but not as quirky and abstract as his other films tend to be. Herein, we watch a couple of country bumpkins go and fight in the King's army, commit various atrocities, and come home with the bounty they've earned (a briefcase full of postcards).

But, it's no great shakes. It seems based around a treatise that war is bad, because the masses are being exploited. There is no acknowledgement that war is sometimes reasonable or necessary, in the face of aggression. It's just the same old "the ruling classes are bad, and here are some glimpses of abject ugliness presented as proof" that was in vogue during the 60's and 70's.

Extremely dated, with a few clever and/or memorable moments. Points up for the attached commentary track (on the DVD) during which a critic who admires Godard's work tells us what he sees the film as being about.

Rating:
Summary: Hit-and-miss
Review: This is more "straight" than most Godard films. It resembles the type of biting satire that another filmmaker might make; it's strange, but not as quirky and abstract as his other films tend to be. Herein, we watch a couple of country bumpkins go and fight in the King's army, commit various atrocities, and come home with the bounty they've earned (a briefcase full of postcards).

But, it's no great shakes. It seems based around a treatise that war is bad, because the masses are being exploited. There is no acknowledgement that war is sometimes reasonable or necessary, in the face of aggression. It's just the same old "the ruling classes are bad, and here are some glimpses of abject ugliness presented as proof" that was in vogue during the 60's and 70's.

Extremely dated, with a few clever and/or memorable moments. Points up for the attached commentary track (on the DVD) during which a critic who admires Godard's work tells us what he sees the film as being about.

Rating:
Summary: Hit-and-miss
Review: This is more "straight" than most Godard films. It resembles the type of biting satire that another filmmaker might make; it's strange, but not as quirky and abstract as his other films tend to be. Herein, we watch a couple of country bumpkins go and fight in the King's army, commit various atrocities, and come home with the bounty they've earned (a briefcase full of postcards).

But, it's no great shakes. It seems based around a treatise that war is bad, because the masses are being exploited. There is no acknowledgement that war is sometimes reasonable or necessary, in the face of aggression. It's just the same old "the ruling classes are bad, and here are some glimpses of abject ugliness presented as proof" that was in vogue during the 60's and 70's.

Extremely dated, with a few clever and/or memorable moments. Points up for the attached commentary track (on the DVD) during which a critic who admires Godard's work tells us what he sees the film as being about.