Thoughts on Bande à part (Band of Outsiders)

Saturday, September 25, 2010 2:55 PM By Simon

-The naive Odile (Anna Karina) gets caught up with two would-be criminals, the lovestruck Franz (Sami Frey) and the nasty, but charming, Arthur (Claude Brasseur), and the three begin plotting to rob Odile's aunt of her millions.

-A clever twist on the gangster film, anyway.

-Anna Karina is lovely. I mean, she can play innocent, and calculating, and MPDG, and all that.

-The Madison scene is so awesome.

-Easily Godard's most accessible movie, if it's not his best. Only hints of his usual abuse of the fourth wall.

-That's it, really. Very clean-cut.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not to be cruel to other bloggers, but thank you for talking about movies that matter.

September 25, 2010 at 5:27 PM
Franz Patrick said...

I love this movie. And not just because one of the main characters is named Franz. :) I thank THE DREAMERS for recommending this in a not-so-subtle way.

September 27, 2010 at 9:24 PM
Marc Edward Heuck said...

Something you'll find amusing: not only is the Madison scene the obvious inspiration for the Twist contest in PULP FICTION, apparently it was also the inspiration for the Time Warp in THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW - remember that after it's over, Brad asks, "Does anyone here know how to Madison?"

September 28, 2010 at 6:05 AM
Simon said...

James D: ...You're welcome?

Franz: Nothing about the Dreamers is subtle, my dear.

Marc Edward Heuck: Yes! I do! In fact, the main selling point of this movie these days is the inspiration it gave people.

September 30, 2010 at 5:40 PM
Anonymous said...

I think Masculin Feminin is the essential Godard, Breathless as most accessible. bande a Part is the awkward sister of Godard movies, I never much was into the 'I'm bored' tone of the film. But looking back at it now, I do appreciate how it looks at playfulness and how 'playacting' and being obsessed with a 'cool' lifestyle can go too far.

Also, better version of this film - Truffaut's Jules et Jim. and more hilarious.

October 1, 2010 at 9:02 PM