Made in U.S.A.

"Godard's films are records (documentaries, even) of personal interests, ecstasies, and agonies at a particular time in the artist's life." - Fernando F. Croce

At some point Godard became content to let his characters function as little more than soapboxes for himself. Made in U.S.A. is one of those instances where he comes off as a sterile intellectual, favoring political statements at the expense of emotional leverage. It's not completely without merit though, boasting a cartoonish and sarcastic visual flair that offsets the tedium of its ideas, plus I think there are few actresses more worthy of the adoration Godard affords Anna Karina.

unfinishable

There are ideas aplenty here, but one could also be forgiven for thinking that by 1966 Godard was already running out of good ones. Score would have been lower still, had it not ended with Anna Karina in the passenger seat of a car declaring in a tragic tone that we have years of struggle ahead of us, mostly within ourselves.

The movie condemns miniskirts and rock&roll as manner of fascist brainwashing, but more invested in the kitschy modernism in mainstream of Western culture than any movie Godard made prior or since. Paula asserts that advertising is a form of fascism, representing the director. It's a legitimate grievance and an upsetting one, considering that Made in U.S.A. is a relentless commercial for itself. Perhaps the cleverest thing about it might be its title, which offers perspective on that element.

81.500

This one works a lot more than 2 or 3 Things... because it mixes its politics with Godard's cool version of noir and it has typically stunning cinematography and a gorgeous Anna Karina in a typically good performance. There are a couple of scenes that drag but for the most part everything works. And there's a lot of good dialogue, like that line about Walt Disney with blood.

76.000

So weird, but I can't help but love it.

Godard being Godard. In this context, that means Godard doing his usual, using the medium as a means of criticism, but forgetting to actually make something truly compelling. As it stands, Made in USA has a lot of visual pop, but its characters largely exist as mouthpieces for tiresome Godard lectures. An interesting watch if only for its nods to Ray, Bogart and Hawks.

I think I'd rather watch a real Richard Widmark movie.

Probably deserves a rewatch down the line... some of Godard's best visuals/set-design, plus it's funny. But it's also easy to get lost while watching it and the "plot" feels superfluous amidst all the essayist deconstruction and philosophical trickery. Definitely better than it's companion piece Two or Three Things... though, and Karina has never been lovelier.

Made in U.S.A. is a tonic experience; its style is both vibrant and severe like Godard's 1985 Detective. But it's also Godard's most soulful movie.

Great concept, terrible execution. Karina looked great.

Awfully tedious. Boring word games, barrage of shallow political jargon, uninteresting observations... the usual Godard bullshit. I'm fine with him deconstructing cinema and tossing narrative structure to the wayside. But if you're going to do that, you'd better come up with some good stuff to take its place. And here he rarely succeeds. There aren't many magic moments to be had, but the color scheme is lovely and there are a few stretches where I wasn't thinking about what a bratty putz he is.

walt disney with blood