Band of Outsiders (1964)

“Band of Outsiders” (1964), or “Bande a part” as it's called in its original French version, is directed by French auteur-filmmaker Jean Luc-Godard. This, in a way, already tells you what to expect from the film in that it is obviously going to be quite different to the “mainstream” cinema that we are used to today. And yes, from the first frame onwards, it is clear that Godard's film clearly sets out to mock the structure and limits of more traditional films and to play with the audience's perceptions.

Godard came to fame in the early 1960's as a founding member of the “nouvelle vague” cinema movement. With the success of his film “Breathless” (1960), “A bout de soufflé” in the French version, he gained a worldwide audience and set forth to explore the themes and tone of the “nouvelle vague” cinema. Highlights of the highly prolific director's work include: “Une Femme est une Femme” (1961), “Vivre Sa Vie” (1962) and “Pierrot le Fou” (1965).
In “Band of Outsiders”, two idiosyncratic amateur crooks, Franz and Arthur convince a young student, Odile, to commit a robbery. During their adventures, they slip in and out of old Hollywood B-movie tropes, explore their relationship with each other and try to sit in silence for a full minute.

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The film is guided by a voice-over narration, that at times works in the traditional way of exposing crucial details, but at other times explains what is already apparent. And although all characters are sufficiently set up and developed, the characters behaviour is as surprising as the film itself. On that note, I would like to point out that the main cast is truly perfect and delivers memorable performances. Anna Karina, Godard's wife and muse, especially stands out as the naïve language student.

There is a plot, but it serves as a guideline for the films actual artistic progress. Band of Outsiders is a true work of art, presentation over substance, and it works as such. It works because of the genius that is Jean-Luc Godard. Godard’s imagination seems unlimited in its resources, his approach to filmmaking is fresh and fun, there is an energy present that lacks in a few of his subsequent films.

If you are wondering, what sort of film to expect in Band of Outsiders, the answer isn’t very easy. Band of Outsiders doesn’t seem to belong to any genre or style (other than the French nouvelle vague), but it is rather a study of film itself. What do we look for in a film? How do characters behave differently from real life people?

If you are interested in finding out the answer to these questions, I advise you watch Band of Outsiders.

By Movie Parliament Minister for History,
Leonhard Balk

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