Jean-Luc Godard: Giant who left audience 'Breathless' with highly political voice
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “Sorry for speaking in the tongue of the dominators.” This was how Jean-Luc Godard greeted film lovers in the state, via video conferencing, upon receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 25th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) last year. No wonder that the rebel of cinema had such a huge fan following in the state.
Considered by many as a giant of French New Wave cinema, Godard, 91, passed away on Tuesday. The Breathless director, known for his highly political voice, was extremely critical of the Vietnam war and had also raised his voice against attacks on Palestine.
“Godard showed us that politics was not separate from art. Everything that you do is a political act. Activism is not the only aspect of politics. Each choice that you make, each film that you make, each stance that you take, every image you choose, where you keep the camera and, in short, each frame can well be a political statement. In a way, it is politics that engages with life and people. It’s not about party politics, as we know it, but understanding the power you have as an artist and using it with great care,” observed film editor Beena Paul.
“Keralites were always vocal in their appreciation of the avant-garde filmmaker,” she said.Beena Paul, who is also IFFK’s artistic director, recalled how long and difficult a process it was to convince Godard to accept IFFK award. “I had to work for six months to convince him, and finally he agreed,” she said.
Adoor: Godard lived a life synonymous with cinema
“It was quite a process. Though he didn’t know much about Kerala, he did enjoy talking to us a lot. In his interview with us, he went on to share quite a few profound insights with us,” Beena reminisced.
Godard was as much a familiar name to Malayalis as Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Satyajit Ray or Ritwik Ghatak.
A pioneer of jump-cuts in cinema, his debut movie Breathless took the audience to a whole new world. Each of his frames was an innate expression of his politics.That Godard who had declined an honorary Oscar chose to accept the Lifetime Achievement Award at the IFFK was in itself a great recognition for Kerala and its cinema. That’s why Adoor Gopalakrishnan, who had received the award on his behalf, stated that it was actually an honour for IFFK that Godard was being honoured.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of IFFK, Godard had appreciated the Kerala festival for screening good and sensible movies.“One who altered the grammar of cinema” was how Adoor chose to remember Godard. “He constantly came up with new experiments through the medium of cinema. His films uprooted existing practices and pre-conceived notions in cinema. Godard was one who lived a life synonymous with cinema,” Adoor told the mediapersons on Tuesday.
Godard has been an inspiration to filmmakers in the state. “He has been a major influence in my film career. His debut film, Breathless was released in 1960, but I watched it in the 80s. He broke the shackles of cinema when it comes to hand-held cameras and editing syntaxes” said director Syamaprasad.
In his condolence message, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan observed that with his passing, Godard has left a huge void in world cinema. “He was instrumental in realising the idea of a political brand of cinema with a Marxist outlook, free from the existing modes of cinematic production,” tweeted Pinarayi Vijayan.