Vivre Sa Vie / My Life to Live

Vivre Sa Vie / My Life to Live
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Vivre Sa Vie / My Life to Live
Introduction
Vivre sa vie / My Life to Live (France, 1963; director: Jean-Luc Godard; art cinema) is a French New Wave film that follows the life of Nana, a young Parisian woman who decides to abandon her husband and child to pursue her dream of becoming an actress (Baetens et al., 2019). She is struggling to make her way in life. It is an iconic film about life and its struggles, directed by one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema (Jean-Luc Godard). The film was released in 1963 and has since been regarded as a classic in the genre of art cinema (Turim, 2014). Its narrative structure and style, themes, motifs, and symbolism, costume design and acting, dialogue, and score, sets and locations, cinematography, the director's use of narrative devices, strategies, ideological positions, and visual effects and editing all contribute to its success in providing an authentic and powerful experience for viewers.
Narrative Structure and Style
The narrative structure and style of Vivre sa vie / My Life to Live is unique in its use of non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, and dream sequences. The film is divided into twelve chapters, each with its title and theme (Kozłowska, 2012). A quote introduces each chapter from a philosopher or author, and the story is told in a documentary style featuring interviews with Nana's friends and coworkers. The use of interviews and non-diegetic narration allows for a more subjective view of the story and a greater sense of realism (Woodley, 2000). This approach to the narrative structure allows the audience to gain insight into the experiences of Nana in each chapter and provides a greater understanding of the film's overall themes. This storytelling style allows greater exploration of the film's motifs and symbolism.
The Film's Themes, Motifs, and Symbolism
The film's central motif is that of the spinning record, which appears at the beginning and is a recurring theme. This motif symbolizes the nature of Nana's life and how it is caught in a perpetual cycle of repetition – from her husband to her prostitution and back to her husband again. The spinning record is a metaphor for Nana's choices and how her decisions ultimately lead her to self-destruction. The film also explores the theme of freedom and independence (MATHEWS, 2006). Nana desires to be free of the confines of her bourgeois lifestyle, and in her search for freedom, she makes decisions that ultimately lead her to a life of prostitution. She is also willing to take risks and make unconventional and often dangerous choices, such as when she steals money from her husband to fund her lifestyle. The film also examines the consequences of living outside the boundaries of respectability and morality (Kozłowska, 2012). While Nana can pursue her desires, her choices lead her to misery and suffering. Her journey is a cautionary tale of what can happen when one ignores the rules of society and follows her path.
The Director's Use of Narrative Devices, Strategies, and Ideological Positions
To begin, Godard uses a do...