Aspect Ratio in VIVRE SA VIE - The Criterion Channel (original) (raw)
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2 Episodes
Observations on Film Art No. 44
One of the peaks of Jean-Luc Godard’s extraordinary 1960s creative run, VIVRE SA VIE finds the filmmaker combining brilliant visual design with a tragic character study of a young woman (Anna Karina) on a downward spiral. In this edition of Observations on Film Art, Professor David Bordwell examines Godard’s bold choice to shoot the film in the boxy, 4:3 aspect ratio that was then quickly becoming outmoded in favor of widescreen. Pushing aesthetic boundaries as always, Godard uses the format’s tight framing to maintain a rigorous, almost obsessive focus on his central character, resulting in a work of true cinematic portraiture.