Jean-Luc Godard was a French director who pioneered post-war French cinema by establishing the French New Wave film movement.
- Died: September 13, 2022 (Who else died on September 13?)
- Details of death: Died by assisted suicide at his home in Rolle, Switzerland, where the practice is legal, at the age of 91.
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Groundbreaking career
Godard was a film critic before he became a filmmaker, co-founding the film journal “Gazette du cinema.” His love for movies led him to begin making short films in the 1950s before his feature-length debut, 1960’s “Breathless.” The influential and beloved film was one of the first and most prominent films of the French New Wave, now considered one of the greatest films of all time. Godard followed “Breathless” with a string of acclaimed and influential films including “The Little Soldier,” “My Life to Live,” and “Week End.” In the late 1960s, Godard began a period of experimental filmmaking, weaving militant political messages into his non-linear films.
Godard returned to a more mainstream style in the 1980s, beginning with his 1980 feature, “Every Man for Himself.” He called it his “second first film,” a return to his earlier form, and it was beloved by critics and nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Other later films included his 1987 adaptation of “King Lear;” 2004’s “Notre musique;” and his sprawling magnum opus, “Histoire(s) du cinema,” an eight-part exploration of film history and the 20th century. His last film was 2018’s “The Image Book.” Godard’s celebrated career was influential on directors including Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorcese, and he is credited with profoundly shaping the development of the feature film.
Notable quote
“American people like to say, ‘What do you mean exactly?’ I would answer: ‘I mean, but not exactly.’” –from a 2996 interview for Film Comment
Tributes to Jean-Luc Godard
Full obituary: The New York Times
