Overview
Inspired by Lionel White’s novel Obsession, and stunningly photographed in colour and ’Scope by Raoul Coutard, Godard’s tale of ‘the last romantic couple’ follows Pierrot (Belmondo) as he abandons the routine of his comfortable Paris existence for adventure on the road with lover Marianne (Karina).
By his tenth feature, Godard’s playful, postmodern style has begun to incorporate some of the more confrontational and political techniques that would categorise his post-'68 work; yet Pierrot remains one of Godard’s most accessible and fun films. With its protagonists’ blasé attitude to violence, pop culture references and restless editing style, Pierrot le Fou established the fugitive-lovers formula further distilled by Quentin Tarantino in his 1990s thrillers True Romance and Natural Born Killers. Ranked joint 84th in the 2022 Sight and Sound Great Films of All Time poll.
Related

The Fire Raisers The Fire Raisers
Crime 1934 78 mins Director: Michael Powell
Michael Powell’s atmospheric thriller about an insurance man in over his head with a gang of arsonists.

Crown v. Stevens Crown v. Stevens
Crime 1936 67 mins Director: Michael Powell
Patric Knowles stars as a naïve young man who becomes embroiled in the murderous, money-hungry scheming of his boss’s wife, in Michael Powell’s stylish proto-film noir.

The Innocent The Innocent
Comedy 2022 98 mins Director: Louis Garrel
Louis Garrel’s unique French comedy-heist-romantic-thriller comes loaded with charm and humour.

Badlands Badlands
Crime 1973 94 mins Director: Terrence Malick
Terrence Malick’s dazzling directorial debut, based on a seemingly random killing spree undertaken by a young Dakota couple in the 1950s

Training Day Training Day
Crime 2001 122 mins Director: Antoine Fuqua
Denzel Washington delivers an Academy Award-winning performance opposite Ethan Hawke in this gritty cop drama.

How to Blow Up a Pipeline How to Blow Up a Pipeline
Crime 2022 104 mins Director: Daniel Goldhaber
A group of environmental activists plan the sabotage of an oil pipeline in this taut thriller.

Rebel Dykes Rebel Dykes
Documentary 2021 91 mins Director: Harri Shanahan and Sîan Williams
A brilliant and refreshing story of UK post-punk dyke culture, told by those who lived it.

Boiling Point Boiling Point
Drama 2020 95 mins Director: Philip Baranttini
An emotionally scarred London chef (Stephen Graham) struggles to keep it together in this formally extraordinary and beautifully acted single-take thriller.

Compartment No. 6 Compartment No. 6
Drama 2021 107 mins Director: Juho Kuosmanen
Juho Kuosmanen’s grungy train journey to Siberia, in a Finnish student’s shared sleeper carriage with a volatile Russian labourer, won the 2021 Cannes Grand Prix.

Drive My Car Drive My Car
Drama 2021 179 mins Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Inspired by Haruki Murakami’s short story, Ryūsuke Hamaguchi takes us on an unpredictable and self-revelatory journey in this serene yet riveting Oscar-winning drama.

Benediction Benediction
Drama 2020 137 mins Director: Terence Davies
Terence Davies’ moving and lyrical portrait of the life of celebrated war poet Siegfried Sassoon.

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
Comedy 2022 97 mins Director: Sophie Hyde
Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson), a retired schoolteacher and widow, is yearning for adventure and really good sex, in comedian Katy Brand’s BAFTA-nominated drama.

Breathless [À bout de souffle] Breathless [À bout de souffle]
Film noir 1960 90 mins Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard’s extraordinary debut feature, an insouciant and iconoclastic crime film that paved the way for the French New Wave.

Une femme est une femme Une femme est une femme
Drama 1961 84 mins Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Godard’s colourful and exuberant tribute to the Hollywood musical, with Anna Karina, Jean-Paul Belmondo, and Jean-Claude Brialy.

Alphaville Alphaville
Detective drama 1965 99 mins Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard’s venture into sci-fi pits secret agent Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine) on a mission to destroy the malevolent supercomputer, Alpha 60.

Une femme est une femme Une femme est une femme
Drama 1961 84 mins Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Godard’s colourful and exuberant tribute to the Hollywood musical, with Anna Karina, Jean-Paul Belmondo, and Jean-Claude Brialy.

Breathless [À bout de souffle] Breathless [À bout de souffle]
Film noir 1960 90 mins Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard’s extraordinary debut feature, an insouciant and iconoclastic crime film that paved the way for the French New Wave.

Le Mépris Le Mépris
Drama 1963 103 mins Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard conducts an autopsy of love and the creative process, as a boorish film producer dismantles a seemingly strong marriage.

Alphaville Alphaville
Detective drama 1965 99 mins Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard’s venture into sci-fi pits secret agent Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine) on a mission to destroy the malevolent supercomputer, Alpha 60.

Une femme est une femme Une femme est une femme
Drama 1961 84 mins Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Godard’s colourful and exuberant tribute to the Hollywood musical, with Anna Karina, Jean-Paul Belmondo, and Jean-Claude Brialy.

Film socialisme Film socialisme
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2010 97 mins Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard’s acerbic and disorienting essay on the decline of Western civilisation, shot aboard the famously grounded cruise ship, the Costa Concordia.

Goodbye to Language Goodbye to Language
Drama 2014 70 mins Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard’s typically innovative and playful meditation on technology, love and language was acclaimed one of the best films of 2014.

Eismayer Eismayer
Drama 2022 87 mins Director: David Wagner
Drill sergeant Eismayer has a reputation as the toughest training officer in the Austrian military, but when he starts to fall in love with a new recruit, his closeted existence is shaken to the core.

Is There Anybody Out There? Is There Anybody Out There?
Documentary 2023 87 mins Director: Ella Glendining
Highlighting the importance of being seen, Ella Glendining invites us on a personal journey as she sets out to find others with the same rare disability as herself.

His Lordship His Lordship
Comedy 1932 73 mins Director: Michael Powell
A plumber discovers to his horror that he is, in fact, a hereditary Lord in Michael Powell's riotous satirical musical.

The Fire Raisers The Fire Raisers
Crime 1934 78 mins Director: Michael Powell
Michael Powell’s atmospheric thriller about an insurance man in over his head with a gang of arsonists.

Punch Punch
Drama 2022 99 mins Director: Welby Ings
New Zealand filmmaker Welby Ings’ powerful film is a beautifully shot and moving story about finding queer love and identity in the face of overwhelming odds.

Talk to Me Talk to Me
Horror 2022 95 mins Director: Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou
Australian filmmaking brothers Danny and Michael Philippou’s feature film debut nods to their background as viral-video sensations.