Jean-Luc Godard

The Profile

Jean‑Luc Godard (1930–2022) was a French‑Swiss director, critic, and leading figure of the French New Wave. Moving from Cahiers du Cinéma to radical filmmaking, he reshaped cinematic language through innovations in editing, sound, and narrative, later expanding into essay films such as Histoire(s) du cinéma.

Key figure of the French New Wave; wrote for Cahiers du Cinéma; frequent collaborations with Anna Karina, Jean‑Paul Belmondo, and cinematographer Raoul Coutard; directed Breathless, Contempt, Pierrot le fou, Vivre sa vie; received an Honorary Academy Award (2010); died in 2022 in Switzerland.

Reviewers hail Godard as a keystone of the Nouvelle Vague, celebrating his radical form, dazzling color, and disruptive editing. Breathless is praised for its handheld energy and dialogue; Pierrot le fou as a kaleidoscopic road movie and apex of the New Wave. Vivre sa vie is treated as a timeless, humane study—anchored by Anna Karina—while Il disprezzo probes love’s erosion and the clash of art and commerce. Across the board: fresh, revolutionary, overwhelming.