Search - My Life to Live on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Not For Children, Sexual Situations Movie Release: 1962 DVD Release: 08/12/1998 Format: DVD - Black and White Audio Tracks: French Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 25 mins Studio: Fox Lorber Members Wishing: 19 Genres: Drama, Psychological Drama, Urban Drama

Vivre Sa Vie presents 12 episodes in the life of a young woman who turns to prostitution to pay her rent. Each episode features a theatrical scene preceded by a title that lists the characters in the episode, its location, and a brief summary of the action. As he would throughout his career, director Jean-Luc Godard uses prostitution as a metaphor for both economic life in general and the position of the filmmaker under capitalism. Vivre Sa Vie stars Anna Karina, who was married to Godard at the time. Her performance was largely improvised as Godard refused to give Karina her lines until just before each scene was shot. In order to maintain the freshness of the performances, Godard rarely made more than one take of each shot. The film is shot in stunning black-and-white by Raoul Coutard. The improvised acting and fragmented story give the viewer the impression of watching a documentary about a woman's life that is also a series of essays about aesthetics and economics. In addition, the film's camera style presents a catalogue of alternatives to conventional shooting strategies. ~ Louis Schwartz, All Movie Guide

Anna Karina - Nana Kleinfrankenheim
Saddy Rebbot - Raoul
André S. Labarthe - Paul
Guylaine Schlumberger - Yvette
Eric Schlumberger - Luigi
Gerard Hoffman - Man Who Buys Nana
Brice Parain - Himself, The Philosopher
Monique Messine - Elizabeth

One of the many collaborations between director Jean-Luc Godard and actress Anna Karina, My Life to Live comes to DVD with a standard full-frame transfer. The French soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. English subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include filmographies for the cast and crew, and a list of awards won by the film. This French classic probably deserves a better life on DVD, but this disc is acceptable. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide