First, I should admit that "Bande a part" (called "Band of Outsiders" in English) is the first Jean-Luc Godard movie that I've seen, so I can't compare it with his other movies. But I certainly liked it. One of the many installments in the New Wave (in fact, Nouvelle Vague appears on a cinema marquee), it portrays small-time crooks Arthur and Franz - both fans of B-movies about gangsters - enlisting young foreign language student Odile to help them pull off a crime.
My interpretation is that the movie has many aspects. Clearly, we get to see early '60s Paris. But also, Godard likes to imitate some of the tricks used in film noir B-movies - as well as with the storytelling - without getting silly. In some ways, it seems that the movie has a plot similar to Stanley Kubrick's "The Killing" (also about a heist), but they set things up so as to prevent it from being an outright rehash.
A scene that people frequently like to discuss when talking about this movie is the dance scene; I certainly liked what they did with the sound there, as well as during the moment of silence. However, one scene that I would like to discuss is the English class where they read "Romeo & Juliet". As the teacher reads about the suicides, and about the characters being star-crossed lovers, it makes one ponder whether or not this reflects on unfolding events in the movie (but I'll let you find out for yourself what happens).
Anyway, I'm now eager to see Godard's other movies. Is he France's greatest director? That's debatable, but you can't deny that this movie is a great one.
My interpretation is that the movie has many aspects. Clearly, we get to see early '60s Paris. But also, Godard likes to imitate some of the tricks used in film noir B-movies - as well as with the storytelling - without getting silly. In some ways, it seems that the movie has a plot similar to Stanley Kubrick's "The Killing" (also about a heist), but they set things up so as to prevent it from being an outright rehash.
A scene that people frequently like to discuss when talking about this movie is the dance scene; I certainly liked what they did with the sound there, as well as during the moment of silence. However, one scene that I would like to discuss is the English class where they read "Romeo & Juliet". As the teacher reads about the suicides, and about the characters being star-crossed lovers, it makes one ponder whether or not this reflects on unfolding events in the movie (but I'll let you find out for yourself what happens).
Anyway, I'm now eager to see Godard's other movies. Is he France's greatest director? That's debatable, but you can't deny that this movie is a great one.