Made in U.S.A.

Jean-Luc Godard was represented by a few films at the 1967 NYFF, including his 1966 film Made in U.S.A. This film, which was loosely, and I mean loosely, based on a Donald Westlake novel, was unavailable in the U.S. for a long time because Godard, typically, did not bother to get the rights. It's not great Godard, but it's silly fun for fans of his.

It would be the last time Anna Karina, at the time his ex-wife, would star in one of his films, and it is kind of a valentine to her. One of the first scenes of the film is a close-up of her, and the film is full of them, close-ups that show her luminosity. I believe she's in every scene of the movie, wearing colorful dresses and pointing guns and looking like she's having a great time.

She plays Paula Nelson, a journalist who is investigating her lover's death (his name is Richard, but every time his last name is mentioned there is a cartoon sound effect). To describe the plot more than that would be impossible. She meets a very short man named Edgar Typhus who ends up dead; a pulp writer; a few cops; and some characters I can't say what they were. They are given names from cinema and other walks of life--Richard Widmark, Robert Aldrich, David Goodis (a pulp writer who was often adapted by French film directors), and Don Siegel. There are also characters named Richard Nixon and Robert MacNamara.

The film is set us a noir, but is really more an homage to cartoons. Karina says early in the film, "I found myself in a Walt Disney film, but Humphrey Bogart was in it so it was political," which pretty much sums everything up. In addition to cartoon sound effects, the colors are from the pallet of pop art. Often Karina is featured against a wall of bright color, whether it blue or red, or wearing a yellow dress or one that looks like a painting by Mondrian.

The film is diverting enough to stay interesting, as it is only 84 minutes. As to whether it has anything to say, I can't be sure. The title is Made in U.S.A. but it doesn't directly reference the U.S., though it set in the fictional city of "Atlantic-Cite," which looks nothing like Atlantic City.

According to Wikipedia, the film is also based on The Big Sleep, but I didn't see any similarities. Clearly Godard is enamored of Raymond Chandler, though, who once said that to make the plot move on have a man enter the room with a gun. Godard seems to agree, as characters pull out guns several times.