Ready to see one of Jean-Luc Godard‘s brightest, most colorful films in 4k? NYC residents get a chance to when “A Woman Is A Woman” comes to Film Forum in February, which heralds the U.S. premiere of the new restoration.
And if any of Godard’s films deserve the 4k treatment, it’s this one. “A Woman Is A Woman” is the legendary French director’s ode to Hollywood Technicolor musicals: at once a love-triangle rom-com, a teasing look at gender norms in 1960s Europe, and a colorful mélange of visual puns, wordplay, and general cinephilia on Godard’s part. It’s easily one of Godard’s most charming and accessible films.
And it’s also the first narrative feature Godard made with his then-wife Anna Karina. “A Woman Is A Woman” stars Karina as Angela dancer fending off the romantic pursuits of two men (soon-to-be Godard regular Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean-Paul Brialy) in hopes of having a child. But who Angela ends up with is less critical to Godard than him using the film to reference anything and everything he possibly can, which he does with colorful aplomb.
“A Woman Is A Woman” turned the musical genre inside out, with ripple effects affecting other genre entries for decades afterward. Godard did that with several genres in the early-mid ’60s, but this film remains the most approachable for general audiences. That makes Film Forum’s two-week run of “A Woman Is A Woman” for newbies and Godard enthusiasts alike, so check out the trailer for the 4k restoration below.
“A Woman Is A Woman” runs February 7-20 at Film Forum, courtesy of Rialto Pictures. Studiocanal oversaw the film’s new 4k restoration with support from CNC, with the new scan from the original 35mm negatives by Hiventy.
