Vivre Sa Vie (1962) My Life to Live [The Criterion Collection]

Vivre sa vie was a turning point for Jean-Luc Godard and remains one of his most dynamic films, combining brilliant visual design with a tragic character study. The lovely Anna Karina, Godard’s greatest muse, plays Nana, a young Parisian who aspires to be an actress but instead ends up a prostitute, her downward spiral depicted in a series of discrete tableaux of daydreams and dances. Featuring some of Karina and Godard’s most iconic moments – from her movie theater vigil with The Passion of Joan of Arc to her seductive pool-hall strut – Vivre sa vie is a landmark of the French New Wave that still surprises at every turn.



Audio Commentary by film scholar Adrian Martin