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Masculine-Feminine

Play trailer Masculine-Feminine Released Mar 22, 1966 1h 43m Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
96% Tomatometer 47 Reviews 86% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Paul (Jean-Pierre Léaud), a young idealist trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life, takes a job interviewing people for a marketing research firm. He moves in with aspiring pop singer Madeleine (Chantal Goya), and their affair often involves her two sexy roommates. Paul, however, is disillusioned by the growing commercialism in society, while Madeleine just wants to be successful. The story is told in a series of 15 unrelated vignettes.
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Masculine-Feminine

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Critics Consensus

A '60s time capsule stuffed with ideas about politics, pop culture, and the battle of the sexes, Masculine-Feminine is one of Godard's classic black-and-white films.

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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Republic Using neither crime nor the romance of crime but a simple romance for a kind of interwoven story line, Godard has, at last, created the form he needed. It is a combination of essay, journalistic sketches, news and portraiture, love lyric and satire. Aug 30, 2012 Full Review Time Out Its parodies and satires are recklessly inventive, and its fundamental pessimism isn't as flip as it may at first seem. Feb 9, 2006 Full Review Terry Lawson Detroit Free Press May not have aged any better than Godard's other films of the period, but that doesn't mean Paul and company don't continue to ask questions and spout the opinions of the newly enlightened. Rated: 4/4 Oct 14, 2005 Full Review Brian Susbielles InSession Film Godard takes another experimental view of his own movie, inserting documentary, outside sub-plots, and sudden intertitles that break the rules of storytelling, but because it’s Godard, we’re not surprised and is still very watchable. Mar 6, 2023 Full Review Sean Burns Crooked Marquee There’s the creeping sensation that this giddy, pop culture oversaturation is no longer sustainable, especially as these characters inch into adulthood. Sep 17, 2022 Full Review David Harris Spectrum Culture Though Léaud is a significant figure as an actor, he also represents something even more important: the portraits of two of the most important cinematic artists as young men. Nov 16, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Dušan A As Dragan Nikolic would say "It's Godard, there is no plot", but still a fun and beautiful movie Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/13/24 Full Review Andr d Obra memorável. A trilha sonora, os personalidade e a trama são perfeitos, certamente um dos melhores filmes que já assisti. Godard acertou em cheio nessa obra fantástica. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/15/23 Full Review Alexsander F Filme fantástico, bem ao estilo Antonionni e com à assinatura inconfundível de Godard. Uma pitada policia bem sútil. Recomendo a todos que assistam à essa película. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/25/23 Full Review Luca D The acting seemed very sub par and the writing might as well have been written by knowitall college students trying to prove they know more about politics than you do. The women in the movie seem to be deemed uninterested in life and what goes on around them, compared to the male counterparts (making them less important??). Not really sure what the movie is trying to prove, but there were some introspective scenes about young love that kept me watching. Probably won't watch again. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/24/23 Full Review elana k I think I finally agree with Bergman. Goddard aint that great. Maybe I'm boring, maybe I just prefer form and a due respect for the time honoured tradition and craft of good storytelling. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 04/03/23 Full Review William L "Understand what you will" - Godard just throws down the gauntlet with a slap to the faces of the audience, but it's not necessarily a difficult premise - Masculin Féminin explores youth culture in France during the '60s as a smorgasbord of historical and cultural events, commercialism, cigarettes, and hormones. Léaud's Paul is a pseudo-intellectual who chases girls through cafes with an unimpressive string of opinions and tastes, quoting without understanding and often substituting emotional outbursts for sincerity or passion. Opposite him is Goya's Madeleine, the main target of Paul's affections, variously interested in the superficial, commercial, and herself, who variously snubs and encourages Paul's attempts to woo her as the situation demands; she is typically composed but seldom can be considered 'in-control'. Godard doesn't really necessarily take a stance condemning either for their faults, loves, or fears as he simply remarks on the environment that resulted in their current state, though their collective lack of substance or importance makes their existence a bit tragic in the face of larger cultural movements then underway, a stance that could easily resonate with a newer generation. One of the more accessible Godards, ably acted, interestingly shot and edited (even though his clear intentwas to demonstrate the Paul's impotence, the director can't help but make an urban, smoke-filled Parisian cafe look cool), Masculin Féminin still has plenty of relevance and empathy to provide. (4/5) Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/02/21 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Paul (Jean-Pierre Léaud), a young idealist trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life, takes a job interviewing people for a marketing research firm. He moves in with aspiring pop singer Madeleine (Chantal Goya), and their affair often involves her two sexy roommates. Paul, however, is disillusioned by the growing commercialism in society, while Madeleine just wants to be successful. The story is told in a series of 15 unrelated vignettes.
Director
Jean-Luc Godard
Producer
Anatole Dauman, Jean-Luc Godard
Screenwriter
Guy de Maupassant, Jean-Luc Godard
Distributor
Royal Films International, Rialto Pictures
Production Co
Anouchka Films, Argos Films, Svensk Filmindustri (SF) AB, Sandrews
Genre
Romance
Original Language
French (France)
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 22, 1966, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 15, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA)
$199.9K
Runtime
1h 43m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Flat (1.37:1)
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