The Good, The Bad and The Critic

Established on March 19th, 2012 and pioneered by film fanatic Michael J. Carlisle. The Good, The Bad and The Critic will analyze classic and contemporary films from all corners of the globe. This title references Sergei Leone's influential spaghetti western The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.

Saturday, January 6, 2024

Weekend (1967) Review

Title: Weekend
Year: 1967
Director: Jean Luc Godard
Country: France
Language: French



Jean Luc Godard's Weekend (1967) is considered a controversial film; Premiere magazine called it one of the "most dangerous movies of all time." It's a visceral attack on capitalism and a depiction of the decline of human society. 

This is a a surreal tale of a married couple going on a road trip to visit the wife's parents with the intention of killing them for the inheritance.

Weekend (1967) is a film that is saturated with cynicism about the class system in France, and frustrated by the status quo. Just as the "Summer of Love" was winding down, Godard wanted to show a film that would snap audiences out of their complacency and make them re-examine the nature of their society. 


Confronting the, primarily working class, audience wtth a vivid depiction of the morally bankrupt bourgeoisie class Weekend can be viewed as horror or parody. The surreal, and sometimes random, moments in the film are both jarring and comical. In one scene Emily Bronte appears, but she's dismissed as a fictional character and then set on fire. 


I first saw Weekend (1967) at midnight on a movie channel called "Drive In Classics" when I was a teenager. They showed "Underground Cinema" from midnight to 6am. I think it's a great film, but I feel like it's too pessimistic for my own personal taste. I do recommend it however. 




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