Vivre sa Vie

Vivre sa Vie, directed by Jean-Luc Godard and released in 1962, illustrates the story of a girl, played by Ana Karina, who finds herself lost in the world of prostitution. She has recently left her husband and is now battling with her landlord to keep her apartment. She holds a job at a record store, but then leaves it in order to pursue her job as a prostitute. Her character is interesting because she is somewhat naieve and unaware of what happens in the world of prostitution. Prostitution to her acts as a way for her to get the attention from men that she always desired, even if it is not sincere attention. Her beauty and grace contrast with her inner self that feels damaged by how she is portraying herself to the world. Her character can also be viewed as ambiguous. It is sometimes hard to tell what she is thinking by the way she talks. At times, her conversations seem to go nowhere. Godard does a good job illustrating her struggle to stay stable under all the pressures of her life.
The structure of the film is also interesting; it is divided into 12 parts, all which seem unconnected to each other. The sudden camera movements and editing of the film make it a memorable Godard, New Wave feature.