''A Woman Is a Woman'' (french: Une femme est une femme) is a 1961 French

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typic ...

film written and directed by

Jean-Luc Godard Jean-Luc Godard ( , ; ; 3 December 193013 September 2022) was a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter, and film critic. He rose to prominence as a pioneer of the French New Wave film movement of the 1960s, alongside such filmmakers as Fran ...

, starring

Jean-Paul Belmondo Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (; 9 April 19336 September 2021) was a French actor and producer. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, he was a major French film star for several decades from the 1960s onward. His best known credits ...

, Anna Karina and

Jean-Claude Brialy Jean-Claude Brialy (30 March 1933 – 30 May 2007) was a French actor and film director. Early life Brialy was born in Aumale (now Sour El-Ghozlane), French Algeria, where his father was stationed with the French Army. Brialy moved to mainland ...

. It is a tribute to American

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

and associated with the

French New Wave French New Wave (french: La Nouvelle Vague) is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentation and a spirit of iconocla ...

. It is Godard's third feature film (the release of his second, '' Le petit soldat'', was delayed by censorship), and his first in color and

Cinemascope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...

Plot

The film centers on the relationship of exotic dancer Angéla and her lover Émile. Angéla wants to have a child, but Émile is not ready. Émile's best friend Alfred also says he loves Angéla, and keeps up a gentle pursuit. Angéla and Émile argue about the matter; at one point they decide not to speak to each other, so continue their argument by pulling books from the shelf and pointing to the titles. Since Émile stubbornly refuses her request for a child, Angéla finally decides to accept Alfred's plea and sleeps with him. This proves that she will do what she must to have a child. She and Émile finally reconcile, so he has a chance to become the father. The two have sex, then engage in a bit of wordplay that gives the film its title: an exasperated Émile says "''Angéla, tu es infâme''" ("Angela, you are horrid"), and she retorts, "''Non, je suis une femme''" ("No, I am a woman").

Cast

* Anna Karina as Angela *

as Émile Récamier *

as Alfred Lubitsch * Henri Attal as false blind man #2 (uncredited) * Karyn Balm as (uncredited) *

Dorothée Blank Frédérique Hoschedé (born 14 July 1953 in Paris), better known by the stage name Dorothée, is a French singer and television presenter. She was a continuity announcer on French public broadcaster Antenne 2 from 1977 to 1983, but she is be ...

as prostitute 3 (uncredited) * Marie Dubois as Angela's friend (uncredited) * Ernest Menzer as bar owner (uncredited) *

Jeanne Moreau Jeanne Moreau (; 23 January 1928 – 31 July 2017) was a French actress, singer, screenwriter, director, and socialite. She made her theatrical debut in 1947, and established herself as one of the leading actresses of the Comédie-Française. M ...

as woman in bar (herself) *

Nicole Paquin Nicole may refer to: People * Nicole (name) * Nicole (American singer) (born 1958), a contestant in season 3 of the American ''The X Factor'' * Nicole (Chilean singer) (born 1977) * Nicole (German singer) (born 1964), winner of the 1982 Euro ...

as Suzanne (uncredited) *

Gisèle Sandré Gisele or Gisèle may refer to: Persons * Gisele (given name) * Gisele, mononym of Brazilian model Gisele Bündchen Gisele Caroline Bündchen (, , born 20 July 1980) is a Brazilian fashion model. Since 2001, she has been one of the highes ...

as prostitute 2 (uncredited) *

Marion Sarraut Marion Sarraut (13 August 1938 – 12 July 2021) was a French film and theatre director. Biography Born in Saigon in French Indochina, Marion was the granddaughter of former Prime Minister Albert Sarraut. She studied at the for three years, and ...

as prostitute 1 (uncredited) * Dominique Zardi as false blind man #1 (uncredited)

Awards

11th Berlin International Film Festival The 11th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 23 June to 4 July 1961. The Golden Bear was awarded to the Italian film ''La notte'' directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. Jury The following people were announced as being on the j ...

** Silver Bear for Best Actress (Karina - won) ** Silver Bear Extraordinary Jury Prize (won) **

Golden Bear The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin. History The win ...

(nominated)

References

External links

* *
''A Woman Is a Woman''
an essay by

J. Hoberman James Lewis Hoberman (born March 14, 1949) is an American film critic, journalist, author and academic. He began working at '' The Village Voice'' in the 1970s, became a full-time staff writer in 1983, and was the newspaper's senior film critic ...

at the

Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films." Criterion serves film and media scholars, cine ...

1961 films 1961 musical comedy films 1961 romantic comedy films 1960s French-language films 1960s romantic musical films Films directed by Jean-Luc Godard Films produced by Carlo Ponti Films scored by Michel Legrand Films set in Paris Films shot in Paris French musical comedy films French romantic comedy films French romantic musical films 1960s French films {{romantic-musical-film-stub