Roger Ebert addressed this in his "Answer Man" column:

interesting, completely forgot about the interview in the film.....Funny that I am not the only one wondering about it !

I also remember reading somewhere that Masculine-Feminine was the first B&W film of Godard's to be 1.66 rather than the 1.33 of all of his previous B&W films.

The R2 is not 1.33:1 so a Beaver comparison would be welcome. I will get the CC version regardless and when I do I'll compare it with the BFI video which seems to be the same ratio as the Optimum R2 release.

By the way can anyone confirm whether the US version VHS of MASCULIN is full frame?

The UK R2 DVD is 1:33 (or 1:37). Screen caps here: http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=56702

The French DVD is full-frame as well. There's a Japanese DVD but I don't know about its AR. The VHS was full-frame but it was a New Yorker release and I'm not sure how good they were with OAR on VHS. Another note regarding the theatrical release: IIRC the subtitles were placed for Academy ratio and the image couldn't have been matted to 1.66:1 without cutting some of the subtitles off along the bottom. This doesn't prove the OAR, but it does mean that Rialto themselves determined that the film should be shown in Academy ratio and it wasn't just the projectionist's decision.

Hmmm. I saw this last night at the local revival house (the new Rialto print), and it definitely seemed to be at least 1:66 - significantly wider than tall. (I've seen many Academy ratio films there, so I feel I have a point of comparison). The subtitles were perfectly fine.
I normally wouldn't second-guess the people on this forum, but I remember it mainly because I was under the impression that it WOULD be 1:33.
That said, I have been wrong before . . .

In the light of the JULES AND JIM error I would assume that MASCULIN (if 1.33:1) will be cropped slightly on the left and right. Whether this will matter in terms of text (so frequently used by Godard in this film) or in terms of the director's original intent is a matter for debate. It may not matter at all.

Did any of my fellow Australians watch this on SBS last year? Was the image full screen? I didn't bother to see it since I had the BFI video version.

Funny because I found the opposite to be true. I was expecting 1.66 and was surprised to find it 1.33. This at the Wexner Center in Columbus a few weeks ago.

I've always found this Godard to be a bit of a let down, especially in light of the earlier Karina movies. Chantal Goya is such a flat screen presence. All the female characters are disappointing really, and I'm always left with the suspicion that its due more to the desire to make a cohesive political statement than from its supposidly documentary elements. But then again, who's politics, Leaud's (Paul's)? Godard's?

I don't think Masculin-Feminin is at all intended to make a cohesive political statement. Rather, it presents the brash, idealistic milieu of Parisian youths attempting (feverishly, while trying to maintain an exterior of cool, natch) to tap into the zeitgeist. Whether or not Goya as Madeleine is an arousing screen presence isn't really the point. Paul (Leaud) is obsessed with her because of what she seems to represent, and we should very quickly catch on to how foolish Paul is. For the young characters of Masculin-Feminin, Marx, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, pop music are all phenomena which confer a cool-by-association. These phenomena are all suspiciously equated, levelled (prefiguring a postmodern condition.) The characters are not yet critical enough to notice the contradictions between the philosophies to which they (nominally) pledge allegiance and the lifestyles they lead.

In La Chinoise, the young would-be revolutionaries are more serious than the youths in Masculin-Feminin, but their seriousness also leads them (at least Wiazemsky's character) to become sadly more aware of their impotence. In Masculin-Feminin, on the other hand, the political engagement is more inchoate and superficial, and so their ignorance allows them more fun and freedom.

Regardless of Godard's sympathies when he made these films, I think that someone watching them now should not be overly concerned with the "political statements" and instead focus more on cultural dynamics, how the characters implement politics as part of an (idealistic and often confused) lifestyle.

All that being said, I found Paul's first conversation with Madeleine, and the later conversation with Catherine-Isabelle (when she's eating an apple) quite charming. A lot of that has to do with how Godard filmed these conversations. Godard was the one prompting the conversations, and then in the editing process he cut it together so it appears the youths are responding to each other, when in fact they are responding, rather coyly, to Godard. Also, Godard once again completely jettisons the shot-reverse shot editing of conversation, fixing the camera on just one of the characters for minutes at a time. This technique is incredibly refreshing and quite a relief from the way most contemporary films are edited.

I wonder if the release date of this will slip... It's late being posted as a product page on amazon.com...

The plot thickens regarding the AR. A couple of weeks ago I e-mailed Rialto and received this reply:



But today I got this from Mr. Mulvaney:



I'm inclined to take Kurant's word over Rialto's, although I suppose it's possible Kurant is misremembering what Godard wanted.

Godard despised 1.66 so Kurant's observation makes complete sense.

Do you have any quotes of him expressing his vitriol towards 1.66:1

In a Decemeber 1962 interview with Cahiers (found in Godard on Godard)

This is good detective work. Since I opened this debate I am now pleased to accept this information as a final conclusion and assume that Criterion, more often than not, stick to the filmmaker's original intentions.

Godard must have changed his opinion about 1.66 later on, seeing as Weekend and Tout va bien are in that ratio.

I do think Masculin Feminin is certainly 1.33, however. The comment from Rialto claiming 1.66 as correct is very suspect considering the trailer for M/F they put together themselves (which you can download at their web site) is exactly 1.33.

I think by that point he had quit caring about "such trivial formal aspects" (as he might have put it) of the cinema.

Just got my copy of MASCULIN-FEMININ....haven't watched it yet, but the "more!" refers to two more extras: "Swedish telvision footage of Godard directing the 'film within the film' scene," and "video discussion of the film between French film scholars Freddy Buache and Dominique Paini."

Also added is an archival i/v with Chantal Goya (in addition to the new one) and a 16 page booklet including the Martin essay but now plus a reprint of a report from the set by French journalist Philippe Labro. Last, there's a trailer for the original theatrical release as well as for the 2005 rerelease!

First review is up at Slant Magazine. An excerpt:

Hmmm ... those on the fence may want to wait for the Beaver to compare the CC to the UK Nouveaux and/or the French Arte (no subtitles).

DVDBEaver ((http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews17/masculin_feminin_dvd_review.htm) is very positive about this release. although it does have quite some grain (like the slant review said)....but I kinda dig that.

What I actually like very much are the menus: Although very sober (simple black and white), they have a godardian feel to them, especially because it draws attention to the fonts......always so exceptional in Godard films.

Ah, looks excellent. Can't wait to dig into those extras when I get this disc in the mail (hopefully this week).

Now I wish the cover art were in a style similar to the satisfyingly simple menus.

Kudos to Goya, sporting the same haircut after all these years.

Excellent! A fine movie, and a great presentation from Criterion.
I woke up early yesterday morning to trade in some dvds at my local MTC, because they have the best Criterion prices around (MSRP 29.99=19.99 and MSRP 39.99=32.99) but after all the trouble I went through of selling my crap they didn't get this or Naked. I am still worried about this turn of events as this is the first time the MTC has ever failed to get Criterions on release. So I hit up my friend who works at Media Play to use his employee discount and I ended up paying 20.75 for this, so I'm happy.
I would very much like to see a double disc reissue of Alphaville someday, and especially for Criterion to release Weekend, Pierrot La Fou, Breathless, and my favorite Godard My Life to Live. Does Criterion currently have the rights to any of these films?

I think PIERROT LE FOU is owned now by the CC, and should be released sometime... WEEKEND has just been released by New Yorker in R1 & AE in R2, so that's not coming...