Jean-Luc Godard Dies at 91: Did You Know the Late Director Was Rejected From Film School? 5 Facts About the Film Pioneer You Didn't Know!

The pioneer of French cinema and one of the biggest backers of the French New Wave movement, Jean-Luc Godard sadly passed away on 13 September, 2022, at the age of 91. Being one of the most prominent and efficient filmmakers of our time, Godard’s work spoke volumes as he brought various artistical concepts to filmmaking. Ushering in a new experimental age of cinema that gave us classics like Masculin Feminin, Pierrot le fou and more, his work has been dissected by many and still remain as the gold standard for what can be achieved in cinema. Jean-Luc Godard Dies at 91; French-Swiss Film Director Was Best Known for ‘Breathless’ and ‘Goodbye to Language’.

While the films of this iconic legend will always be talked about, Godard also lived a very interesting life that not only spoke about his approach to filmmaking, but got a bit personal as well. From being a critic to being rejected from film school (shocking to be honest), Godard’s life is filled with exciting experiences that honestly are quite inspiring as well. So, to celebrate the life of this iconic and legendary filmmaker, lets take a look at five of Jean-Luc Godard’s lesser-known life facts.

He Was Rejected From Film School

Shocking to hear indeed, Godard was originally rejected from film school. Originally studying maths, Godard would grow to love cinema which would make him want to learn more about it. Reading film-related magazines and more, he would enrol into his city’s most respected film school, IDHEC, but his application would be rejected. However, that of course didn’t stop Godard from wanting to pursue movies.

He Started Out as a Critic

While Godard had ambitions of grandeur, he originally began by writing reviews for films. Writing for the French film magazine Cahiers du Cinema, he would take an issue with the conventional approach to filmmaking as experimentation was often looked down upon. This is what would start personalities like Godard to band together and start the French New Wave movement of cinema.

He Made His First Film as Phone Operator

Godard would be sent to a psychiatric clinic for stealing money from his workplace, but later would be released and he would then join a construction site. There, he would also take up the job of being a telephone operator and from the wages that he received, he would finance his first film, Operation beton, which would later be brought out by a company.

Godard Would Utilize Jump Cuts to the Fullest

When Breathless released, Godard had used a pretty unconventional technique for the editing of the film. Using jump cuts throughout the movie, Godard pretty much pioneered the art of this editing technique as we can still see it being used in many films nowadays.

He Would Write the Script While Shooting the Film

Another aspect of filmmaking that has been inspired by Godard’s extraordinarily experimental approach to making movies, he would often shoot a film without a script and make it up on the way. This is something that we are seeing happen in real-time as well where many movies have an improvisational approach to them. RIP Jean-Luc Godard: From Ranveer Singh to Farhan Akhtar, Bollywood Celebs Extend Condolences on Demise of Legendary French Film Director.

With the passing of Jean-Luc Godard, cinema has definitely faced one of its biggest losses. With his experimental approach inspiring many, his influence is felt as his presence in the industry will never go away. RIP to a legend, and lets celebrate this day in his memory.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 14, 2022 02:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).