Q.7 At villa when Francesca Vanini comes on cycle, from Camille's pov there is a flash of 6 shots, which did not happen in the film before at the studio ,except the one in which Paul opened the gate for Camille to sit on the front row with the producer. Why was this montage needed ,where she looks happy in many shots as if she is posing for a photographer except the real shot - "in which Paul opens the gate for Camille to sit on the front row with the producer".
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# In the montage, we see Camille being lively and full of life when she is with Paul and by herself too. The only scene where she is not is when Paul forces her to go to the Villa with Jeremy while he comes by himself. This particular incident is from where, the decay of Paul and Camille's relationship starts. Up till now, we have seen them as a happy and intimate couple as seen in the opening scene. This is the first time where Camille starts doubting Paul and believes he is trying to use her to gain favor from Jeremy. This montage visually tells us Camille's disturbed state of mind as well as subtly telling audience what exactly is bothering her and why her behavior has changed. It is like a peek into Camille's thoughts. The shots which were focused on Camille indicate that she was thinking about herself.
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In the first montage, she was picturing herself to be very happy with Paul before, when he himself opened the gate to the producer's car for her. Signifying that he allowed her entry into another man's life. Initially, she was very happy and excited to meet the producer of his film, she was all dressed up and confident about herself until Paul in a way sent her away with the producer. This is how so far she has been thinking about the whole scenario in her head and that's why until this point she was only mad at Paul for sending her alone and then coming late himself.
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it very clearly tells us the audience that now Camiele’s suspicion is confirmed after the late arrival of Franchesca. Up until that point she suspected and was clearly not buying her husband’s story of taxi accident, which is why when he asks her does she not believe him, Camiele answers that –“We’ll talk about it later”. But when Franchesca arrives late too her suspicion is confirmed.
The montage sequence achieves two goals according to me. Firstly, we quickly jump through through how they were with each other before Jeremy comes into their life. This way we don’t have to spend too much screen time on them to understand how they were with each other. We know that they were a happy couple.
Secondly, it shows us quickly her state of mind and how she spend her time with her husband before coming to Jeremy’s villa. It tells us that she was happy with her husband until . Hence, her husband asks her to get into Jermey’s car.
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This montage of flash backs is 'reminiscent' which is almost like a Deja Vu kind of a feeling. Since it has been mentioned that she looks happy in all the shots except the real one ; it holds connection with the shot in which Vanini comes the cycle hence reminding her the same unease that was caused to her when Paul made with her sit with Jeremy in his car.
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Where Camille is pointing is happy and pointing in a direction and Paul is looking away but in a calm and seems like he is seeing something or someone , which might be the friction between the two that has occurred but to me it seems like a happy couple having a conversation in a scene and been taken at a moment. Secondly, there is no hat on Paul which clearly depicts the the old Paul , exactly how he was shown in the first encounter with his wife in bed, because that is how she knew him.
In pic 2 : The close up smiling, which wasn’t in the scene but it is what Camille is imagining that she would have been happy if Paul would not have become corrupted and distant and is she would not hav eto be stuck to it for the sake of the flat or not going back to her old job.
In pic 3 : Where Camille is smiling at the producer and he is coyly smiling which is nowhere to be seen in the entire film. This is again what if situation, and what if Jeremy would not be so obnoxious and it would be a friendly visit. Or it could be, she is feeling complacent with the producer in the absence of her husband which is so not the case.
In pic 4 : Camille knows she is beautiful and she likes to dress up, but in the amidst of her confused feelings and dissatisfied feeling she has stopped investing time in herself. As she asks in the beginning to Paul as how much he loves her and every inch of her, but later due to distances she is no more feels alluring and wants to work on herself. Which in this montage is depicted that she is reliving her soul.
In pic 5: Is of great importance, because this is the only scene that actually took place which is the reality bummer. In amidst of all her longingness and alternatives here she hit herself with reality where she is left behind by her husband with a pretentious man, that started the marriage story.
In pic 6 : She again looks happy wearing a hat and posing for a photo. Here hat could mean what it meant for Paul. She has distanced herself and have become a different person but happy and gazing forward, which might be a clue to what happens in the end when she leaves Paul and goes away becoming a strong woman.
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Camille looks happy until he finally got to be alone with prokosch in the car .The montage of 6 shots in which she was mostly seen happy is to show how her happiness was changing to sadness after meeting the producer, and of the biggest reason being the wau her husband paul was handling the situation, Whenever Paul was wearing a Hat - it showed he was being professional and using his wife in the favour to get the writing job easily, by using her to grab Mr. Prokosch as paul knew the producer is a flirt and he likes it which ultimately made Camille sad. when Paul was not wearing Hat in the montage, he was not professional and so Camille was Happy as he was more interested in her and not using her.
I guess montages of 6 shot were used to express a character’s emotions. In many shots we can see Camille getting ready and looking herself in mirror which show the self consciousness of her which get sparked after seeing frencesca and the only shot where she was not smiling was when she was about to sit in Prokosch's car which convey her feelings. The montage in total lasts for 4 seconds with 6 shots. May be it's difficult to understand every shot's meaning but a montage in total seemed to me have some meaning. Each of the shots portray her and in total represent self thoughts.
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. He uses these interspersed shots as a type of indication in parenthesis about what might be going on inside the character's head. She is angry and disappointed that Paul's indifference is pathetic to her. She sees images of herself and Paul and them in a happier time, and it changes into their meeting from earlier that day when he lets her into Prokosch's car, the scene in ends with her growing visibly uncomfortable in real time as she looks at his casual attitude and reasoning for being late. It is a plausible starting point when she starts to feel contemptuous about him and their love.
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the montage which is not shown in the film where Camille looks happy in many shots as if she is posing for a photographer, is due to as starting from the first one she always wanted Paul to be without hat that's why this flash is shown , she wants Paul to not wear his hat as she quite look amazing without hat according to her, second his the case where she is happy when producer came or smiling at her , she wanted to be that personnel cause she wanted to feel confident , she wanted to be the way she wants but she always put Paul first and gives him the authority to take decision on behalf of her , she afraid what will Paul think if she act as herself, secondly she wanted to look in the mirror as to see whether she is looking perfect or not in the sake of producer , she thinks that may be if she looks good the producer may take her as a lead heroine in his film to which Paul is the writer,. That's the reason in the last shot she was wearing a hat cause she wants to act like a heroine or feel herself up to date ,in case Jeremy prokosch may think to work with her in her films, meanwhile she likes to pose for camera this what she feels love to do ,but didn't revealed to Paul, due to sake of him . The flashes are said to be her inner deep feelings and desires of what she wanted to do.
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- First, It is to show the viewer that Camille is reflecting on what just happened. She is judging Paul on why he forced her to go along with Jeremy while even she resists. She's also judging her image, as it shows us the contrasting behavior of her i.e. being how happy & confident she feels about her own body & beauty before meeting Jeremy and now it's totally opposite. She is being felt watched and judged by the producer.- Secondly, it makes the audience more conscience of the film and about this incident in particular. Which is a very pivotal scene as the whole movie revolves around this.
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when Francesca Vanini cross over the Camille , She doubt about Paul and he thought about the past how Camille and Paul had spent their past times, in that shots Camille adjust the hairs and She poses for Paul and pull hat as like as Paul it remind me that apartment seen were Camille put black wig for the surprise of Paul and also she thought she knew vanini is the reason why Paul pushes her in the red car with producer.
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The first montage is shown when she sees Fransesco also arriving late at Prokosch's house. Camille stops, followed by a tracking shot which shows that though she has stopped physically but her emotional feelings are still going on regarding her apprehension that Paul has purposefully pimped her away to Prokosch in order to get his salary. So, the montage which is shown at that time might be included to elevate the emotional impact of the situation. However, none of these shots belonged to any of the preceding and the succeeding parts of the film. But, it can be very well noticed that the characters are wearing the same outfits which they are wearing in the preceding and succeeding parts of the montage. SO, the shots which are in this first montage appear to be more of behind the scenes of when the shooting preparations were being done. The shot which is said to be the one which is included in the film is that of Paul trying to send Camille away along with Prokosch. However, its lighting, framing and the gestures shown by the constituting artists doesn't match the actual final shot which was included in the film. So. by including such shots as a montage which don't even account for flashback or some other thing, Godard's purpose might have been to show his power as a director and that it is his film and he will make it in the way he wants.
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I am not sure May be she was jealous or tried to compare herself with frencesca because of which she got self thoughts and conscious and may be she had thought something to do with frencesca and Paul as both arrived late and at the same time. The montage started when Camille see's frencesca and when end's Camille looks at frencesca.
Q.8. Immediately After the first montage of 6-flashes is over ,The producer asks Paul to come next day to the studio and sign a contract with him. Paul asks her why Camille didn't say something. Instead of reacting ,She takes the chair and become busy flipping the pages of Erotic Art Book. First Producer Prokosch stops near her chair and then goes to attend the call from London and then Paul has a brief dialogue and leaves to wash his hand, She looks up and we see a montage of another 5-shots , where all the shots were taken from what has happened in the film. What was the purpose of this montage?
# This Montage tells us what Camille is thinking about right now, her suspicion is growing now, she thinks that Paul made her go with Jeremy so that he could gain favors from him and took 30 mins to arrive because he wanted to flirt with Francesca, she begins to doubt Paul's intentions and in the scene just after this, subtly asks him 'is this how you wash your hands' which is indirectly asking him, if he was trying to flirt with Francesca. So, the montage gives us a peek into Camille's thoughts and her growing suspicion about Paul and Francesca
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I think the Purpose of these shots is the contrast between reality and imagination. These were the actual happenings that occurred before making the point of reality to the audience and Camille that it is not what she desired but it is what is happening and she cannot do anything about it. On a deeper level it takes us inside the Camille's mind and soul, it shows a shattered dreams and the misery which lies in front of her.
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These Montage were to elaborate the audience and mental scenario of camille , why she is unhappy, what made her sad. It was just to clear the whole story of her gradually diving into sadness.
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I think this montage was not a personal thoughts but a montage placed by the director to convey something to the Audience. Paul and Camille was not shown together in this Montage rather they were seen in different shots. Camille walking alone with head down, Paul walking alone toward Prokosch , Camille can be seen with Prokosch and also the shot were Prokosch asked her for drinks and Paul was seen with frencesca. Both Paul meeting frencesca for the first time and Camille meeting Prokosch for the first time shots were used. Paul was worried what happened when he was away and Camille saw Paul with frencesca patting her ass and also they both got late and arrived at same time.
I guess with this montage Godard tried to give a clue of growing distance between the two Paul and Camille. These were no thoughts but directors clue to the viewers of growing distance between the couple and the reasons behind them.
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I think the montage want to show the growing loneliness of Camille and differences between the two.As Camille got concious after watching frencesca in first montage and its still somewhere in her mind so when everyone left both Camille and Prokosch left earlier and than Paul also went away which gave her thoughts of loneliness and separation. Shot one she sees herself walking alone and than sees how Prokosch enters their life , how Paul got engaged with work and than she sees herself with Prokosch and than she thought of how Paul met frencesca which indicated Camille getting conscious about Paul and frencesca and as well as have thoughts of Prokosch and her. Camille's emotions, expression and how she preferred reading book even when everyone was around show how lonely she was feeling which finally converted into thoughts shown through montages and also through long shots in which she can be seen alone.
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- I think it was just to memorize the audience what exactly they know and what happened till now. The important events that happened are shown as it is. So now it's up to the audience to make the moral judgment about what could really happen. It leaves a question in the mind of the audience and desire to know the truth of what could really happen and why.
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This montage if an affirmative of her transitioning feelings about Paul. And the reason why all the footages of this montage were shots from the film was because it was a clearer indication to her that she might have been used as bait by Paul to secure the contract.
What could have been a doubt in the first montage where in the shots were unidentified ---- transitioned to a clearer understanding in the second montage where the shots were identified and that doubt slowly becoming a belief which later manifests in the film. There is an undercurrent of unease between Camille and Paul which later swells up in the film. These montages serve as a foundation to establish the change in Camille's temperament towards Paul.
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However, once they talk about signing the contract everything becomes too real for her. So when Jerry stopped by her and Paul too leaves her after a brief conversation, in retrospect, she realizes the reality of the situation that she was never happy about being with the producer or about Paul taking this project. She was always hesitant and uncomfortable. In fact, the last scene of the montage where Francesca is watching Paul reach is immediately followed by her entering the room and catching Paul patting her hips. From this point, her mindset completely changes. Now she starts victimizing herself as being unhappy about the situation (while Paul himself put her in) while Paul at the same times goes on flirting with another woman. This is what she thinks and that is why she gets convinced that she doesn't love him anymore and starts behaving oddly.
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The second montage constituting of the 5 shots consists of the actual shots which were there in the film. They have been placed in a strategic manner but still don't account for a flashback because if we see the shot of Paul and Fransesco which is too a part of this montage shown from Camille's POV, Camille was actually not even a part of that shot. So, the purpose of such a montage is showing the events which led to the drift in previously loving relationship of Paul and Camille. This is hence a compilation of events which led to creation of differences between them.
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The purpose of the second montage that happens minutes later has flashes of scenes from the past of the film. It is a premonition as to what might unfold. All the scenes are visuals of a morose Camille, then Prokosch brushing his arm against her, then Prokosch smiling at Paul, them having a drink and Paul waving to Fransesca and it cleverly ends with merging into a scene where Paul is actually talking to Fransesca. It can also be seen a collapsed bracket of her troubled thought process, where she feels Paul betrayed her, pimped her to Prokosch, while they sign a contract. Also there's a linger of insecurity an doubt his advances towards Fransesca in her head. These visuals try to encapsulate very adeptly, the likes of what might have been going on inside her head to give and flesh out more depth to her character and the reason she starts despising her own husband more and more.
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In this montage, there are 3 shots where Camille is walking alone and Paule walking alone in the remaining two, which signifies the distance that's were growing between them. Neither in any of the shots they share the same space, and through this Godard wants to convey the audience a different story of distance that was growing in this couple through the series of a montage.
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The two montages are contradictory to one another. The purpose of these 5 montages were to state the fact of the actual events that have taken place and also to depict the Camille’s state of mind . Earlier she was fantasizing about alternate events that could have taken place, but when she confronted Paul and realized she wasn’t satisfied with Paul’s excuse of getting late and being felt alone, she decides to stay quiet and act distant. That’s when she takes an art book and sit a little distant on the chair and avoids Paul for any conversation. And that’s when these montages appear, because she is recalling what happened and her disgust towards Paul remains and becomes more distant.
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This was something like think out loud it showed Camille’s understanding of why Paul got late reaching at the villa was shown. For her he deliberately wanted her to go with Jeremy so that he would get some time with Francesca alone so that’s why to express what’s all in there in Camille’s mind it was needed to be shown .
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The end...................
