This is a high-concept French art film from Jean-Luc Godard, one of the pioneers of the French New Wave.
As always with Godard, it fluctuates unevenly through tones, covering everything from solemn art to zany hijinks; sometimes seeming to be a documentary, but always really fiction. The actors use their real names and play versions of themselves, often breaking the fourth wall in a film within the film.
On a movie set, in a factory, and at a hotel, Godard explores the nature of work, love and film making. While Solidarity takes on the Polish government, a Polish film director, Jerzy, is stuck in France making a film for TV. He’s over budget and uninspired; the film, called “Passion,” seems static and bloodless. Hanna owns the hotel where the film crew stays. She lives with Michel, who runs a factory where he’s fired Isabelle, a floor worker. Hanna and Isabelle are drawn to Jerzy, hotel maids quit to be movie extras, people ask Jerzy where the story is in his film, women disrobe, extras grope each other off camera, and Jerzy wonders why there must always be a story.
Godard’s films are always exquisitely photographed, which is especially nice in this one, which is filled with naked women.
Myriem Roussel
Isabelle Huppert
Defoe’s film clips of those women and others
This reminds me:
There is a great nude of Bernadette Perez in Alma :
In America there was hysterics because of the traditional nude scene in the play. Auto translated: