"The Weekend"

Brent Stapleton
Paper Number II

Week End
Was this a film or a living, breathing, irritated creature waiting impatiently to offend most and force questions that may have no answer? “Week End” was the most physically and mentally provoking and controversial films I have ever witnessed. After experiencing the film (not viewing) I was in a literal trance. Two days following the event, I was still questioning everything from consumerism to the greed consumerism has caused for the modern day Christmas. I was agitated and not pleasant to be around. I wanted to create poetry that was legible to only me or a Dadaist poem out of random clippings from the collaboration of my Norton Anthologies. I had never been so exhausted from a piece of art, so ornate yet so enriched. To make this film manageable and un-haunting, I learned how to learn from the presented chaos.
It starts off with Corinne’s recollection of a twisted threesome involving two women, one man, eggs and cat bowl of milk. The description was encouraged by Roland Corinne’s husband. The sexual experience did not involve Roland and he was turned on by his wife’s adultery. The scene baffles the viewer and forces them to later discover Corinne and Roland are bonded by wedlock. Soon after we get an even better depiction of the extent of heartless and lack of morals the two characters have. They plan on visiting their parent’s for the weekend; in hope that before they get there their parents are killed in a car accident. This way they will not have to kill them to receive their inheritance. The couple leaves for their weekend trip to kill their parents and we are exposed to the horrific outside world. Everywhere the camera takes us is chaos and or ruins in their purest form. Cars burn and people lay dead bleeding on the side of the highway. Roland continues to drive as if the burning cars and people are inconveniencing his mission. He harshly jerks around the convertible, dodging the wrecks disgruntled and irate.
The lengthiest and possibly the most irritating scene is the traffic Jam. Roland, while joining the continuous beeping of the horns in what seems like never ending traffic jam, tries to cut in front of the line. In each car, the passengers are doing something mildly entertaining to pass the time (which is actually quite humorous). After what seems to be a fifteen minute one shot, Roland finally maneuvers his way to the front. A brutal car accident blocking the road is what caused the traffic jam. We now are introduced to a young gal who was involved in the accident. She complains to spectators that she has gotten blood on her new clothes. She nor anyone else acknowledge that the blood is from her brutally killed boyfriend that was in the driver’s seat. She is only worried about the things she consumed with currency.
I can only introduce the characters; I cannot give an extensive overview because there is no possible way to re-tell what is viewed on screen. I can however explain the aliveness of the film and what it provoked within me. Throughout the entire film I felt uneasy and at edge. My heart rate increased and thoughts raced through my mind. I did not try to analyze the film or find any hidden meaning, I simply was not capable. Even though it was a film of the past, I took it in contents and applied it to present day America. It made me evaluate what our greed and thirst for more of replaceable materialistic items have brought us. Sometimes exposing the most despicable case of a negative behavior is the only way to expose what very well could be the cause of our demise. That is exactly what this experience did for me. It exposed me to the brutality and panic greed and excessive consumerism can cause. T
The sheer alarm of the film somewhat fits the mindset of the current American situation. In the past Americans demanded larger everything; for example the purchase of unaffordable massive homes and oil eating SUVs. In result of the excessive consumerism Americans are now living beyond their means. Like the characters in the film, we have little or no respect for human life, as long as the result is more consumption. We fight wars and kill for massive oil fields. Why? So we can continue to destroy the planet and depend on taking lives to cheaply fill our escalades with gasoline? It has caught up to us; our immense homes are being foreclosed and the automotive companies are failing. We are now wondering, especially as Detroiters, why we are left penniless, unemployed and homeless. Maybe Godard was sending a warning to the world through this film. It is a harsh reality that not many can comprehend without becoming “offended” or “repulsed”. The United States is now learning it’s lesson the hard way and is on its way to paying the consequences of greed.
No, most of us are not killing our parents to gain our inheritance, or instead of mourning a death worrying about the blood stains on our shirt, but we have been guilty of putting consumerism in front of the basic well being of the world. Godard depicts this in an extremist mannerism. This way the attention of the audience is gained and people are forced to live through this film. Almost like a bad trip or dream, In order to make it through this film you must think of reality. Godard forces you to think of current events or else the film will stick with you for days, putting you into an odd hypnotized type state. You must embrace the negativity to slay this ornate living creature, like a battle you always learn something from your opponent. This was not a film; it was the ugly and un-wanted face of change.