Band of Outsiders
dir. Jean-Luc Godard · 1964
Plot
A triangle: Franz, Arthur, and Odile. Franz, a young man with Alain Delon good looks, has met Odile in an English class. She lives in Joinville with wealthy benefactors and has mentioned to Franz that Mr. Stolz keeps a pile of 10,000 franc notes unlocked in his room. Franz tells his friend Arthur, a swarthy guy whose shady uncle is pressing him for money. Arthur and Franz, who mimic American movie tough guys, case Odile's house, pressure her to assist them with a burglary, and make passes at her as well. She's alternately compliant and distressed. Will they pull off the heist?
Why watch
Franz and Arthur, two young men enamored with the idea of American tough-guy personas, plot a burglary with their classmate Odile, who oscillates between intrigue and distress. Watching this film feels like wandering through a whimsical dreamscape where the lines between reality and fantasy blur, punctuated by moments of playful absurdity and existential reflection.