Seite - 94 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Band 04/02

Revisiting the Relevance of Conceptualism of Godard’s Film | 93www.jrfm.eu 2018, 4/2, 83–113 If that is true, then Godard might not have only wanted to challenge the conven- tions, but he might have also strived to be an inspirational storyteller, even when this storytelling involved a thorough deconstruction of the story or at times its al- most complete abandonment, all until a hardly recognizable, semi-ruinous struc- ture would be left in place of what could have been a lavish edifice, complying all the while to his own guideline: “To make an image, you have to unmake26it.”27 Famously, in 2 ou 3 choses que je sais d’elle, Godard deliberates what to focus his storytelling on, the protagonist or an autumn leaf, concluding that “both, on this October evening, trembled slightly”28 and mirroring his own hesitant outlook thereby. Thus, one could say that, cinematic anarchist as he is, his style of creative 26 Histoire(s) du cinéma: Une Vague Nouvelle (Jean-Luc Godard, FR/CH 1998), 00:24:30. 27 Royer 1999. 28 2 ou 3 choses que je sais d’elle (Jean-Luc Godard, FR/IT 1967), 00:47:00. Fig. 6: Histoire(s) du cinema: Une Vague Nouvelle (Jean-Luc Godard, FR/CH 1998). Godard is intercepted in his reading by two displeased young spectators and asks them, “Did you like it?” “We keep seeing images of the art pieces, but never people”, they say, hinting at Godard’s lack of interest in characters on the account of the interest in criticizing the art of cinema through his cinematic works, epitomized in his saying, “I don’t make movies, I make cinema”, to which end he could be justifiably considered as a film critic, not necessarily a filmmaker in the classical sense of the word. “You are right  – art first, and then, the men”, responds Godard. “Don’t you have a heart”, asks back the annoyed young lady, to which Godard says, “We can film the work, not the hearts”, before lighting up a cigarette and continuing his musings in now empty room, with his confronters long gone: “Some times have too many hands and not even hearts; yes, times without hearts but not without work. When an era is sick and lacks work for all hands, it sends us a new exhortation. The exhortation to work with our hearts instead of using our hands. And I haven’t known a time, not yet, that lacked work for all hearts”26.