{"id":89959,"date":"2023-02-18T13:49:11","date_gmt":"2023-02-18T20:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=89959"},"modified":"2024-06-28T11:05:50","modified_gmt":"2024-06-28T18:05:50","slug":"made-in-u-s-a-1966","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=89959","title":{"rendered":"Made in U.S.A. (1966)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;You just throw words around. Do something with them!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Poster-227x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"227\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-89960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Poster-227x300.png 227w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Poster-97x128.png 97w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Poster-204x270.png 204w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Poster.png 693w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 227px) 100vw, 227px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA private eye (Anna Karina) investigates the mysterious death of her former lover, found in the apartment of a writer (David Goodis).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Detectives and Private Eyes <\/li>\n<li>French Films<\/li>\n<li>Jean-Luc Godard Films<\/li>\n<li>Jean-Pierre L\u00e9aud Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nShot simultaneously with <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=89983\"><em>2 or 3 Things I Know About Her<\/em> (1967)<\/a>, this semi-improvised, genre-adjacent quickie by Jean-Luc Godard was nominally based on a novel called <em>The Jugger<\/em> by Richard Stark (a.k.a. Donald E. Westlake), but in reality does its own thing at every turn, intentionally messing with the audience&#8217;s sense of narrative or linear logic; indeed, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.criterion.com\/current\/posts\/1199-made-in-u-s-a-the-long-goodbye\">Jonathan Hoberman describes it in his illuminating essay for the Criterion Collection<\/a>, it &#8220;represents Godard\u2019s most sustained derangement of narrative convention.&#8221; Hoberman adds that it is &#8220;at least nominally, a political noir in the tradition of Godard\u2019s second film, <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=77383\"><em>Le Petit Soldat<\/em> (1960)<\/a> [while] at the same time, it resembles <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=77423\"><em>Band of Outsiders<\/em> (1964)<\/a> in being a thriller about people who are acting as if they\u2019re living in a movie.&#8221; Also useful is Hoberman&#8217;s explanation that: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Part of Godard\u2019s inspiration was Howard Hawks\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=8691\"><em>The Big Sleep<\/em> (1946)<\/a>, whose mystery plot is infamously complicated and ultimately unsolvable, and in typical Godardian fashion he reworks it to the nth degree, not just gender-recasting the Bogart role with Karina (who in voice-over says she feels like Bogart in a Disney film), but taking the idea of an inscrutable plot and stringing it out to its logical ends.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Walt-Disney.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Walt-Disney-1024x444.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"278\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-89968\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Walt-Disney-1024x444.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Walt-Disney-300x130.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Walt-Disney-128x55.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Walt-Disney-768x333.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Walt-Disney-604x262.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Walt-Disney.png 1295w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Perhaps most notable are the film&#8217;s endless references to filmmakers, writers, actors, and political figures of the time &#8212; starting with an homage to Nicholas Ray and Sam Fuller in an opening slide: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Nick-et-Samuel.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Nick-et-Samuel-1024x571.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"357\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-89967\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Nick-et-Samuel-1024x571.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Nick-et-Samuel-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Nick-et-Samuel-128x71.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Nick-et-Samuel-768x428.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Nick-et-Samuel-484x270.png 484w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Nick-et-Samuel.png 1289w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and including characters with names like Richard Widmark, [Doris] Mizoguchi, and Donald Siegel, as well as mentioning the disappearance of Moroccan revolutionary <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mehdi_Ben_Barka\">Medhi Ben Barka<\/a>. (All of this is explained in a 20-minute visual-essay supplement and a short documentary entitled &#8220;On the Cusp,&#8221; both included on the DVD.) <\/p>\n<p>While this was all likely fascinating once upon a time to Godard enthusiasts, the irony is that a film made in reference to American pop culture was only shown here once (at a NY film festival in 1967) before it finally (re-)premiered in 2009, after Westlake&#8217;s passing. Godard enthusiasts will obviously want to check this one out, but it&#8217;s skippable by all others. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Watch for a cameo by Marianne Faithfull singing The Rolling Stones&#8217; &#8220;As Tears Go By&#8221; <em>a capella<\/em> in a cafe. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-the-USA-Faithfull.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-the-USA-Faithfull-1024x434.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"271\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-89969\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-the-USA-Faithfull-1024x434.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-the-USA-Faithfull-300x127.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-the-USA-Faithfull-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-the-USA-Faithfull-768x325.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-the-USA-Faithfull-604x256.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-the-USA-Faithfull.png 1305w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Colorful sets, costumes, and cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Posters.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Posters-1024x433.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"271\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-89962\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Posters-1024x433.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Posters-300x127.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Posters-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Posters-768x325.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Posters-604x256.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Posters.png 1297w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Guitar.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Guitar-1024x438.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"274\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-89971\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Guitar-1024x438.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Guitar-300x128.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Guitar-128x55.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Guitar-768x328.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Guitar-604x258.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Made-in-USA-Guitar.png 1293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary&#8217;s book.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0060647\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.criterion.com\/current\/posts\/1199-made-in-u-s-a-the-long-goodbye\">Criterion Collection Essay<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.qnetwork.com\/review\/2266\">Q Network Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/82322\/made-in-usa#articles-reviews?articleId=411146\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;You just throw words around. Do something with them!&#8221; Synopsis: A private eye (Anna Karina) investigates the mysterious death of her former lover, found in the apartment of a writer (David Goodis). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Detectives and Private Eyes French Films Jean-Luc Godard Films Jean-Pierre L\u00e9aud Films Review: Shot simultaneously with 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her (1967), this semi-improvised, genre-adjacent quickie by Jean-Luc Godard was nominally based on a novel called The Jugger by Richard&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=89959\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=89959"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89959\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98136,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89959\/revisions\/98136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=89959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=89959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=89959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}