Highly unusual, humored and quite unique in its proposition, this aftershave commercial directed by Jean-Luc Godard is amazingly effective, it certainly sells its product
with the usual charateristic where the product is sold as something really special and it manages to include Godard's political stance as presented on his films. Obvious that
those two mentioned elements must never be put together yet somehow he managed to make such inclusion and make it interesting.
A couple begins to argue with each other with the man wanting to hear the news on the radio (something about the conflict in Palestine) before shaving but the woman keeps turning off the radio, annoyed with the sound (Godard plays the announcer). Settled on a common ground comes the aftershave to save the day. Somewhat hilarious except for the part he threats about beating her. If such moment escaped people's attention for folks considering "acceptable" today it'd be a sacrilege to the point of never being made, let's face, not even a case for cancel culture. It wouldn't exist - even though he just warns, doesn't act upon it.
The inclusion of the radio being the problem between them I wonder why in the world Godard wanted to include such controversial issue that (sadly) isn't dated, it still happens and those familiar with the man knows his position as pro-Palestine (as evidence in the short "Ici et Ailleurs"). Its inclusion in this ad is too weird and he could have made use of some annoying music, some other news but in terms of originality and being unique in doing that in a memorable way, he gets some validation. I've never seen anything like it. Pretty good. 8/10.
A couple begins to argue with each other with the man wanting to hear the news on the radio (something about the conflict in Palestine) before shaving but the woman keeps turning off the radio, annoyed with the sound (Godard plays the announcer). Settled on a common ground comes the aftershave to save the day. Somewhat hilarious except for the part he threats about beating her. If such moment escaped people's attention for folks considering "acceptable" today it'd be a sacrilege to the point of never being made, let's face, not even a case for cancel culture. It wouldn't exist - even though he just warns, doesn't act upon it.
The inclusion of the radio being the problem between them I wonder why in the world Godard wanted to include such controversial issue that (sadly) isn't dated, it still happens and those familiar with the man knows his position as pro-Palestine (as evidence in the short "Ici et Ailleurs"). Its inclusion in this ad is too weird and he could have made use of some annoying music, some other news but in terms of originality and being unique in doing that in a memorable way, he gets some validation. I've never seen anything like it. Pretty good. 8/10.
