In reaching in to check out the French film Every Man For Himself (or Sauve qui peut (la vie)), I will be the first to admit that I was going out of my comfort zone on a couple of different levels. But in a way, that is what Criterion attempts to do, give people a chance to explore new movies and/or for those who saw the films many moons ago, a chance to breathe new life into a forgotten gem. So that's where I come into play.

Every Man For Himself was written by Anne-Marie Mieville, Jean-Claude Carriere and Jean-Luc Godard, the latter of whom is from such milestones like Breathless and Alphaville. The film focuses on three characters whose storylines seem to segue from one into the other. Paul Godard (Jacques Dutronc) is a filmmaker whose thoughts on filmmaking would presumably mirror his more non-fictitious Godard entity. Denise (Nathalie Baye, Catch Me If You Can) is Paul's on again, off again girlfriend. Then there is Isabelle (Isabelle Huppert, Heaven's Gate), a prostitute, and we are exposed to her clients (and bosses') varying tastes.

Where it is that Every Man For Himself makes its money I think is that the movie would seem to be about sex, or at the very least relationships, and each of the main characters' approach to it. And it is interesting to see how each look at it. Isabelle's view is more businesslike and apathetic, despite how colorful some of her clients get. Paul is reserved though his moments of candor are a bit bizarre, and Denise is perhaps the most romantic of the bunch, so perhaps her more primal tendencies would not be reflected in a film like this. Paul and Denise's relationship is fascinating in that you can sense what the other ones and that they are almost talking past one another, despite their fondness of movies. And both Dutronc and Baye are engaging in their performances.

Of the three, I think seeing Huppert as so indifferent and so casual about not only her work but her life turns into an admirable source of strength. Her exposure to so much, abuse (or perhaps is ‘place-setting' a better phrase) has set her up in a shell to the world. But she has thoughts on what she wants to do, and when she manages to bump into someone who she feels has that sense of optimism, it is poignant.

If there was something that turned me off about Every Man For Himself, it is that some of the stylistic choices Godard makes were off-putting to me. Most of what occurs happens in the first act, with lots of pausing on the frame and techno/keyboard music that is introduced as part of occasional conflict between two characters. I get that this is likely part of what Godard does to deconstruct some of his films, but speaking strictly for one relatively new to him, the film suffers from issues in pacing, and it was a bit large to work around for me, to the point where I needed to stop the film, take a breath and dive back in. This should not be construed as disliking all of Godard films, but this one I felt in a vacuum had some issues.

I will say for as much as I found Every Man For Himself to be a jarring and almost strange experience, there were things in it that I found on my second viewing that were appealing. In another way, that also tends to sum the Criterion experience up. And when you have an auteur like Godard who tries to make the painting as open as possible, anyone can interpret anything from what comes of it. I didn't interpret much, but I'm not nearly as advanced as he was at that age I figure.

Criterion's 1.66:1 widescreen transfer of Every Man To Himself comes to Blu-ray with an AVC encode and looks great. Image detail in individual hairs and facial blemishes is discernible for this release, colors are reproduced accurately whether it is the Swiss countryside or the red in a Marlboro sponsorship on a Formula 1 car. Admittedly detail flirts with some inconsistency, but overall the film looks fine, with image grain visible during viewing and no noticeable moments of DNR or image smoothing or haloing during the feature.

The LCPM mono track is also good though much like the movie I was not entirely sure what to expect. But the blossoming technology in the score comes through clear as can be. Dialogue is consistent through the film, and the aforementioned Formula 1 car roars through the streets to help underscore whatever dynamics the soundtrack possesses. Technically Criterion seldom fails, and they certainly do not here.

With a Criterion, you get a bunch of stuff, and this release of Every Man For Himself is no different. "Scenario qui peut (la vie)" (20:11) is a short film Godard made in order to secure financing for the film, and he discusses his inspiration for it and includes things like pictures of the desired cast, and an occasional quote from Rimbaud. That Godard had to do something like this is fascinating and its inclusion is interesting. Next is "Sound, Image and Every Man For Himself" (25:56), a video essay from critic Colin MacCabe as they discusses some shot breakdowns from this film and other Godard films, and some clubs of Godard films, and includes a bit of historical detail too, and for me, hearing that Godard was going to direct a film produced by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Robert De Niro and Diane Keaton was intriguing. Godard appeared on two installments of The Dick Cavett Show. The first (28:18) covers more of the film and film in general, including the criticism that comes with it, and what he thinks viewers should do with film and television. The second (28:23) is a little more abstract and runs out of steam about two thirds of the way through, as themes like loneliness and comfort are touched upon, and Cavett seems a little lost during this one. A promo for both episodes (:22) is included.

But there's more! "Godard 1980" (17:20) follows along the same lines of the short that Godard used for financing, but interviews Godard about the film and storytelling of the era. It tosses in an occasional loud crashing and notes from the film's very "of the day" score, but otherwise gets a touch redundant. Several interviews with members of the cast and the crew of the film are next, some are recent, others are vintage of various eras. The first is from Marin Karmitz (12:33), producer of films from Godard and later Krzysztof Kieslowski, as he recounts meeting Godard and doing work with and for him, and how this film came together. Next is one from Huppert (11:04), where she talks of meeting Godard and how he works, how she approached the character and her thoughts on the film. These two interviews were shot in 2014. The next two are shot in 2010, the first with Baye (16:18), where she seems to answer many of the some questions that Huppert does, and talks about the furor the film received at Cannes that year. The other is from Gabriel Yared (5:54), who did the film's score, and is an entertaining piece. The last was done in 1981 and includes cinematographers Renato Berta and William Lubtchansky (20:00), as they talk about the film and how they worked on set, and how Godard was to work with on set. This may be the most entertaining of the bunch because it has the most to dish, but in a strange way sheds the most light on Godard the director. The trailer (3:02) completes things.

In Every Man For Himself, you have an announcement of a comeback of sorts from perhaps the definitive voice of the French cinematic New Wave, and it is given the proper treatment by one of the best studios out there for fans of cinema. Technically, it is a beauty, and has far more extras than you could ask for, and if you are a fan of Godard, you are adding this one to your collection, but it is an appointment for any semi-practicing devotee of film at the minimum.