Round of 64 (Tier 4): Vivre sa Vie vs. Blade Runner

Round one is here. 61 years of film with 3 convenient ties. What film will come out on top?

For this round, we start with:

VIVRE SA VIE, one of Jean-luc Godard's more outwardly moralistic films, about the ways in which sex workers are lured in by the shortcomings of capitalism, chewed up, and ultimately spit out. Being a Godard New Wave film, though, it is going to be taking many asides and experimenting with what it means to build character and continuity.

Against...

BLADE RUNNER, Ridley Scott's examination of the intersection between human and machine. With memories and feelings, what is the difference? What right do we have to give life, only to program it to be taken away? As technology improves, we put machines in these positions, but what happens when we achieve some sort of level of artificial intelligence? No one wants to think about the thorny moral questions.

The winner will move on to the next round. The full bracket is attached below.

 

I should probably give Vivre sa Vie another try at some point as there's not much I remember about it but I doubt it would ever really compare to Blade Runner for me. Few films have left as much impact on me as that one.

 

you got the trailers wrong

 

Vivre Sa Vie by a lot and I love Blade Runner

 

Vivre sa Vie isn't up there with my favorite Godard films but I watched it again recently and it is really special. A hundred other arthouse directors would play the material really dark and dour but moments like the jukebox scene really help you understand why she doesn't try to leave sooner.

 

Vivre sa Vie is on Kanopy and HBO Max right now, so I'm gonna try to watch it after work today before I vote. Blade Runner is tough to beat though.

 

Ignore the sequel. Is Deckard a replicant?

 

No

 

No

 

I don't feel like the sequels leans heavily one way or the other either. But the answer to me is no.

 

The dance around the pool table scene in Vivre sa vie is one of the best.

 

It was great. Won my vote.

 

This would be an easier vote if it was BR2049

 

Poor Vivre sa Vie.

 

I didn't like Blade Runner the first time that I saw it. I'm not sure why, it should have been a perfect movie for me considering my tastes at the time, but for some reason I thought it looked cool but found it lacking in substance. I re-visited it and have come around, the visuals are still my favorite part but I appreciate the whole of the film more. But my personal connection with it is still not as strong as it is for films, and Vivre sa Vie is more interesting.

 

with Heat not making it out of the yearly voting stage and TWBB likely losing to Tree of Life next round, this feels like the last one i have left to pull for

 

I can't imagine any scenario where The Tree of Life beats There Will Be Blood, as much as I would want it to.

 

this site goes wild for it in a way that has never really made sense to me

 

This site loves TWBB too and more people here have seen it than Tree of Life, which is a masterpiece and written about plenty outside of this site. It won the Palme d’Or

 

Best of the Decade #1: The Tree of Life

 

#28 on Guardians Best Films of the Century (There Will Be Blood #1)

#7 on BBCs Best Films of the Century (TWBB #3)

#167 in They Shoot Pictures Don’t They 1000 greatest films (TWBB #163)

 

The Tree of Life is a better movie but that hasn't met much in a lot of these matchups.

 

They're pretty close for me and I feel like it might be a close round on this site too.

 

I’d bet on TWBB, but both are exemplary. My preference does lean Tree of Life.

 

Tree of Life is probably my favorite movie ever? It’s untouchable now that I have kids of my own.