on Godard

In a dozen films Godard has never made any allusion to the past, even in his dialogue. Think about that: not a single Godard character has talked about their parents or their childhood -- extraordinary. What's more, a study of what is not in Godard's films would be just as intriguing as a study of what he does put in them. He's an intensely modern person, and the fact that he's Swiss is important. One day someone ought to look at the Swiss aspect of Godard's films -- the Switzerland which is the liking for lay-out, watches, modern gadgets, secret bank accounts and all that.

-- François Truffaut, 'Evolution of the New Wave' in Cahiers du Cinema 190 (1967)
Translated by David Wilson