OVERLAY REPORT

In Jean-Luc Godard’s *Les Carabiniers* (1963), the most crucial action made by the lead characters, the simple-minded peasants **Ulysses** (Marino Masè) and **Michelangelo** (Patrice Moullet), is their decision to **enlist in the King’s army** and subsequently **"loot" the world**. This action is driven by their desire for wealth and the "complete freedom" promised to them. ### The Most Crucial Action: Enlisting and the Pursuit of Riches The film begins with the characters living in a state of poverty. Their most crucial action is the decision to leave their home to join the King's war. This is not motivated by patriotism, but by a literal and naive interpretation of the "spoils of war." * **Who helps them make it:** The action is facilitated by two groups of people: * **The King’s Recruiters (The Carabiniers):** They arrive with a letter from the King, promising the men that they can take whatever they want—including Maseratis, swimming pools, women, and the license to "slaughter the innocent" or "inform on people." They "help" the leads make the decision by showing them postcards and listing these promised treasures as if they were guaranteed rewards for service. * **Their Wives (Venus and Cleopatra):** The wives (played by Geneviève Galéa and Catherine Ribeiro) are the primary catalyst for the enlistment. Initially skeptical, they actively **coerce and encourage** their husbands to join the war once they hear the list of riches they might obtain. ### The Thematic "Action": The Firing Squad and the Officer In a specific and often analyzed scene that serves as the film's moral and thematic pivot, the leads are tasked with **executing a young Communist girl** (Odile Geoffroy). * **The Action:** Firing their rifles to execute the girl. * **The Helper:** **An army officer.** * **Specific Detail:** The soldiers (Ulysses and Michelangelo) find themselves unable to shoot because the girl begins to recite poetry by **Vladimir Mayakovsky** and revolutionary slogans. Their humanity and confusion cause them to hesitate. The officer "helps" them make the action by **counting to three** ("Un, deux, trois!"). This "reductive syntax"—the mindless counting of numbers—breaks down their mental resistance and dehumanizes the situation enough to allow them to fire their weapons. ### The Climax: The Inventory of the Suitcase Upon their return from the war, the most significant "revelation" action is when they present a **suitcase full of postcards** to their wives, believing these are the "title deeds" to the treasures they were promised. * **Who helps them:** Their wives, **Venus and Cleopatra**, help them perform a long, repetitive **inventory** of these cards. For nearly ten minutes, the four characters sit together, categorizing the images (monuments, animals, women) as if they actually owned the objects depicted. This scene highlights the film's core theme: the tragic confusion between the **image of a thing** and the **thing itself**.