Breathless (A Bout De Souffle) (1960)
Parental guidance recommended
| Director: | Jean-Luc Godard |
| Actors: | Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, Daniel Boulanger, Henri-Jacques Huet, Van Doude, Claude Mansard |
A small time crook. Michel Poiccard, chased by the police after stealing a car, shoots one of them and flees. Back in Paris he finds an American girlfriend and succeeds in seducing her again. He convinces her to go to Italy with him. But the police have discovered the murderer's identity and are on his trail...
Godard, who once said, "all you need for a movie is a gun and a girl," is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century, and introduced many techniques that have since become standard fare: jump cuts, hand-held camera work, unusual camera angles, and improvised dialogue. Asked by a fellow filmmaker if he would at least admit that a film should have a beginning, middle, and end, Godard replied, "yes, but not necessarily in that order." Godard's influence can be seen in the work of many other directors, including Robert Altman, martin Scorsese, Wim Wenders, and Quentin Tarantino.
| Status: | Normal |
|---|---|
| Run time: | 86mins |
| Origin: | |
| Aspect Ratio: |
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Member Reviews (6)
6 Member
Reviews
Russell Jones
says
This DVD only played for 5 min and I am still waiting for a replacement.
gerd
says
Nice music. But it's a bit sad when that's the best than can be said about a movie. It's a tedious talk-fest about nothing much at all between the French petty criminal and the pretty American girl - whose French sounds American and uncertain even to a non-French speaker.
J
says
A very dated movie. It seems that it is supposed to represent some innovations in techniques. Perhaps, but that is all it has going for it now.
Clouseau
says
I would have to agree with John, the other reviewer. You need to view it from a historical perspective. The mis-shots takes a bit of getting used to. Interestingly, if you take notice, you will see people watching and turning their heads to look at the actors and camera crew as they are walking down the street. I can see why it is considered a classic, but on the enjoyment scale, I have seen better. Recommended!
Jack K.
says
Director Jean-Luc Godard has made a movie so original in design, characters and feeling that it’s effect is jarring, but I was spellbound by its innovations. Shot in the buildings and streets of Paris, Michel (Jean Paul Belmondo) and Patricia (Jean Seberg) are so into themselves they can’t see what’s going on around them. Michel, a car thief and a killer (almost by accident), is running scared but professes a toughness he doesn’t really have and, as she learns of Michel’s criminal nature, Patricia seems oblivious to it and to the consequences of her duplicity. How could these two be so naïve and amoral? Reflecting on the film’s title and today’s anti-smoking attitude it’s ironic that Michel is almost continuously puffing on a cigarette like his hero Humphrey Bogart.
Tim C.
says
You can't watch it without getting the feeling that you've seen many incarnations over the years. It strikes me as an essential part of a classic cinema education.