Breathless (Import, All Regions)

Breathless released in 1960 by Jean Luc Godard was a standard bearer of the French New Wave.It features Jean-Paul Belmondo as Michel a young, petty criminal in Marseille who steals a car. He hopes his thievery will lead him to a new life. Everything goes wrong however as he kills a cop and escapes to Paris. There he rejoins Patricia (Jean Seberg), an American student who works for the New York Herald Tribune, who is one of his lovers. Thus starts the adventure of Breathless.Released at the start of the Sixties it set a lot of precedents for the emerging youth culture and its aesthetics. Michel for example attempts to imitate the cool of the U.S., and looks up to Humphrey Bogart. He’s always got a cigarette loosely hanging from his lip. He’s so confident in himself he believes that he can talk Patricia into sleeping with him. Patricia on the other hand is a free spirit who feels no obligation to see just one man at a time. In another scene, Patricia goes to a press conference for a French author who wrote a book on love and the sexes. He gets to spout a bunch of statements about differences between men and women, and the sexual revolution that was then going on. Later, the two are on the run from the police and they remain totally cool. Their youth is like a defense from the troubles swirling around them. Despite that exuberance the ending is very fatalistic, but perhaps romantic at the same time.Overall, Michel and Patricia are care free. They’re not held back by convention. They are not afraid of the authorities or the troubles of the world. They are all about the moment. For those reasons, Breathless gives a real glimpse into the time period it was produced and remains a great film to watch and take in.C

This movie is considered one of the most pivotal and influential movies in film history. It heralded the beginning of the French New Wave and paved the way for many movies that soon followed. Films like Bonnie and Clyde and Badlands, for instance, instantly come to mind while watching this.The movie is basically about two people who are detached from the social norms of life around them for reasons that are slightly hinted at but never really explained. Since this movie is predominantly a character study, I personally would have preferred a little more back story to explain their psychopathic behavior. Perhaps the point is to show the psychopathic behavior is what it is without explanation, which I suppose fits into the kind of nihilistic thinking that was happening when this movie was made.No matter, it is a very interesting film that made a huge splash when it was released and the reverberations can still be seen by keen observers of cinema.Those who do not have any knowledge of either history or the history of the cinema may not appreciate it for what it truly represents.

I've been hooked on French New Wave films since first discovering Anges Vardas' Cleo from 5 to 7, and had read about Breathless as well. Really enjoyed this movie. So different from typically Hollywood garbage today. Fantastic shots of 1960s Paris. I watched it on a flight down to South America, and ended up watching it again on the way back. Will likely purchase this one, as it seems to be a keeper. GREAT music as well. Cool flick.

I know this is a classic but im not a big fan of it. I of course love the lead and he is in my fav Goddard film but this is not even a good Goddard film in my opinion. I hate to be that reviewer that says something is overrated but i feel this film is.My fav is Crazy Perroit or however that one is spelled.I have the same thoughts on this one as i do with cassevetes movie Shadows. I know for historical purposes they represent major change or risky filming but they seem more of a prototype of things to come. These 2 examples are like a good author workshoping a big idea in a novella or article format so as to get a feel for audience reaction.

I expected this movie to be a classic as I had heard good things about it. While the lead woman is gorgeous and that alone was enough to keep me watching, I just couldn't connect with the characters. The male lead character is a terrible person, and I'm ok with that, but the actor wasn't good enough to make me love hating him. I did enjoy watching the sights of Paris, and there were a few interesting moments along the way. It's just not the classic that I expected it to be.

This is quite simply one of the great films of all time. It's a film with a Nihilistic core, in a way quite bleak, but done with such vigour, such verve and such startlingly beautiful images that it's irresistible. I saw it when it first came out, in 1960, and it literally changed my life; I dropped out of my university course and set out to make TV programmes on the strength of it.It gives an image of a certain moment in cultural history which still gives me shivers of pleasure every time I dip in to it. Belmondo and Seberg give what seem to me to be the performances of their lives, and Coutard's camerawork captures the essence of the Nouvelle Vague style, a brilliant version of Paris in the '60s.A treasure.

A real game changing film that deserves five stars but let down by the physical packaging. A stupid rigid plastic disc that is far too tight, I'll be amazed if it doesn't damage the bluray. I also think that this release is slightly better than the Criterion one although Criterion's extras go on forever, have the best of both worlds and buy them both.

Jean-Luc's debut feature is truly a masterpiece in more ways than one. Considering this movie is now over 50 years old it is as relevant now as it was on its release. It almost creates it's own world in which it can be seen again and again without ever losing it's freshness and surprise. Be it the hand held camera techniques, the jazz infused soundtrack or simply Jean Seberg, this movie set the standard for the New Wave movement and has inspired generations of independent film makers since.If you Love film then this is your first stop..........................

Best viewed aged 11-15 when the world is against you. Iconic final scene and some wonderful shots.

Love these older, interesting and odd European cinematic experiences, subtitles and all!