Cinematic Tuesdays

Oh what a cliche that I should fall totally and utterly in love with Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless. I honestly didn't think I would. I couldn't finish Contempt, it gave me the impression that his films were more form then substance, and admittedly, they are, but there's something about Breathless that struck the balance between that. My love for Breathless all started with this photo which I first saw more then a year ago:

I mean, how could I not, the hair, the glasses, the striped dress... upon first laying eyes on this photo I resolved that I would indeed one day soon watch the film. But one thing led to another and I never got around to it, so much to my delight I discovered it was part of the curriculum in my intro to film class. I normally don't stay for the film screening because university is uncomfortable when your couch and TV beckon from home, but when my film prof seemed to display more enthusiasm for this film then any other we had studied all year, I decided it might be worth it to stay behind and watch it on a big screen. Was I glad at my decision! The film grabbed me in the same way that it presumably grabbed the young audience in 1959, gritty, new (compared to the classical Hollywood films we had been watching up until that point) and undeniably cool.

First there was Michel played by Jean-Paul Belmondo, a petty French crook who wants to be an American, dresses and acts like a Chicago gangster and idolizes Humphrey Bogart. He is self obsessed and in turn I find my self fascinated by his vacancy.

And then there's Patricia played by the beautiful and tragic Jean Seberg. An American journalist in Paris who idolizes French culture. I didn't become as attached to her, but she looks amazing. Most of her costumes involve stripes and I am enamored with her hair.

After stealing a car and impulsively killing the policeman who pursues him, Michel returns to Paris and renews his relationship with Patricia... that's all of the plot I can giveaway without ruining the film for any of you.

This film is part of the French New Wave movement that took place from 1959 to 1965, Godard along with other young filmmakers of his time were working as critics for Cahiers du Cinema. The older generation of critics did not believe that American filmmakers could be artists and believed European cinema to be superior. The younger critics, who were inspired by Hollywood "B" pictures (low budget films often centered around crime) disagreed with the older generation and began to make their own films. Their movies were filmed on extremely low budgets with handheld cameras, and as a result took place in real locations rather then studios and the film was often either under/overexposed. Breathless pays a homage to low budget American movies, but at the same time breaks conventions and makes the viewer conscious of the way it is filmed using by using jump cuts.

I can see some people absolutely hating this film, but its place in film history and the over all style make this film completely worth seeing and watch this excellent little homage.

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