Customer Reviews

Breathless (The Criterion Collection)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is hands-down one of the best movies ever made. Just the opening seconds of Jean-Paul Belmondo smoking announces a whole new attitude towards youth and life that hits with the freshness of the Beatles. "Breathless" creates a world of love and motion and danger and art that's single-handedly responsible for at least half the clichés you have in your head this second about Paris. Truffaut's script is excellent, nearly every shot is original and revelatory, but what I loved most about the movie was the apparently random, documentary feel Godard gave to so many of the scenes: Belmondo with one lens missing from his glasses, the faces he and Jean Seberg make in the mirror, the Air France clerk sticking her tongue out at her boss, etc. How did Godard manage to be so stylish and truthful at the same time? This is a movie that never lets you forget it's a movie, telling a story in a way no novel or play ever could. "Citizen Kane" is the only other film I can think of that does so much with the medium. One for the ages.

Older movies are like Shakespeare. They are to be appreciated by all and enjoyed by few. BREATHLESS, while cutting-edge at the time, plays in today's world like any student film one is likely to see. This reviewer found the flick very charming and very interesting in a historical context. I understand, however, how others may find it tedious, boring, and ultimately unfulfilling.

I recommend BREATHLESS to anyone interested in film history and/or anyone interested in old film noirs. The later group will find the european version of the old American crime movies rather interesting.

Additionally, if you happen to be a Tarantino fan, check this film out as the grandfather of RESEVOIR and PULP FICTION; it certainly is that.

When I first saw Godard's Breathless, perhaps I had my expectactions high, or rather manipulated to be as such from reading other reviews, and I ended up thinking that while there was a flair for style and a rhythm that was a reminder of the jazzy feel in Cassavettes' Shadows, the characters, inparticular the lead, were too shallow, self-righteous, and all-too-vain for comfort - or perhaps too, well, French.

On a few more tries of the "groundbreaker of the French new-wave" (which I believe was at it's absolute best in Truffaut's 400 Blows, accessible to a wider audience), I see that Godard, as much as he probably loves his characters, he despises them as well, in a sense. It could even be suggested that Godard sees himself in the lead Belmondo's role, and if that's the case then Godard is practicing the old self-reflection trick (though the story is loosely based on a newspaper article, scripted by Truffaut himself). For those that can take such filmmaking, this is the treat of the week. And for film buffs it should be seen at least once to get an idea where most "affluent" independent filmmakers get their edge, and indeed its rhythm will give inspiration to struggling filmmakers. I might even see it again in several months to remind myself how inspired the jump cuts were that Godard used. But, I certainly don't think that it's among the greatest films ever.

I first watched "Breathless" in a film class my Senior year in college and I was amazed by it. Although this film was made many years ago, I was blown away by the production techniques used. Some people in my film class thought the movie was stupid and made no sense, while others (including myself) found the beauty in it's ability not to stick to the norm and be compelling in a subtle way. In a time when continuity is extremely important in film, it was refreshing to see jump cuts that were made on purpose (or rather necessity since Godard had to cut the film down considerably from his original cut). Jean-Luc Godard is a true genius!

This film revolves around the character of Michel, a common hood, who gets mixed up in the murder of a police officer while trying to win over the heart of the woman he loves. The plot to the story is simple, but the outcome is exciting.

"Breathless" is definitely not for everyone. It makes you think about hidden messages, symbolism, etc. However, it is very enjoyable and entertaining. I would highly suggest this film. I think everyone should be exposed to a Jean-Luc Godard film at least once in his or her life! This is an excellent movie!

This film should have been directed by Francois Truffaut, who wrote it. A so-so movie with Belmondo being the bright spot is his portrayal, however the film never really lets the viewer care about the characters or what happens to them. Definitely not the best French New Wave film, as many rave.

"Breathless," Jean-Luc Godard's tribute to moviemaking itself and one of the seminal titles of the French New Wave, is, jump-cuts and all, a film that changed the way movies were made. It introduced audiences and critics alike to new voices in the cinema, to a newer and cheaper guerrilla-style film made on location and to the sort of movie aware of the fact that it was just a movie.

That said, though, this movie is a lot of just pure fun. In the leads, Jean-Paul Belmondo and the absolutely gorgeous Jean Seberg seem to inject their portrayals of young thief-and-killer Michel Poiccard and his indecisive American girlfriend Patricia with a sense of humor and joy. The couple they portray are given moments where they're not really pushing the action forward, where they're reveling in what it feels like to be young and in lust, if not love. The scenes where they're lying in bed just talking or riding together in a car and talking about Paris are perhaps the most delightful aspect of the film.

Even though the character of Michel is almost certainly doomed from the moment he steals a car and guns down a police officer, he has a lot of fun with his last days, wandering the streets, stealing from friends and trying to get Patricia to sleep with him. Patricia, likewise, is given moments of joy, despite worrying about her pregnancy and job, wondering if she should betray the man she loves to the police or run away with him to Rome.

That spirit, in addition to its technical wizardry and the passion of its makers, is what made the film different in 1960, and it's the spirit behind it that just makes "Breathless" fun Sunday-afternoon viewing now.

The situations in this movie are so boring, and the leading male character is so shallow -- even vacuous, that the edgy Godard cinema verite style is blunted. Seberg deftly sketches the outline of a deep character. She was an interesting, gifted actress. But a half hour of totally inane bed chitchat got so irritating that it spoiled all the good effects. Plus, how could Belmondo stand to smoke so many cigarettes? I was coughing in front of my DVD player. I was actually happy when the end came. If you want a film in the same directing style but with captivating content, I recommend The 400 Blows. The 400 Blows will grab you. Breathless dropped me.

More than forty years later, it may be hard for modern audiences to understand how revolutionary Jean-Luc Godard and his Nouvelle Vague (French New Wave) contemporaries really were. So many aspects of Godard's stylistic achievements, such as the unabashedly hand-held camera, have become so popular in music videos, TV, and the movies, that its use here may not seem notable. Film critic David Sterritt's commentary track does an excellent job of conveying the importance of this first feature-length Godard opus, and also emphasizes the many ways in which the director is having fun with his audience. As Sterritt demonstrates, Godard uses what he has enjoyed from his life as a lover of movies to deliver a filmgoing experience that contains the humor and action that he enjoys. Godard lingers on the lengthy interactions between Breathless' two young actors, allowing us all to savor their intimacy, and also uses Brechtian self-conscious techniques to encourage the viewer to stop and consider his filmic experience. Breathless is a great introduction to Godard, much more accessible to current American audiences than his later work. Watch the movie first, then watch it again with the excellent commentary track.

one of the best films ever made, breathless will take your breath away. no need to say any more. but to all you people who pretend to know about godard and then complain that the dvd is in full screen, how about reading more about how godard shot his films? breathless was shot in 1:33:1 which means it was shot in full screen. so there is nothing wrong with the aspect ration of the dvd. it is the correct original aspect ratio. stop complaining for no reason. and watch the film if u havent. its gold.

This movie gets very irritating after a time. True, Jean Seberg is stunning in her portrayal of a young woman without roots whose survival instincts are finely honed. True, there are attractive moments in Godard's cinema verite style. But the situations are so boring and the lead male character so vacuous that it is hard not to get irritated. One reviewer praised Godard for spending a half hour with the couple lounging around in her bed. Boring, boring, and finally, irritating. Try the 400 Blows -- similar style but a really interesting, even gripping, story.