Slow, too much weird editing, and somewhat pointless. I guess I just don't get New Wave cinema. Some lovely shots of Paris, though.

I was surprised by just how enjoyable Breathless is. Even now it feels fresh and original and the characters are a joy to watch. In particular, the movie's high point is a 24-minute scene of the two main characters sitting in an apartment bullshitting and flirting. Seriously. Godard knows how to make such mundane things interesting to watch.

Godard's jazzy, highbrow homage to Monogram gangster movies, which of course it only remotely resembles; in fact it is nearer to being the Citizen Kane of the Sixties, if you measure it by reputation and influence and don't let its improvisational style obscure the comparison. It features Belmondo as a two-bit Parisian thug with a rare aesthetic affinity for Humphrey Bogart, and Seberg in a devastating portrait of An American in Paris, a not unique specimen of brat-bitch-bloodsucker.

Poster child for the French New Wave, this film is the catalyst for exotic cinematography and referential cinema we experience today.

It took me a few days after watching this movie to like it. At every turn a cinematography/narrative convention is intentionally broken. In this way the audiences realizes they HAVE these assumptions, and recognizes the tropes in every other film they watch. Not necessarily a good "casual" film, but a good example of how best to break the rules of cinema.

awesome.

The faults of this film disappear under the haunting gaze of its two leads. Their conversation meanders around banal trivialities that obscure their private searches for identity, and they work so hard to keep things light. These passionate, empty lives are rendered bolding, as the quick, awkward takes lead into longer, more luxurious sequences, combined to present a film that plays out at the halting, break neck speed of life.

I can't bring myself to enjoy it that much. Sure, jump cuts are fun and I can recognize its influence of style, but the drama is distractingly uneven. The characters are unlikable to the point where I just don't care what's going on, especially when it's trying to subvert or send up the gangster genre. I'm sorry, inner film snob.

A personal favourite of mine. Don't think of it as a crime movie and just think of it as a goofy romance "movie" movie (if that makes sense), and it's genius, but only accidentally. I wouldn't attribute too much to skill here, I mostly contribute it to enthusiasm and originality. Score is not a grade.

"The actors don't inhabit characters so much as occupy a middle ground where play-acting and fan ardor replace the embodiment of set emotions and personality traits." - Matthew Connolly

Magnificent.

I really want to love this. And I do love the first hour or so. The scenes between Belmondo and Seberg are wonderful! But unfortunately I find the last act, which is oddly enough much more plot driven, rather boring. So in the end it is for me an unbalanced but pretty good film.

This film is historically important, but I really hated the characters and I didn't have any fun watching this at all.

Innovative use of editing makes this movie really stand out, add to that a really likable anti-hero and a equally likable free spirited girl, you get a very cool, fast paced Nouvelle Vague classic.

Though rarely discussed as either a love story or a political film, Breathless maintains fascination because it is equally both.

There's plenty of movies with general themes shown here (love mixed with crime, the eternal modern contrast of gender & sexuality etc) but Godard's portrayal, a landmark at the time, is basically the triumph of style over substance. His editting, and camera work, set the mood... it very nearly comes close to hiding the fact that Michel, is indeed, in his own word's an arsehole. He fools us very well, up to his "unfortunate" downfall. Godard once again; playful, charismatic, in complete control.

superbe

In general I don't like the disconnected style over substance of Godard films, but in this case it's a pleasure to watch, even if it's impossible to judge the characters as Godard obviously wants you to.

34

Stylish and innovative New Wave.