When I first started to explore world cinema, Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless was one of the very first films that I sought out. After all, it has (rightfully) been called one of the most important films ever made. The film follows a French criminal who styles himself after Hollywood gangsters, in particular his idol Humphrey Bogart. After stealing a car and shooting a policeman, he becomes the object of a national manhunt. He steals away to his American girlfriend's apartment. Their relationship is put to the test as he tries to orchestrate an escape to Italy. The first time that I saw Breathless, I was mesmerized by the incessant use of jump cuts. In fact, most of the film's editing is surprisingly jarring. Even in the middle of a conversation, Godard would put an edit in between lines, positioning his characters in different positions and locations, resulting in a continuity shock for the audience. The story doesn't lend itself to much action or excitement, but Godard's editing gives it a kinetic energy that propels it forward at an astounding rate. Here's the thing, though. I think that the key to the film's success was that it was released at the right place at the right time. In essence, Breathless is both an ode and condemnation of Hollywood that announced a changing of the guard among acclaimed international directors. It's a film that values style over content to the point where the style becomes the content. It's a fairly unremarkable story that if told by anybody other than Godard would have resulted in a mediocre film. By itself, and on its own merits, it is a fantastic film, but I feel that it pales in comparison to the masterpieces that would soon follow in Godard's career. I believe that Truffaut's The 400 Blows was a more auspicious and historically significant debut. But Breathless should still be admired for its stylistic audacity and for launching the career of the cinema's greatest iconoclast.
First Viewing Score: 7/10
Second Viewing Score: 8/10
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