Breathless (1960) Close Reading Analysis
Spoiler Free
Jean-Luc Godard’s À bout de souffle (“Breathless” in English), to me, is the single film embodiment of the intention of the French New Wave film movement. It has all of the defining characteristics of a French New Wave film. Breathless simultaneously pays tribute to and critiques American cinema, particularly noir films, to help create a unique French New Wave identity.
By the time I was eighteen years old, I had seen my fair share of the essential noir films.I had seen The Big Sleep, Gilda, and The Maltese Falcon, and although technically a neo-noir, Polanski’s Chinatown was actually one of my favorite films of all time. I had seen a substantial amount of old Hollywood films in general, way too many to mention. I had a solid foundation of understanding on the elements that make an old Hollywood film.
That being established, it is easy to imagine my shock when my eighteen year old self saw Breathless for the first time. I imagine that must have been what it fel…
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