'Breathless' and Technique

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer introduces and analyzes the film "Breathless" directed by Jean-Luc Godard. Specifically, the writer discusses a distinctive formal device from the film and details how that device is related to questions of state and government. The writer maintains that this film is really much more than the story of a petty thief who never seems to amount to anything. It is really a commentary on society and government of the time, from the rather inept investigators to the casual way society deals with death in the film. The writer notes that many film critics and experts believe Godard invented the jump cut technique with this film, and uses it quite effectively to question the state and government of the time. The writer concludes that Godard seems to be saying that if you flaunt society and its rules for long enough, it will come back to haunt you in the end.

From the Paper:

"This could be a commentary about society at the time, as well. Society at the turn of the 1950s was becoming more open, looser, and it seems more unconcerned with rules and regulations. Children of the baby boomer generation (like the young girl Patricia played by Jean Seberg in the film), were rebelling against their parents and their uptight morals, and these two characters epitomize that rebellion. Michel is the ultimate rebel, who goes against society and yet wants to be accepted in society, and attempts to appear affluent by stealing and cheating others. He is ruthless and cunning, quite the opposite of the innocent Patricia, and this pits the two sides of society against each other in the film. It is clear that Patricia is basically honest, which Michel clearly is not. They make an incongruous couple, and that is another element of the film that Godard uses to criticize society. The jump cuts throughout the film also signify the great gap between the two characters, and how they will never really come together in a meaningful way; they are too far opposed from each other."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Breathless. Dir. Jean-Luc Godard. Perf. Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg. Les Films Imperia, 1960.
• Raskin, Richard. "Five Explanations for the Jump Cuts in Godard's 'Breathless.'" POV.IMV.au.dk. Dec. 1998. 29 Oct. 2007.<http://pov.imv.au.dk/Issue_06/section_1/artc10.html>

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