Man, people aren't kidding when they talk about the greatness of Jean-Luc Goddard's Breathless (or A bout de souffle in its original French). I'm only just becoming familiar with French New Wave, having previously seen François Truffaut's Jules et Jim, but I'm always intrigued and fascinated by the style whenever I watch films of this nature. There's a definite sense of realism and humanity behind these films but, at the same time, the "unreality" and "magic" of cinema is just as important to the themes and characters. Realism and "cinematic magic" are, somehow, able to co-exist and mingle together very well in these stylish and well-made films. So far, I haven't seen a French New Wave film that I haven't loved. Jules et Jim was a great film and Breathless was, frankly, a tremendous film. Not only that, but many of these types of films (especially Breathless) helped pave the way for filmmaking as we know it. This film, for instance, introduced "jump-cutting" into film editing and reinvigorated a sense of humanity and emotion in mainstream films. The list of influences and those who were influenced is countless. To this day, the films still ring with a creative sense of style and a reverberating method of storytelling.
Breathless certainly doesn't waste any time with introduction. From the get-go, we're thrown into the lives of Michel Poiccard, a petty young criminal and Humphrey Bogart wanna-be, and his American girlfriend, Patricia Franchini. Both individuals are amoral, self-seeking, and bohemian figures in a degrading society that has a very low opinion on...well, virtually everything. They exist to steal, trick, and simply enjoy their lives. They're both hedonistic yet charming, in a scoundrel-like sort of way, characters. Their usual on-again-off-again relationship is affected, however, once Michel kills a police officer that was trailing him. With the authorities hot on his trail, Michel spends the rest of the film trying to convince Patricia to run away with him to Italy while attempting to collect on a large amount of money that'll allow the characters to flee the country.
If anything can be said of the film, it's that it's got a great sense of character and style. The characters and the script in the film are just fantastic. Despite the lack of an introduction, we get to know the main characters of this film very well thanks to the many sequences we spend with them. Whether they're hiding from the police or just talking about overly-dramatic facial expressions, these are two characters that seem like real people. At the same time, though, they still have the surreality and charm that most great fictional characters have. Michel may be a petty criminal, but he's definitely not without a sense of class. Capped with a fedora and always accompanied with a cigarette, Michel evokes the nature of the characters of the noir films he loves so much. The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon, They Both Fell Together, Casablanca, etc - all are Humphrey Bogart films that are slyly referenced to in the film, and their recollection allows us to connect these mysterious detective/criminal types with Michel's character. At the same time, though, the film's so deep that it's hinted that this "badboy" persona is just a facade. That, in actuality, Michel is just a frightened youth in Paris that uses the style of his hero to make himself feel secure. Whether or not you believe that, though, depends on how you view this incredible and entertaining film. Patricia's just as deadly, if not more so, than her French boyfriend. She uses her co-workers and bosses to gain a higher place in her work, admits to sleeping around with plenty of men, and isn't afraid to take dangerous risks with her life and her relationships. Not only that, but she does all of these things in the guise of a "sweet, little American girl". Again, whether or not she's evil or confused solely depends on the viewer. Either way, though, the script and characters are so fantastic that it's simply fun to delve into and evaluate the characters.
Moving on, though, the film has an excellent sense of style and cinematography. It’s ironic as well, as Jean-Luc Goddard actually didn’t intend for these visual cues and styles to become popular or innovative. The fluid and fast-moving camera, for instance, is actually a result of the fact that the crew couldn’t afford a film dolly. Because of this, Goddard instead used a wheelchair to maneuver the camera and cameraman around during shooting. It looks great, though, as the camera still looks slick to this day and the framing looks wonderful. As for the jump-cuts, those weren’t intended to be experimental either. Because the film went over the time it was allotted, Goddard was asked to cut the film down a bit. Instead of cutting whole sequences, however, Goddard cut bits and pieces to create shots that “jumped” from place to place. This was a great decision on Goddard’s part as cutting out a sequence of this film would be the equivalent of sin. The jump-cuts add to the experience and the look of the film. Speaking of looks, I’m convinced that the film was going for a sort of neo-noir style. It didn’t use the dark shadows or silhouettes that previous film noirs were known for, but the character types and themes are all there. The cynical outlook on life, the femme fatale, the focus on crime and the police, the style of clothing – it fits the bill of a noir film.
The film’s nearly perfect as it’s so artistic yet entertaining at the same time. Sadly, though, it’s not as perfect as I’d hoped it been. The one flaw that deters this film for me – the *one* flaw – is Patricia’s involvement in setting up the very ending of the film. I understood and appreciated how the film ended down to the last frame, but how it got there was kinda iffy. I won’t reveal spoilers, but it just seems like a cop-out as Patricia’s actions never suggest what she’s going to do that moment. Her explanation, if it is a cry of confusion, just felt uneven to me. Still, that’s nitpicking when compared to the rest of the film.
Breathless is a simple yet superb film. Its great characters, wonderful sense of style, and terrific writing make it a fantastic landmark in cinematic history.
No comments:
Post a Comment