Breathless (À Bout de Souffle) (1960)
The splash before the French New Wave.
Presentation:
Back when all you needed were performances and a good script to make a great film, movies like this one ooze with style with barely any money. And you shouldn’t notice when the story, Paris and actors all feel more alive than any big production. There is so much personality in every aspect of this film that each feels like its own entity. The script is quirky, flippant, yet profound and romantic at the same time. The characters all feel cartoonishly animated yet as believable as your next door neighbor. Although Belmondo is narcissistic and borderline misogynistic, his chauvinism is somehow endearingly unapologetic and ultimately wildly charismatic. The cinematography is honest yet with iconic jump cuts, dissolves and unique camera angles. One gun shot sequence is so jarring that I thought it was a joke, until you realize the rest of the film is so bold that all is forgiven for what could only be stylishly intentional. Paris looks absolutely vibrant and you’ll wish you could visit especially when each frame looks like it was shot by Cartier-Bresson on a Leica. The energy in infectious and these 90 minutes will slip away from your fingers before you know it.
Conclusion:
If I were to recommend one film to define French cinema, this would probably be it. It’s the poster child of The French New Wave and that already makes it a must watch. I think there are better French films, but this one encapsulates all the signature French sensibilities that we associate with into a delightfully magical package. In order to make a wave, you need to make a splash, and this is as bold and original as it gets. And that’s why we love French cinema.
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