Review of Breathless (1960) by Michael H — 25 Jun 2011

Breathless, or A Bout de Souffle as its title reads, remains after fifty years one of the most exciting movies ever made, and probably Godard's best (although Contempt comes really, really close). This movie has been studied ad infinitum in academia (which also served also as my introduction to it) yet is truly best when projected through 35mm onto a waiting and willing screen.

The movie is witty & playful with an editting structure that alternates between long takes and jump cuts that, like Chungking Express several years later, lends the impression of a beating heart behind the camera, creating pop art before your very eyes.

There is a wealth of material here to study, yet this film truly becomes a movie once you surrender yourself to its currents and ride along with it. And although it's a great film, it's amongst the greatest of all movies.