Review of Breathless (1983) by Jason V — 27 Jun 2012
Breathless is quirky and "different." We know from the get go this is a foreign film, an older foreign film, since the look, feel and sound of the story leads us to that conclusion. Yet it's different in other ways, like how the backstory unspools without the use of flashbacks and the main character-Michel-continually talks about getting Patricia in bed.
Their relationship is an odd one, not quite fleshed out, but we see enough elements to make it legitimate. And this film, largely, is the two of them. Which makes the ending slightly problematic to explain why Patricia does what she does.
If she truly loves him, then she doesn't betray him. She's not looking out for herself, clearly; if she was, her final actions would have been carried out far earlier. Breathless may be a paragon of French cinema and it does use new techniques for the time.
It's important...though a class on why it is so would be recommended either before or after viewing. Without it, Breathless is a French film.
This review of Breathless (1983) was written by Jason V on 27 Jun 2012.
Breathless has generally received positive reviews.
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