Review of Breathless (2009) by Kkl10 A — 05 Apr 2014

Breathless (À bout de souffle, 1960) - 8.

First feature film of irreverent Godard and one of the seminal works of the Nouvelle Vague movement in France. In 1960, same year when Hitchcock reached his (and may I say whole Classical Hollywood Cinema) aesthetical apex with Psycho, Breathless was a bold experiment in visual style and editing, it became one of the most influential films ever made. Quite an interesting exercise to contrast both cinematic paradigms, Breathless makes Classical Cinema look dated, inflexible and of limited expressive range, Psycho makes most Nouvelle Vague statements look reckless, objectless and a mess all over the place. Early result of the transgressive and reactionary agenda of the young elites of the 60s which eventually led to the rise of post-modern paradigm in arts and society. Being a seminal demonstration of post-modern cinema, Breathless still has a singular and contemporary visual identity. The mix of existential mindset and humour driving the characters dialogues and actions, in the trivial plot, is the icing on the cake.