Wednesday, 5 February 2014

Breathless (1960) - The stylistic influence of US TV on British TV


Breathless, also known as A bout de Souffe (Out of Breath) is a black and white French film produced by Georges de Beauregard, directed by Jean-Luc Godard and written by Francois Truffaut in 1960. This film stars Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg.

Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is a young petty criminal. After stealing a car in Marseille, he shoots the policeman who follows him on his journey on a country road. He is on the run from the police with no money as he goes to his American girlfriend Patricia (Jean Seberg), who is a student, which aspires to be a journalist, and sells the New York Herald Tribune on the streets of Paris. He tries to persuade Patricia to hide in Italy with him. Patricia then finds out that Michel is running from the police once they question her. She later on betrays him and tells him what she had done earlier before the police arrive. The police shoot him in the street after a long time from running away, he dies.


During the scenes in French, we see English subtitles on screen and when it comes to the scenes we see in English, there are French subtitles on screen for both audiences can understand what is going on.



Within the film, we see Michel having a casual conversation with himself and to the camera and always seen smoking. He has been traveling as well as running away from the police from the crime he has committed. Throughout the film we become more aware of the storyline and what has happened. We are introduced to Patricia who calls the police on him near the end of the film, which leads him to get shot by the police and dies. 



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