Breathless - Criterion Collection

Description

There was before Breathless, and there was after Breathless. With its lack of polish, surplus of attitude, crackling personalities of rising stars Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg, and anything-goes crime narrative, Jean-Luc Godard's debut fashioned a simultaneous homage to and critique of the American film genres that influenced and rocked him as a film writer for Cahiers du cinema. Jazzy, free-form, and sexy, Breathless (A bout de souffle) helped launch the French new wave and ensured cinema would never be the same.

Customer Reviews:

Essential French Cinema: Godard's 'A Bout de Souffle.'.......2007-09-14

As a French New Wave director, Jean-Luc Godard (1930) was at the head of his class. Drawing from politics, film history, French intellectualism, existential and Marxist philosophy, Godard's radical films challenged the conventions of Hollywood cinema. Breathless (1964) is among his most accessible films. With all the energy of a 1940s' American gangster B-movie, it tells the simple story of Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo), a young French petty street thief, who steals a car and kills a policeman, while meanwhile pursuing an American girl Patricia (Jean Seberg). Although she is wary of Michel's intentions and questions his lack of ambition, and proving that nice girls have a thing for bad boys, Patricia nevertheless spends time with him in Paris before deciding to turn him in. Throughout the film, using jarring editing techniques, handheld cameras, and a musical soundtrack that seems out of sync with the action, Godard succeeds at making his audience constantly aware that his film is a constructed reality having little to do with actual reality. Although the film's plot is thin, Breathless revolutionized French cinema. Of his films, Bande à part (also called Band of Outsiders - Criterion Collection) (1966) remains my Godard favorite and should not be missed.

The new dual-disc Criterion edition of Breathless includes a restored high-definition digital transfer (approved by director of photography Raoul Coutard), interviews with Godard, and actors Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, video essays: filmmaker and critic Mark Rappaport's "Jean Seberg" and critic Jonathan Rosenbaum's "Breathless as Film Criticism," an eighty-minute French documentary about the making of Breathless, with members of the cast and crew, the French theatrical trailer, and a booklet featuring writings from Godard, film historian Dudley Andrew, Francois Truffaut's original film treatment, and Godard's scenario.

G. Merritt

Criterion 2-disc specs.......2007-09-07

* - SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES
* - New, restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by director of photography Raoul Coutard
* - Archival interviews with director Jean-Luc Godard, and actors Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, and Jean-Pierre Melville
* - New video interviews with Coutard, assistant director Pierre Rissient, and filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker
* - New video essays: filmmaker and critic Mark Rappaport's "Jean Seberg" and critic Jonathan Rosenbaum's "Breathless as Film Criticism"
* - Chambre 12, Hotel de suede, an eighty-minute French documentary about the making of Breathless, with members of the cast and crew
* - Charlotte et son Jules, a 1959 short film by Godard, starring Belmondo
* - French theatrical trailer
* - New and improved English subtitle translation
* - PLUS: A booklet featuring writings from Godard, film historian Dudley Andrew, Francois Truffaut's original film treatment, and Godard's scenario

1959
90 minutes
Black & White
1.33:1
Dolby Digital Mono 1.0
Not Anamorphic
French

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Breathless
Breathless
Breaking of the new wave
Breathless
"It's silly, but I love you. I wanted to see you, to see if I'd want to see you.",

Breathless
Starring: Richard Balducci , Jean-Paul Belmondo , Daniel Boulanger , Philippe de Broca , and Van Doude
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
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ASIN: B00005NC66
Release Date: 2001-11-20

Amazon.com essential video

The movie that heralded the French New Wave movement, this lean and exciting 1959 film directed by Jean-Luc Godard (A Woman Is a Woman, Weekend) broke new ground not only in its unorthodox use of editing and hand-held photography, but in its unflinching and nonjudgmental portrayal of amoral youth. Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg play two young lovers on the run from the law after Belmondo kills a cop and steals a car. Soon they are on an odyssey through the streets of Paris searching for some money he is owed so that he and his American girlfriend can escape to Italy. As a chase picture it features some startling photography on the streets of Paris, but as a romance it defies expectations, existing as part tragedy and part Bonnie and Clyde crime movie. The result is a wholly original film experience. Inspiring not only a remake starring Richard Gere but numerous films and television series, Breathless is an essential part of motion picture history. --Robert Lane

Customer Reviews:

Breathless.......2007-08-26

This film is the best of the French New Wave of films. It is continually entertaining and keeps the viewer involved. I love the candid shots films on Paris streets. While Truffaut is the most human of the New Wave directors, Godard is easily the most challenging and inventive.

Breathless.......2007-06-27

One of the more fascinating and important works in cinema, and a great, loving tribute to American film noir, Godard's "Breathless" epitomized the French New Wave with a minimal yet innovative tale of doomed love. The tremendous appeal of this movie comes from its innovative use of sound (Mozart meets French pop), handheld cameras, and jarring cuts--not to mention an ultra-hip swagger beautifully performed by Belmondo. The lovely, perky Seberg reinvigorates a female cliché--the gangster's moll--giving her a bit of bubbly pizzazz. Shot on location in the City of Lights, "Breathless" is an energetic fusion of high art and pop culture that's not to be missed.

Breaking of the new wave.......2007-05-29

Breathless - in it's lean, pared down, gritty realism - is a seminal movie. Michel Poiccard (Jean Paul Belmondo) is a disaffected youth, a sort of French James Dean, who steals a car, shoots a policeman, then goes on the run. Whilst trying to track down money he is owed so he can escape to Italy, he pursues his affair with the beautiful, bird like Patricia by breaking into her hotel room. In a memorable, drawn out scene, the two lovers flirt and fight amongst the pillows, discussing the deeply philosophical and the trite and trivial. The dialogue sequence in this scene is a superb piece of cinematic realism. The detail of Breathless - Michel's white shirt and Bogart style cigarette and hat combo, Patricia's striped dresses, he city of Paris, a sharp jazz score, the doomed forebodings of noir - raise this film up to its position as Flicks magazine puts it: the yardstick of celluloid cool.

Breathless.......2007-04-16

"Breathless" is an incredibly innovative, entertaining, and romantic film that marked the directorial debut of Jean-Luc Godard one of the greatest of all filmmakers.

The movie stars Jean-Paul Belmondo as Michel, a car thief who is being hunted by the police for the murder of an officer. He shacks up with his pregnant American girlfriend Patricia (Jean Seberg) and the two begin to save money for a trip to Italy, to get away from it all.

Michel is one of the most charming criminals I've ever seen onscreen. The character idolizes Humphrey Bogart and wears a Fedora throughout the film; He also has a cigarette in his mouth in every single scene. Seberg is both beautiful and talented, the acting is just fantastic. This is the film that innovated "jump cuts." But that's not the only reason the movie is still remembered today. It's also because the film feels incredibly modern, it hasn't seemed to age a bit. It's not Godard's best film, but it belongs in his top 5 best. It's a fantastic movie that belongs on the "must-see" list of any cinephile.
GRADE: A

"It's silly, but I love you. I wanted to see you, to see if I'd want to see you.",.......2007-04-09

I finally did it. I finished watching "À bout de souffle" aka "Breathless". I kept putting it off because I usually have problem when everybody tells me that such and such film is the epitome of its era or it breaks all the rules, starts the revolution, and reinvents the cinema. Well, "À bout de souffle" does not put you under the pressure, it takes you for a ride, and you follow for 90 minutes its incredibly young characters, common crook (Jean-Paul Belmondo) and his American free-spirited girlfriend (Jean Seberg) on their journey on the streets of 1960-th Paris along with Raoul Coutard's legendary camera. I am not going to tell here how great the camera work was, how fantastic the music score and the views of Paris were - the fans of the film know that already. They also know about the beginning of French New Wave, and how it influenced the future cinema. I just want to say that the movie was made over forty years ago - the smoking was cool back then, and Belmondo made smoking look very sexy. Belmondo fascinates me in this film. I've seen him in a lot of later movies - he's always been good (I recommend Le Magnifique, 1973 and Le Professionnel,1981 ) - but in À bout de souffle he is not just good - he is embodiment of cool, his face changes its expression every moment, you can not take your eyes off him. Is it me or he does remind the very young Mick Jagger - not commonly handsome but irresistible and sexy? He and young (she was 21 at the time) Jean Seaborg made one of the best screen couples ever. My favorite scenes:

Michel drives the stolen car in the beginning of the film, and he starts to talk to us, the audience. The day is nice, the sun is shining, and the life is beautiful...

Michel and Patricia drive in the convertible. The wind plays with her short hair. We only see the back of her head and her neck. Michel tells her that he loves the girl with a beautiful neck, wrists, knees, but she is a chicken...

Patricia comes to the hotel to find Michel in her bed. They start talking about nothing and about very serious things. They smoke, she tries to find a good place for her new poster, and he wants to sleep with her. In the end of the scene, his face, he looks at her - there is love in that look...

There is more - I am sure everyone who saw it has his/her favorite scenes.

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Loved it!
The eighties reach a cinematic low point
Amazing. Simply Amazing.
You either love it or hate it
OK, here's the real review. Ignore all the others.

Breathless
Starring: Richard Gere , Valérie Kaprisky , Art Metrano , John P. Ryan , and William Tepper
Director: Jim McBride
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: 0792844807
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Description

Sometimes a thief can steal your heart. Richard Gere gives "a breakthrough performance" (Time) as a rockin' 'n' rollin', hustlin' and bustlin' crook in a film about chasing after your dreams no matter how high the stakes.Jesse Lujack (Gere) is a smalltime car thief who loves livin', Jerry Lee Lewis and his Silver Surfer comic books. But most of all, Jesse loves Monica (Valerie Kaprisky), the sexy French architecture student he just met in Vegas. Determined to provide her with the good life, Jesse uses all his rockabilly charm to convince the resistant Monica to drop everything and join him on a trip to sunny Mexico. In a fire-red Caddy with the top down and the woman he loves finally at his side, Jesse feels on top of the world. But no matter how much rubber he burns, there's something that Jesse just can't outrun. As he races faster and faster away from his past and toward his dreams, Jesse must keep everything that's important to himespecially Monicaclose by his side...or risk losing them forever!

Customer Reviews:

Loved it!.......2007-01-26

Yes this film had a silly plot but if you love Richard Gere and can remember some crazy dumb things you did when you were younger, this is a pretty good film. I also think women can relate to this film more, just because of Richard Gere!

The eighties reach a cinematic low point.......2006-11-29

This movie exemplifies some of the worst of that splashy, colorful, cocaine-fueled 1980s media bilge from which I am still trying to recover twenty-plus years later. Richard Gere is cast as a boyish, mischievious cop-killer (??) with a devil-may-care spring in his step. Apparently the viewer is supposed to find him charming and sympathetic, although he is a complete loon. He is supposed to be a rockabilly, but his outfits look more appropriate for the tenderloin district than for a 50s revival. He spends the entire film prancing, posing, leaping, mugging, and cavorting, mainly because the screenwriters have given him nothing interesting to say.

Gere's love interest in the film is a very young and beautiful European gal who can't act her way out of a paper bag. The movie fails to convey any reason why her character would find Gere's character interesting, except that he drives a convertible and likes to leap around and break things. Even when she strips naked and lets Gere paw at her, sparks do not fly. Perhaps this is because Gere acts like a man who has never been on a date with a female before... he fumbles about and looks distracted, and he can't even seem to find her earlobes to nibble them properly. I found myself tempted to try to leap into the screen and say "outta the way, loser! Let me show you how it's done!!" I am not making any insinuations about Gere's sexuality, which is probably none of my business. I am just saying he cannot act.. or couldn't in 1983, anyway.

I would have given this ill-conceived disaster just one star. But the girl is nice to look at, and the movie is so bad that it can actually might be viewed for its comic value. So I added a star. If you find this at a garage sale for 50 cents or less, get it, otherwise, steer clear.

Amazing. Simply Amazing........2005-11-25

Amazing. Simply Amazing. No...I'm not commenting on the high quality of BREATHLESS: THE REMAKE, as I shall call it. Rather, I am amazed at whoever gave the green light on this disaster of a remake. I mean, come on: what were they thinking?

"Let's do a remake of one of the greatest films of all time!"

"Yeah! That's a great idea! Remakes of film classics are always better than the original or, at least, great in their own right!"

"While we're at it, let's put Richard Gere in the title role."

"Oh boy! Let me go get my pen! I don't want to lose a single idea!"

"Hey...you know how the original BREATHLESS takes place in France with an American girl?"

"Yeah..."

"We could make the film in America and use a French girl!"

"Yes! This is good stuff! Keep it coming!"

No. Please. Don't keep it coming. Let me burst the bubble: BREATHLESS: THE REMAKE is neither better than the original, nor is it a good film in its own right. Let's deal with my second claim first. As a standalone picture, this film is a relatively boring study of Richard Gere in his "hotpants" days, a self-centered idiot who is running from the cops and lusts after a French student. Of course, all of the ingredients were there for an interesting movie: self-centered idiots can make for interesting character studies. But the problem for BREATHLESS THE REMAKE is that Gere never manages to win our support and sympathy. The result is that, instead of rooting for his character and feeling sorry for his circumstances, I wanted him to get caught the entire film. We get the feeling that his troubles are well-deserved. He is not a man engaged in relatively "innocent" crime that suddenly gets caught up in murder. Instead, he's kind of a jerk that is asking for it.

Secondly, as a remake, this film is horrendous. Perhaps it is not all Gere's fault--he has been horribly miscast. It's really not even worth mentioning BREATHLESS: THE REMAKE in the same sentence as the original. This film is simply a Hollywood production with the same name.

If you loved the original, don't see this film. If you want to see Richard Gere and Valerie Kaprisky naked, then BREATHLESS: THE REMAKE is your kind of movie.

You either love it or hate it.......2005-07-20

Reviewer Gary F. Taylor who states that Jim McBride does not know what statement he is trying to make is totally off the mark.
McBride's message is loud and clear and demonstrated throughout the entire movie. And the movie is far from pretentious. Jesse is a simple character who has an "all or nothing" approach to life and believes that "love is the power supreme." In that vein he risks everything to win the heart of Monica.
I definitely understand why some find the movie cheesy but for me, the soundtrack, the relentlessness of Jesse in pursuing Monica, the LA scenery, the Silver Surfer references, and even the cheesy clothing all just work.
This isn't a movie about a character who deserves happiness (ie. Sleepless in Seattle--yuk); Jesse is a criminal who should be incarcerated. But life is full of infinite personalities and people of varying moral quality. Whether Jesse is a good guy or a bad guy, we root for him because in the movie's quite moments, when he stares goofily at Monica, you realize he loves her purely and you're caught up in his unrealistic and ultimately impossible dream.
Keil James' review is right on the mark.
And this movie has one of the most excellent end-scenes of any movie.

OK, here's the real review. Ignore all the others........2005-07-08

OK, here's the real review. Breathless is essentially about character, so if you don't like Jesse, played by Richard Gere, then you probably will not like the movie. Jesse is a flake and he has a knack for getting himself into trouble. But he also has good qualities. He is earnest, free-spirited, and he has an all-or-nothing approach to all that he does in life. And he applies all of these qualities to his pursuit of Monica's heart.

Breathless is a love story. The action, and the trouble that is closing in on Jesse, drives the urgency of his attempt to win Monica's heart and her partnership. It is a story about trying to win the favor of a young girl who is still weighing her options in life. And in doing so, Jesse brings his uncompromising attitude and does all he can think of to win her.

Any criticism of Gere's performance is dead wrong. Gere brings the character to life, and makes him appealing despite his flakiness, by showing that Jesse is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve, and believes that love is the power supreme. The director also does a great job of intermingling popular songs with a nice score. He includes songs by Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis, which are not haphazardly placed in the picture, but that add to the character of Jesse, who is freewheeling like Jerry Lee, and caught in a trap as Elvis sung.

If you can root for a guy who is flakey, flamboyant, and still believes in the power of love, then give this one a spin.

Essentials Directors Series - Jean-Luc Godard (Breathless / Le Petit Soldat / Les Carabinieres / Notre Musique)

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Essentials Directors Series - Jean-Luc Godard (Breathless / Le Petit Soldat / Les Carabinieres / Notre Musique)
Starring: Jean-Luc Godard
Manufacturer: Wellspring Media
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000ROAMCA
Release Date: 2007-09-18

Description

Jean Luc Godard - Director's Special Gift Set, Titles Included: Breathless, Le Petit Soldat, Les Carabiniers, Notre Musique

Jean-Luc Godard Collection (Breathless / Le Petit Soldat / Les Carabiniers)

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3 Disc Collection...

Jean-Luc Godard Collection (Breathless / Le Petit Soldat / Les Carabiniers)
Starring: Jean-Luc Godard 3pak
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005YR3V
Release Date: 2001-12-11

Customer Reviews:

3 Disc Collection..........2004-12-02

The 3-disc DVD set includes Breathless, Le Petit Soldat, and Les Carabiniers.

Average customer rating:

Loved it!
The eighties reach a cinematic low point
Amazing. Simply Amazing.
You either love it or hate it
OK, here's the real review. Ignore all the others.

Breathless (1983)
Starring: Richard Gere , Valérie Kaprisky , Art Metrano , John P. Ryan , and William Tepper
Director: Jim McBride
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Gere, Richard | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Goodrow, Garry | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

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Persky, Lisa Jane | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

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ASIN: 0792844661
Release Date: 2000-04-04

Customer Reviews:

Loved it!.......2007-01-26

The eighties reach a cinematic low point.......2006-11-29

Amazing. Simply Amazing........2005-11-25

You either love it or hate it.......2005-07-20

OK, here's the real review. Ignore all the others........2005-07-08

Average customer rating:

Rating for this two-for-one package

Breathless & Red Corner
Starring: Richard Gere , Ling Bai , Bradley Whitford , Byron Mann , and Peter Donat
Director: Jon Avnet , and Jim McBride
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000714CE
Release Date: 2003-01-07

Customer Reviews:

Rating for this two-for-one package.......2003-01-16

RED CORNER is presented in widescreen format, with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround (English & French). BREATHLESS is presented in full-screen, with Dolby Digital mono (English, French, Spanish). Some extras; see individual titles (ASIN 6304883773 and 0792844807, respectively).

Weekend (Non-US Format, PAL, Region 2, Import)

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Weekend (Non-US Format, PAL, Region 2, Import)
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000L0EKAK

Product Description

The master of the French New Wave indicts consumerism and elaborates on his personal vision of Hell with this raucous, biting satire. A nasty, scheming bourgeois Parisian couple embarks on a journey through the countryside to her father's house, where they pray for his death and a subsequent inheritance. Their trip is at first delayed, and later it is distracted by several outrageous events and characters including an apocalyptic traffic jam, a group of fictional philosophers, a couple of violent carjackers, and eventually, a gross display of cannibalism. By the time the film concludes, their seemingly simple journey has deteriorated into a freewheeling philosophical diatribe that leaves no topic unscathed. With WEEKEND, Jean-Luc Godard reaches an impressive plateau of film originality, incorporating inter-titles, extended tracking shots, and music to add an entirely new grammar to film language. The result is a deeply challenging work that will most certainly invigorate some viewers just as much as it will as frustrate others. Standout highlights include a jarring, sexually graphic opening monologue shot with a roaming camera and blaring musical accompaniment, and the infamous traffic jam scene, where an endless parade of cars sit bumper to bumper amidst burning cars, picnics, and honking horns. The work of a true artist and pioneer, Godard's WEEKEND is a landmark film that hasn't aged or lessened in impact over time.

Average customer rating:

Loved it!
The eighties reach a cinematic low point
Amazing. Simply Amazing.
You either love it or hate it
OK, here's the real review. Ignore all the others.

Breathless [Region 2]
Starring: Richard Gere , Valérie Kaprisky , Art Metrano , John P. Ryan , and William Tepper
Director: Jim McBride
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005AC3L

Customer Reviews:

Loved it!.......2007-01-26

The eighties reach a cinematic low point.......2006-11-29

Amazing. Simply Amazing........2005-11-25

You either love it or hate it.......2005-07-20

OK, here's the real review. Ignore all the others........2005-07-08

Average customer rating:

Breathless [Region 2]

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Binding: DVD

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