OPINION- « A BOUT DE SOUFFLE » LEAVES AUDIENCE BREATHLESS.

OLIVER FLINT-WESTERN NEWS, JUNE 3rd 2015

      

PARIS, FRANCE- French new wave cinema comes in many provocative and sometimes foreign forms of cinema for non-French speakers. 

The idea of sitting through a black and white French film was daunting at first, but once you got past the initial boredom and lack of attention grabbing graphics and colours, I found it easier to focus on what the actors/characters were truly saying instead of being distracted through symbols.

A Bout De Souffle, or, in English, “Breathless” was a landmark film in late 50’s France; a time known for its landmark cinema, bold filming techniques and its exploitative actors.

The film, filmed largely around the Paris region, tells the tale of a Parisian con-man (Jean Paul Belmondo) escaping the arm of the law following a car theft gone-wrong in which he shoots and kills a police officer. Fleeing the police, he turns to a young, innocent American girl living in Paris selling the “New York Herald” in the streets of Paris.

The real symbolic meaning in the film comes in the scenes following. It comes apparent that Michel (Jean Paul Belmondo) is using Patrica (Jean Seberg) to escape the law, and in turn, is using her as a woman. Perhaps a homage to how we all use each-other.

Coming back to the review portion of the piece, I found the element of black and white to really enforce what was truly being said. No longer shielded by colour and indirect items in the shot, everything was very simple in make. One thing that made this film such a poster for the generation is the lack of emphasis on the scenes. Jean Luc Godard, in breaking away from convention, had made the film on a staggering 500-Franc budget. The scenes are simple and to the point. 

One in which I remember profusely is the one in the hotel room, in which Patrica and Michel are in dialogue. The whole scene is separated by three shots, that is correct. In a 15-minute dialogue, the scene only changed three times. This forced both actors to really penetrate there role, and due to it, really exemplfied true human emotion.

Along with the incredible cinematography presented in the film, the depth and hidden motifs riddled throughout the script are some seen no-where else in history.

The final dialogue in the film between Michel and Patrica links the whole film together but has stumped English, French and Film professors around the world in an effort to uncover Godard’s true meaning. I’ll let you guess for yourself.

MICHEL: Ch'uis vraiment dégueulasse.

PATRICIA: Qu'est ce qu'il a dit?

VITAL: Il a dit que vous êtes vraiment "une dégueulasse".

PATRICIA: Qu'est-ce que c'est "dégueulasse"?

This movie liberated the cinema -- the stories you could tell and the ways you could tell them -- as clearly and cleanly as Picasso freed painting and the Sex Pistols rebooted rock. If you've never seen Breathless, see it now -- but don't expect an easy ride. If you haven't seen it for ages, see it again and be surprised at the fresh reactions it provokes.

10/10 Stars

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