Breathless (1960)

Michel is a two bit criminal obsessed with American culture and an American woman. He commits rash crimes while trying to convince Patricia to run off with him to Rome.

This was Jean-Luc Godard's first feature length film and my first foray into the French New Wave, whatever that is. The story was written by Francois Truffaut, the other FNW giant. I understand they didn't get along.

Godard needed to shorten the film but didn't want to remove any scenes. So, he just chopped up the slower parts, giving a strange, disconnected feeling of reality to the story, lending itself to the revolution in movie making during this time.

Pretty Jean Seberg played Joan of Arc as a teen, appeared in The Mouse that Roared, and seemed to be a rising star. She apparently suffered from depression before taking kill-me pills at the age of 40.

I found Breathless likable and in many aspects interesting, but I fall short of love. Stylish, but there wasn't much story to latch onto. Clever editing will take you only so far. AMRU 3.5.