Breathless is a 1960 French New Wave crime drama film written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard. It stars Jean-Paul Belmondo as a wandering criminal named Michel, and Jean Seberg as his American girlfriend Patricia. The film was Godard's first feature-length work and represented Belmondo's breakthrough as an actor.
Theatrical release poster
Jean Seberg and Jean-Paul Belmondo in Breathless
The New Wave, also called the French New Wave, is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentation and a spirit of iconoclasm. New Wave filmmakers explored new approaches to editing, visual style, and narrative, as well as engagement with the social and political upheavals of the era, often making use of irony or exploring existential themes. The New Wave is often considered one of the most influential movements in the history of cinema.
"Three by Truffaut" poster for the US re-release of French New Wave films The 400 Blows, Shoot the Piano Player and Jules and Jim.
François Truffaut in 1965
Jean-Luc Godard in 1968
Agnès Varda at the Venice Film Festival, 1962