On Goddard's Breathless

Jean Luc Goddard's movie À bout de souffle ( Breathless) was never in the mainstream cinema. And, neither ever, it will be. The movie was genre defying for its times. Goddard's fearless direction proved to be pivotal in making the film a classic.

Back in 1960s, Goddard and his contemporaries often discussed in the French cinematic circles about their search of something new. Their desire and passion to carve out a separate identity for French cinema led to what we know today as French New wave. 

Goddard never liked the idea of a novel-adapted cinematic culture.He was absolutely averse to it. The director, in his views, was more central to a film rather than a writer. The script need not be a thriller or intense love story to make a good movie. Goddard with his excellent direction could make seemingly everyday stories involving. This was a clear cut rebellion against a system where Alfred Hitchcock movies were striking gold at the box office.This was a quest for modernism in cinema, akin to what had happened with literature four decades back.

Breathless starts off with the character of Michel- a petty criminal who steals a car- murdering a policeman who is on his trail. Helpless and penniless, he turns for help to his American girlfriend Patricia. Patricia is a young girl, studying journalism at university. Her character defines the modern American woman in Paris; one , who is easily absorbed in the quiet and comfortable hustle of the city. Her ideas about sex and relationships seem to be heavily influenced by the feminist writers of France. Sleeping with random men doesn't in the least of ways shapes her moral personality. At one point of the film, she says "It's sad to fall asleep. It separates people. Even when you're sleeping together, you're all alone."

 Michel is very much aware of this fusion of French-Americanism and is very vocal to her about how he enjoys sleeping with her and while on the run, he accosts her in the middle of Champs Elysees and offers sleeping with her that night. At another point in the movie, he goes to her hotel room and declares his love for her. She thinks over it. Their conversation on the hotel bed has some of the most extraordinary dialogues of all time. When she asks for sometime for thinking , Michel says "Women will never do in eight seconds what they would gladly agree to in eight days." There are many cultural allusions that are used in the movie.Michel is generally unaware of these references. 

This is seen when Patricia asks him "Do you know William Faulkner?"

"No. Who's he? Have you slept with him?"

Patricia starts sleeping with him, granting him asylum. She knows he has stolen a car but she is unaware of the killing. In no time, Michel's face is all over the newspapers.The police starts trailing him and also questions Patricia about his whereabouts. She denies accquaintance. But , when finally, Michel finds a hiding place through a mafia friend of his, Patricia faces a dilemma. Before sleeping there, she hints him about her tenuous and subjective idea of love and 'sleeping together' " Don't count on me. I sleep with a lot of men". In a sudden of chain events, she informs the police about him while buying the milk next morning. She very coolly tells him about this and asks him to escape. He escapes, and is shot on the street. 

Dying he says " That's really disgusting". 

To this, Patricia asks the detective "What did he say?"

Detective replies" He said"you really are a bitch.""

The movie finishes right on the street scene. There is no climax. Goddard in his portrayal of the city life brilliantly showcases the monologues and conversations. There is a minimalism in the direction and story. The post production work is perfunctory. Goddard never aimed for the smoothness in his cinema. He had his flaws and that is what made his cinema real, everyday. The dialogues mattered the most for him. He worked on them like a carpenter perfecting each exchange.

Its more than half a century from its release. During the movie, Patricia once asks Michel "What is your greatest ambition in life?"

"To become immortal... and then die."

I feel there was a shadow of Goddard in Michel's reply.