Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless is back!!

There are lots of Turkey Day traditions. For the film buff going out the theater on ThanksGiving is the whipped topping on the pumpkin pie. This last Thursday while celebrating with a late show at the Film Forum this New Yorker picked up a postcard for Breathless. Back by popular demand this 1960 classic of the French New Wave will be playing through December 7th.

When one thinks of New Wave men with strange hats and whips come to mind. "Whip It" was Devo's biggest hit and was a part of American New Wave. But long before this strange video the French New Wave was brought out in film. Jean-Luc Godard is one of the most recognized directors of the French wave. When he collaborated with fellow director, François Truffaut on Breathless 1960. They brought out this new style with beauty and a "Cool" all its own. "À bout de souffle" in French literally means "at breath's end." The way the characters breath seems to be connected to the meaning of the film like when Patricia "sighs", or when Michel "huffs." He has got some problems with the cops but is as cool as a cucumber, his only worry being how this American girl has him falling for her. Michel played by Jean-Paul Belmondo is Godard's homage to Humphrey Bogart, with his fedora and suit. More then that Jean-Paul hits it on the head he is the French "Bogie." He is sexy, slick and troubled. He might be nothing but trouble for Patricia who sells the New York Herald Tribune on the streets of Paris with dreams of being a journalist. This love story is played out on those streets. What a ground breaking film that it seems to be get more and more praise every year.
http://www.filmforum.org/