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The Movie Breathless

Godard’s style of directing was revolutionary in its own right. The movie breathless was shot in various settings as the director tried to incorporate various ideas that were not common place in movies at the time. The way positioning of the camera was such that it gave a bigger picture that only included the characters but also the surrounding. When one watches the movie, the get are intrigued by the plot as well as the setting. The camera film captures the streets, buildings, other pedestrians, and other normal day to day activities happening naturally in Paris. Considering that these events were not choreographed, it gives a silent story about the nature of Paris. In some scenes, people are seen to be staring at the camera indicating that they were aware of its presence but were not meant to act. This goes a long way to show that the people walking on the streets were technically not part of the act but only featured in the film by virtue of acting natural in Paris.

Additionally, the lighting was relatively poor in the scenes. The director tried as much as possible to ensure an even tone throughout the pictures in every scene through the use of natural light. This applied for both outdoor and indoor scenes. Under normal lighting in movies, directors use three point lighting system which demands that the characters remain in a confined space that has the lighting. In the film breathless, the characters seemed to move freely and act as natural as possible.

The most profound literary presence in the movie is the French culture. The architectural design of the buildings and the street designs are evident in the film. The way people do business in along the streets selling different commodities shows the way of life of the French people at the time.

The film aroused a sense of romance in the viewer. The idea that a lady can fall for a gangster proves to be more intriguing than if it was a normal relationship. Michel’s role as a gangster who can fall in love and allow vulnerability makes the viewer have to know that gangsters too have a soft spot which can easily act as a point of weakness. The manner in which he falls for Patricia shows the true picture of the human side that gangsters have. More importantly, it portrays the power of infatuation and how it can make one vulnerable in the ordinary world. On the other hand, Patricia seems to be an ordinary lady who accepts the attention being given by a gangster. Initially she seems to be in tune with the situation but later on she betrays him. I think the writer was trying to bring the humane side of Michel and the moral side of Patricia. The only thing I like is the relationship between the two. Initially it seemed to follow the normal romantic tone until Patricia’s betrayal. The writer might have wanted us to like Michel for his humane tendencies but he still had to punish him for his gangster life. As for Michel, Godard wanted us to like her for her ability to love and her ability do the right thing. In betraying so, Godard wanted the viewers to be in a dilemma as they were not sure what to feel having warmed their hearts towards Michel.

I too feel the film being exciting. The plot is captivating as it goes against the ordinary happenings in life. One would expect everyone to avoid a gangster but the director decided to add romance to the mix to captivate the audience. Additionally, the intrigues that came along as Michel was on the run makes one interested in watching the movie to the end. The climax in the movie comes when Michel dies in the end following the betrayal. As one would hope for the romance to blossom, it ends in tragedy leaving the emotions of the viewer to fall drastically from excited to somber. These changes normally have a profound effect on the viewer.