To coincide with the release of Richard Linklater's Nouvelle Vague, a joyful dramatisation of the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s À bout de souffle (Breathless), we're screening the real thing - Godard's landmark film in a beautiful 4K restoration.
Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is a young, suave criminal who styles himself on Humphrey Bogart. When he attempts to steal a car, he impulsively commits a more serious crime and goes on the run. He flees to Paris, where he tries to persuade Patricia (Jean Seberg), an American journalism student he is infatuated with, to escape to Italy with him.
Godard’s debut feature, a chaotic, anarchic romance wrapped in an exciting sense of danger, challenged conventions of cinematic grammar and style, and helped forge a revolutionary wave in film. Bursting with youthful energy, wit and invention, Breathless still feels as radically fresh as it did on arrival.
Synopsis coutesy of BFI Southbank.
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