Breathless

Watching Jean-Luc Godard's 1959 film Breathless was certainly a unique experience. Although the movie had a relatively simple plot and minimal (if any) character development, the editing and empty dialogue were entertaining enough. While it seemed as though the other students in my film class didn't like the movie, or couldn't follow it, I strangely enjoyed Breathless.

There were several aspects of the film I enjoyed, and a lot of it had to do with the editing style. Godard included jerky cuts and lopped off any excess shots of in-between movements, creating a film that you have to piece together in your mind. I really like the style, because it forces the casual movie-watcher to analyze the film and consciously understand what is going on. I also really enjoyed the disjointed dialogue between the two main characters (a French criminal and an American student living in Paris), which was somewhat surreal in a whimsical way. It had no real impact on the outcome of the story and added no meaning to anything, but it was at least humorous.

Even though I enjoyed the movie for its artistic merit, I probably would not recommend it for general audiences. It takes too much attention and thought to watch just for fun, but is entertaining in an unconventional sense that I really appreciated.