French New wave auteurs like Godard envisioned their films as a radical re-visioning of the static filmmaking of the French studio system. What experimental ideas or techniques did you notice in Breathless (could you explain in some detail)? How do these experiments change the way we enjoy a film? Are they engaging or annoying? Do they bring meaning to the film? Do they make fun of the whole idea of bringing meaning to film?
Breathless, directed by Jean-Luc Godard is a perfect example of French New Wave. French New Wave was a style of film revolutionized in the late 1950s which heavily influenced cinema today. This style of film challenge many of the standards or normalities of film at the time utilizing different film techniques that largely hadn’t been utilized before. The first technique of French New Wave that is used in Breathless is breaking the fourth wall: the actor looks at the camera and speaks to the audience. Not only does this make the film seem more fun, but it engages the viewer and makes them feel as though they are in the movie. The main character, Michael, breaks the fourth wall as he is speeding down the road to explain how knowledge of French women to the audience. Micael comes off as a companion or friend driving the audience somewhere, rather than an actor in a movie. The next representation of French New Wave in Breathless is Godard’s use of jump cuts. In the beginning plannings of the movie it was nt actually intended to be a jump cut style movie however during editing it seemed to be the best choice. Jump cuts make it difficult for the viewer to understand exactly how much time has passed between scenes or how the actor changed locations however it allows the audience to focus more on the content of the film rather than unnecessary filler scnes explaining transportation. Breathless serves as a great representation of French New Wave because of its unique and groundbreaking features.
ReplyDeleteBreathless, directed by Jean-Luc Godard stands as one one the more youthful films we’ve watched, characterized by its bold experimentation with cinematic form and narrative structure. The film's unconventional techniques challenge some of the conventions of more self-serious cinema methods and invite audiences to reconsider their expectations of cinema, particularly the crime genre. One notable experimental idea in Breathless is its use of jump cuts. Godard employs abrupt transitions between shots, creating a sense of discontinuity and spontaneity. This technique not only disrupts the linear flow of the narrative but resonates with a more classical ‘youth’ experience of life. Instead of smooth, seamless editing, viewers are confronted with jarring shifts that demand active engagement and interpretation. It is a novel way to absorb audiences in subjective storytelling.
ReplyDeleteAnother distinctive feature is the film's self-awareness and reflexivity. Characters directly address the audience, both breaking the fourth wall and blurring the boundaries between reality and fiction. This meta-cinematic approach encourages viewers to question the acceptable rules surrounding refined cinema and their role as spectators. By acknowledging the artifice of filmmaking, Godard prompts audiences to interrogate the illusions presented on screen and consider the underlying truths they conceal. These experimental ideas fundamentally alter the way we engage with the film. While some viewers may find them disorienting, others may be drawn to the film's audaciousness and intellectual stimulation. The disruptions caused by jump cuts force audiences to actively participate in constructing meaning, fostering a more immersive and dynamic viewing experience. Similarly, the self-reflexive moments challenge conventional notions of narrative coherence, inviting viewers to reflect on the inherent subjectivity of cinematic representation.
Breathless, a one-of-a-kind film of its era, directed by Jean-Luc Godard, acted as a catalyst for a new era of cinema and ushered in the French New Wave movement, characterized by its refreshing and signature use of ideas and techniques that challenged traditional filmmaking norms (i.e ulgarity, artistic expression, etc.). Particularly, one unique filming technique the film utilizes is the jump cut, a form of editing in which scenes abruptly transition without smooth continuity. The jump cut is refreshing in that it breaks the conventional flow of the established narrative and guide set by other movies, In this particular film, it works to create a sense of urgency and spontaneity, which serves to mirror the restless energy of the main characters, Michel and Patricia. Breathless individualizes itself through the use of an exciting and almost documentary-like shooting style (something I have never really noticed in other films of the era), where cameras are positioned to capture the candid and genuine nature of the streets of Paris. Through the mix of these documentary-like scenes and others with typical cinema theatrical qualities, Godard adds artistic varience to the film that draws the viewer more into the nitty gritty and rebellious (what the film embodies), and allows the mood of the environment to be set. These virtually first-of-its-kind filming techniques that Godard employed fundamentally changed the way viewers watch and interact with the film. The film acts as an introduction to a new era of filmmaking, The French Wave, a genre that I assume initially confused and shocked viewers with increased vulgarity and scandal but, regardless, etched its way into cinema fame and acted as a refreshingly delectable film subgenre. By disrupting storytelling through use of the jump cut and embracing the natural camera shot as well as the cinematic, Breathless helped usher in a new era of film and leave its mark on the cinema industry.
ReplyDeleteBreathless, directed by Jean-Luc Godard, represents how the new wave brought about a very different way to make films. Micheal Poiccard is a young man from Italy who lives life however he wants to. From the getco Godard introduces a new filmmaking concept. When Poicard is driving in his car at the beginning of the movie, he stares at the camera and speaks directly to the audience, breaking the fourth wall. In traditional films, filmmakers tried to completely separate the audience and the story. It was considered informal and unserious to bring the audience into the characters' lives and that it made stories far-fetched. But Poicard did not care. Like many other filmmakers in the new wave, he was paving his own path and believed this made the movie more engaging and fun. Additionally, Godard brings explicit and indecent themes to his film that were not commonly explored before. He constantly brings to attention things like smoking, stealing, and sex, and even shows Poiccard killing the police officer and later, dying himself. Many of these concepts pre new wave were considered very taboo. Especially comments the main character constantly makes about girls' bodies and sometimes acting indecently, like when he pulls up the skirt of a girl on the street. Along with the more explicit content came the way Godard told the story. Throughout the film, Poicard interacts with society in a similar way that a spoof might. Many of these actions can be taken as commentary on society. For example, the police are depicted as incompetent, and Poicard can steal whatever he wants whenever he wants. Poicard always has the opportunity to get away from the cops up until the moment he decides to get caught. The new wave's commentary is based around making fun of society and separates itself from the serious and ‘boring’ commentary of the past. I felt like these changes made the film very enjoyable. The constant outrageous actions of the characters and the world kept you on your toes and made it hard to guess what was coming next. I think the risks Godard took in this film were well orchestrated and represented this lively new age of filmmakers. The filmmakers that began the new wave were passionate about cinema and upset with how the cinematic world was operating. They wanted to create their own films and do it better than anyone else had before. So even though the films often poke fun, I do not believe it takes away from the meaning, and I do believe these filmmakers wanted their films to mean something. Overall, the passionate and risky new wave film style was embodied by Godard's film Breathless in its attitude, style, and essence.
ReplyDeleteThe French Film Breathless by Jean-Luc Godard revises French cinematography with radical new techniques, making the viewer enjoy the characters' development more than the movie's plot. Breathless follows the love and crime intertwined life story of Michel Poiccard in post-war France. Though, in the style of the New Wave, the film strays away from the typical style of a crime movie. Instead of drawing out high-intensity scenes, Godard uses plentiful jump cuts to maintain a headlong pacing for the film. For example, when Michel is being chased by cops on the highway, the whole scene is comprised of a couple of jump cuts, which ends in Michel murdering the officer instead of an expected, long, and action-packed chase. Contrastingly, Godard lengthens scenes that would otherwise be glanced over in usual films. The scene when Michel and Patricia are together in her apartment shows their relationship: something that in typical films could be done in a short couple of minutes. Yet, Godard purposefully draws out the scene, embellishing the conversations between Michel and Patricia to squeeze out as much character development as possible. In Godard’s New Wave style, he intentionally lengthens scenes that would generally be abrupt and shortens those expected to be overdramatized and drawn out. The New Wave style completely changes how the film's viewer perceives the meaning. It shifts the viewer's focus from solely being invested in the plot and action development to the personal developments between essential characters. Godard’s techniques for the everyday action lover can be very annoying and seemingly useless. However, Goddard's style can be a captivating and engaging movie for an audience who enjoys sympathizing with characters throughout their development in films. The New Wave style gave Breathless extreme popularity in France, where younger demographics were gaining more power and yearned to see themselves represented more often in society.
ReplyDeleteI think in the French New Wave movie Breathless, multiple examples of the New Wave style are used, such as when through various scenes in the movie there are long continual shots without cuts involved. One such of these is near the end when the woman tells the crook that she does not love him and he uses her. She comes to this realization and goes on a long rant on how she ratted him out to the police and how she is not leaving so he must. This scene wouldn't have captured such emotion if not for the long-running camera shot. When it is spliced up there's no room for the audience to take in her speech and truly feel the emotion coming from her voice. Another use of this style of filming is showing a more realistic version of life through the screen. In this style of film, you can feel emotions from the characters, you can almost see the colors of the sun. Now if we compare this to something like Ozu's style of filming we cannot feel any emotion through the screen and the camera is very still. I would compare Breathless to an almost point-of-view movie where the watcher can be fully emersed in the viewing experience and even imagine the sights and sounds of the film. While with Ozu's style, the camera is very still and looks directly at the characters, almost like a dogs eye view as I like to call it. I think considering these factors the movie Breathless is a break through to a new kind of genre in the film industry that is exciting and gives a new meaning to the word of creative in the cinema world.
ReplyDeleteThe French Film Breathless was revolutionary to the film industry, implementing many new styles and techniques. To start, the film does not follow the style of a typical crime movie. In Breathless, focus is taken off of the action packed scenes, and is instead on the conversations between character. This is done through a series of jump-cuts showing bits and pieces of the action, but not showing the all of it, as seen in the car chase scene. At the same time, the film shows the entirety of the scene where Michel and Patricia are in the bedroom to flesh out the intricacies in the characters interpersonal relationships. This revolutionized film by drastically switching the meaning from the plot to the characters. Additionally, Breathless showed intense sexualization that dug in to typical gender stereotypes. In the same bedroom scene, Michel is portrayed as an objectifying male, seeking only one thing while Patricia is a woman with only women thing to offer. This type of scene would never have surfaced a couple years earlier, but in radical post-war France, filmmakers like Godard explored use of intimate topics in film. Overall, Godard’s New Wave style, set the stage for many films to come, emphasizing the need for more focus on interpersonal relationships in film, use of jump-cuts, and formerly inappropriate content.
ReplyDelete"Breathless" which is one of the most representative films of the revolutionary cinema of French New Wave directors like Jean-Luc Godard reflects the beginning of a fresh era of filmmaking experimentation. Jump cuts is the most expressive experimental practice in the film that can be described as sudden cuts between scenes or even within a single scene that do not follow traditional continuity editing. The use of this technique, which is highlighted in the very beginning of the film, provides the movie with a sense of spontaneity and brings the audience into the story. Moreover, Godard uses long takes and handheld camera movement to create a level of familiarity and realism, capturing the anarchic spirit of Parisian street life. These experimental techniques have already changed the course of how audiences interact with the film, bypassing classic narrative rules and inviting people to reflect and work out its meaning on their own. There would be some viewers that will find the jump cuts and unusual editing style disorienting and even jarring. Others may experience this as an exhilarating and immersive will add richness and complexity to the viewing experience. In addition, these experiments thwart the standard genre expectations and call into the question of what exactly is the nature of movie storytelling, the film’s artifice and subjectivity coming to the fore. In "Breathless" Godard juices the idea of having significance in the film often by breaking the threshold between the high and low cultures. In the film, the lead character of Michel is the classic anti-hero, reflecting the dreamless rebellion and the existential boredom of the youth culture of that after-war period. Michel's contemptuous posture towards authority and moral doubt implies the Godardian censure of traditional cinema and conventional norms. It pushes the audience to deliberate on the cinematography's nature and the search for meaning in a disordered world. Though that may seem to make fun of the idea of giving significance to films, in fact, "Breathless" becomes a serious reflection on the fascinating nature of movies and their ultimate capacity to change.
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