Breathless
1. French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard’s unconventional film, Breathless, features many stylistic traits that came to characterize The French New Wave such as handheld camera work, rapid and jump cuts, unusual camera angles, elliptical editing, direct address to the camera (breaking the fourth wall), improvisational acting, radical politics, and an emphasis on anti-establishment themes.
Provide examples from the film that demonstrate of how Breathless fits into the New Wave.
2. Breathless employs various techniques of disjunctive editing to call attention to the editing itself and to underscore the artificiality of Hollywood narrative that typically uses continuity editing to achieve a supposedly realistic feel.
What are some examples from Breathless that demonstrate how Godard violates Hollywood’s conventions of continuity editing?
Jean-Luc Godard’s unconventional Film: Breathless
3. Godard’s shot transitions omit parts of filmed events causing an ellipsis in the plot and story duration. Godard’s editing style is considered elliptical because he uses jump cuts and other techniques to leave out parts of the narrative.
See this explanation of elliptical editing:
http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/htmfiles/editing.htm#11816
Godard was required by contract to limit the length of the film, which he considered too long in its original version, as a result of his own inexperience. Godard explains the requirement to shorten the film as fully justified:
“…first films are always very long. Since after thirty years [of living], people try to put everything into their first film. So they’re always very long. And I was no exception to the rule. I had made a film that lasted two and a quarter or two and a half hours; and it was impossible, the contract specified that the running time not exceed an hour and a half. And I remember very clearly… how I invented this famous way of cutting, that is now used in commercials: we took all the shots and systematically cut out whatever could be cut, while trying to maintain some rhythm.â€
Godard, Jean-Luc. Introduction à une Véritable Histoire du Cinéma. Paris: Albatros, 1980. Print. p. 34.
What are some examples of ellipsis in the film Breathless? How does Godard use elliptical editing to show the characters disregard for authority figures?
Jean-Luc Godard’s unconventional Film: Breathless
Write in complete sentences. Spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, etc., all count. Italicize film titles. Organize your thoughts around a clear thesis statement. This is a formal, academic discussion so write accordingly: Avoid informal language, contractions and the use of personal pronouns (I, you, we). Do NOT say, “I think….” Cite specific elements of particular scenes (such as the use of color, lighting, props, costumes, etc.) to support your ideas
