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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteJean-Luc Godard’s Breathless (1960) still feels fresh because it gives viewers the pleasures of a crime film while refusing to tell its story in a smooth, invisible way. Handheld long takes, abrupt jump cuts, digressions and performers trying on cinematic identities make the act of filmmaking part of the experience.
What is Breathless about?
Godard’s 90-minute, black-and-white French-language feature follows Michel Poiccard, a fugitive criminal, and Patricia Franchini, an American student in Paris. Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg play the leads. François Truffaut supplied the original treatment; Raoul Coutard was cinematographer, Cécile Decugis edited the film, and Martial Solal composed its music. Criterion Collection’s film page documents the credits and specifications; BFI Player provides a concise plot description and viewing-language details.
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| 1 |
![Breathless (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51cx3fpRWzL._SL160_.jpg)
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Breathless (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] | $39.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Breathless (English Subtitled) | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
![Breathless (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/516yzywc3fL._SL160_.jpg)
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Breathless (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] | $30.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![Breathless (À Bout De Souffle) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ouLoLLtvL._SL160_.jpg)
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Breathless (À Bout De Souffle) [Blu-ray] | $17.76 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Breathless | Buy on Amazon |
The premise draws on American crime films and B-movies, but Godard does not use those conventions as a neutral frame. The film borrows their cool criminals and chase-story energy, then makes its own construction hard to ignore.
Why does Breathless still feel fresh?
Its editing changes the rhythm of the story
The jump cuts are famous, but they are only one part of the film’s rhythm. They abruptly compress action and unsettle continuity; elsewhere, Coutard’s handheld long takes let scenes stretch, drift and linger. The contrast prevents the film from settling into one predictable pace.
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#1 Best Overall
- Shrink-wrapped
The British Film Institute describes Godard’s rejection of familiar devices such as establishing shots, transitions and shot/reverse-shot sequences, and his interruptions of handheld footage with jump cuts, digressions, in-jokes and allusions. The BFI’s account of Godard’s early work captures that combination. Film scholar Dudley Andrew likewise emphasizes the interplay of nervous cuts and long takes, writing that “Subject and style amplified each other.” Andrew’s Criterion essay explains how the film’s form intensifies its subject.
The performances make identity feel improvised
Michel borrows a screen-criminal’s swagger, including the image of Humphrey Bogart, while Patricia negotiates what it means to be an American in Paris and tries on different roles. Their poses make the characters seem conscious of how they appear, not simply carried along by the plot. Glances, pauses and sudden shifts in manner become part of the film’s expressive texture.
Rank #2
That playfulness should not turn Michel and Patricia into uncomplicated romantic icons. Michel can be callous and sexist; the film’s energy and formal daring do not make his behavior harmless.
The camera and cuts keep showing the seams
Many classical films aim to make editing and camera placement feel invisible. Breathless instead lets viewers notice cuts, movement, pauses and changes of direction. Its spontaneity is not the absence of craft: it comes from a deliberate tension between restless construction and the familiar appeal of a noirish chase.
What made Breathless important to the French New Wave?
Released in 1960, Breathless became an emblematic landmark of the French New Wave and helped establish Godard as a major talent. The BFI calls the debut unusually consequential, while Criterion describes it as a film that helped launch the movement. It is more accurate to place it among the New Wave’s defining works than to treat it as the movement’s single starting point: other directors and films were already shaping the moment.
Its influence is bound up with the choices that make it feel alive: location-based immediacy, handheld camerawork, abrupt editing, genre play and performers whose self-consciousness becomes part of the story.
Rank #4
- Breathless ( À bout de souffle )
- Breathless
- À bout de souffle
How has the film been received?
BFI Player reports that Breathless placed joint 38th in the 2022 Sight and Sound Great Films of All Time poll. That is a specific result from the 2022 poll, not a timeless or universal ranking.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where can you watch or find an edition?
Official pages document the film on BFI Player and Criterion Channel, and Criterion and the BFI Shop list physical editions. Availability, stock, territory and catalog access can change, so check the current listing for your region.
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Best Value
- Criterion’s edition page describes a 4K restoration, UHD and Blu-ray discs, an uncompressed monaural soundtrack, interviews, essays, a making-of documentary, and printed material including Godard’s scenario and Truffaut’s treatment.
- The BFI Shop listing describes a 60th Anniversary 4K UHD/Blu-ray edition, French audio, English subtitles and a 90-minute runtime.
- BFI Player lists French audio with English subtitles; Criterion Channel lists the film with archival interviews and a 2007 production interview.
For a home viewing, the documented UHD and Blu-ray editions offer one route to the film; the key point is to confirm the edition and current access details with the seller or service.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
