Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > À bout de souffle (1960)
À bout de souffle
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

À bout de souffle (1960) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 46 | slideshow)

Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   16,846 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 3% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Jean-Luc Godard
Writers:
Jean-Luc Godard (screenplay)
François Truffaut (story)
Contact:
View company contact information for Breathless on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
7 February 1961 (USA) more
Tagline:
The film that was banned for 4 years. Why..? (original Finnish poster tagline)
Plot:
A young car thief kills a policeman and tries to persuade a girl to hide in Italy with him. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(14 articles)
[DVD Review] Une Femme Mariée
 (From JustPressPlay. 4 June 2009, 7:38 AM, PDT)

Podcast #106 - Jean Luc Godard
 (From SoundOnSight. 28 May 2009, 4:12 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
French New Wave for Dummies more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Jean-Paul Belmondo ... Michel Poiccard

Jean Seberg ... Patricia Franchini
Daniel Boulanger ... Police Inspector Vital
Jean-Pierre Melville ... Parvulesco
Henri-Jacques Huet ... Antonio Berrutti
Van Doude ... Himself
Claude Mansard ... Claudius Mansard

Jean-Luc Godard ... An Informer
Richard Balducci ... Tolmatchoff
Roger Hanin ... Cal Zombach
Jean-Louis Richard ... A Journalist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Liliane David ... Liliane
Jean Domarchi ... A Drunk
Jean Douchet ... A Journalist
Raymond Huntley ... A Journalist
André S. Labarthe ... A journalist
François Moreuil ... A journalist
Liliane Robin ... Minouche
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Breathless (UK) (subtitle) (USA)
By a Tether (UK) (informal title)
more
Runtime:
90 min
Country:
France
Language:
French | English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The film was remade in 1983 as Breathless (1983) with Richard Gere and Valérie Kaprisky. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Michel Poiccard: After all, I'm an asshole. After all, yes, I've got to. I've got to!
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Anything Else (2003) more

FAQ

What is the significance of Michel rubbing his lips with his thumb?
What does Michel say at the end of the movie?
What does it mean when Michel makes those three faces: open mouth, big smile, frown?
more
115 out of 165 people found the following comment useful:-
French New Wave for Dummies, 8 December 2004
9/10
Author: Mark Taylor (mark_kevintaylor@hotmail.com) from United Kingdom

This is the one that started it all kids, the daddy of post-modern cinema. MTV jump cuts, fractured soundtrack and images aplenty

Self reflexive to the point that it not only acknowledges its own existence, it revels in it.

All style and no substance is considered a bad thing today, unless its Tarantino. Well, if it wasn't for Godard, chances are there would be no QT.

All the characters and images, and dialogue and sets are constructed from all aspects of life - Michel is a Bogart collage. Patricia apes everything she sees, from her Interviewee's facial gestures to Michel's own.

Don't let all this technical mumbo fool you, I did my thesis on Godard and would happily bore the ass off you with a lecture in great detail about this film, but the fact is, it's a stormer.

Grips you by the throat and shakes the hell out of you, and it doesn't let go until the final breath.

Fantastically, artistically magnificent. If Godard wanted to make his debut picture to show how well he understood American ideals and the history of cinema, he couldn't have made a better picture.

Top stuff French guy.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for À bout de souffle (1960)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
The last line...*SPOILERS* Good-Time-Charlie
great film but Jean Seberg's french was like nails on a chalkboard myusuf19
A Brit version of this movie racesgirl2000-1
Which director now reminds you of the early Godard? kBillysuperSounds
Screen play, dialogue (French) shadow04-2
French language question shadow04-2
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Cidade de Deus Basic Instinct Plata quemada The Departed Jimmy and Judy
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Crime section IMDb France section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.