IMDb > À bout de souffle (1960)
À bout de souffle
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À bout de souffle (1960) More at IMDbPro »

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À bout de souffle (1960) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   18,691 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
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:
Awards:
Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination more
User Reviews:
To become immortal, and then die more (123 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (complete, awaiting verification)
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
José Bénazéraf ... (uncredited)
Philippe de Broca ... A Journalist (uncredited)
Michel Fabre ... Plainclothes Policeman (uncredited)
Louiguy ... (uncredited)
Michel Mourlet ... (uncredited)
Guido Orlando ... (uncredited)
Madame Paul ... (uncredited)
Raymond Ravanbaz ... (uncredited)
Jacques Serguine ... (uncredited)
Jacques Siclier ... (uncredited)
Virginie Ullmann ... (uncredited)
Emile Villion ... (uncredited)
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Directed by
Jean-Luc Godard 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Jean-Luc Godard  screenplay
François Truffaut  story

Produced by
Georges de Beauregard .... producer
 
Original Music by
Martial Solal 
 
Cinematography by
Raoul Coutard 
 
Film Editing by
Cécile Decugis 
Lila Herman 
 
Makeup Department
Phuong Maittret .... makeup artist (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pierre Rissient .... assistant director
 
Art Department
Clément Hurel .... poster artist
 
Sound Department
Jacques Maumont .... sound
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Claude Beausoleil .... camera operator
 
Editorial Department
Lila Herman .... assistant editor
 
Other crew
Claude Chabrol .... technical advisor
Suzon Faye .... script supervisor (uncredited)
 

Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

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

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
To give a more detached, spontaneous quality, Jean-Luc Godard fed the actors their lines as scenes were being filmed. 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 "Vradya epitheorisis: (#1.14)" (1984) more

FAQ

What is the movie playing in the theater when Michel and Patricia are trying to escape from the detectives?
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
37 out of 48 people found the following review useful.
To become immortal, and then die, 21 January 2006
9/10
Author: jdoan-4 from United States

So says the novelist in response to Patricia's question, "What do you hope to attain out of life?" That response is the philosophy of the film and of every character in the film. All want to be in control of their destiny. All want to be something that they are not. None are able to do any of these things. They are all contradictions. How can you die as an immortal? How can Patricia be free and independent is so many other things determine what she can do? How can this film transcend the screen while existing on the screen? This is an amazing film to watch. Goddard fills every scene with ingenuity and energy. He puts his actors in a beautiful environment and lets them do their thing. And they do it extremely well. The actors are beautiful. Not just cosmetically, but spiritually and psychologically. I am not sure that I liked either of the two main characters. I am sure I could not keep my eyes off them. I could not take my eyes off the screen. Techniques that novices today use for no substantial purpose are utilized by Goddard to amazing effect. The greatest filmmakers are the great editors. Goddard makes the editing a character itself. It is the nervous narrator hurrying the film along. It breathlessly awaits the next scene, and leads us to do the same. I like the way Goddard spends prodigious time simply watching his characters. The conversation scene at the center of the film is amazingly long and drawn out, yet I did not find it boring. I found it fascinating. People are fascinating. Everyone is trying to be something. It takes tremendous talent to indulge in the minutiae of existence. A great film.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for À bout de souffle (1960)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Has French new wave cinema survived in the face of Hollywood domination? steph_houston
A Brit version of this movie racesgirl2000-1
This movie, Bogart, and film noir. Tommy-Udo
Uncut version s-biggs
great film but Jean Seberg's french was like nails on a chalkboard myusuf19
Uncut version s-biggs
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