À bout de souffle (1960)

Director:

Jean-Luc Godard

Writers:

Jean-Luc Godard (screenplay)
François Truffaut (story)

Release Date:

7 February 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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.

Plot Keywords:

Policeman | Car | Murder | Sociopath | Journalism

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination

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
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)

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 Companies

• Les Productions Georges de Beauregard
• Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie (SNC)

Distributors

• Les Films Impéria (1960) (France) (theatrical)
• Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie (SNC) (1960) (France) (theatrical)
• Société nouvelle de cinématographie (SNC) (1960) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Films Around the World (I) (1961) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (2006) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Films Georges de Beauregard (1961) (France) (theatrical)
• Neue Visionen Filmverleih (2001) (Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Optimum Releasing (2000) (UK) (theatrical) (re-release)
• BBC Worldwide (1987) (UK) (TV)
• Connoisseur / Meridian Films (1989) (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Connoisseur Video
• Criterion Collection, The (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (laserdisc)
• Fox Lorber (2001) (USA) (DVD) (subtitled)
• Fox Lorber (2001) (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Janus Films (1989) (USA) (all media)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Nothing's New Video (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Optimum Releasing (2000) (UK) (DVD) (re-release)
• Optimum Releasing (2001) (UK) (DVD) (special edition)
• Optimum Releasing (2007) (UK) (DVD) (box set)
• Polyband (1992) (Germany) (VHS)
• Raro Video (2005) (Italy) (DVD) (boxed set)
• Raro Video (2007) (Italy) (DVD)
• Timeless Video (1994) (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Wellspring Media (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Breathless (UK) (USA)
By a Tether (UK) (informal title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 (1996) | Finland:K-16 (1964) | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:(Banned) (1960) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Unrated | West Germany:18 (bw) (nf) | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

11 rue Campagne Première, Paris 14, Paris, France

Company:

Les Productions Georges de Beauregard

Trivia:

To give a more detached, spontaneous quality, Jean-Luc Godard fed the actors their lines as scenes were being filmed.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Michel Poiccard: After all, I'm an asshole. After all, yes, I've got to. I've got to!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Vradya epitheorisis: (#1.14)" (1984)

To become immortal, and then die

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.