Breathless (1983)

Jesse has to get out of Las Vegas quickly, and steals a car to drive to L.A. On the way he shoots a police man. When he makes it to L.A. he stays with Monica, a girl he has only known for a... See full summary »

Director:

Jim McBride

Writers:

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

Stars:

Richard Gere, Valérie Kaprisky, Art Metrano

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Gere	...	Jesse Lujack
Valérie Kaprisky	...	Monica Poiccard
Art Metrano	...	Birnbaum
John P. Ryan	...	Lt. Parmental
William Tepper	...	Paul
Robert Dunn	...	Sgt. Enright
Garry Goodrow	...	Tony Berrutti
Lisa Jane Persky	...	Salesgirl (as Lisa Persky)
James Hong	...	Grocer
Waldemar Kalinowski	...	Tomachoff
Jack Leustig	...	Highway Patrolman
Eugène Lourié	...	Dr. Boudreaux (as Eugene Lourié)
Georg Olden	...	Kid
Miguel Pinero	...	Carlito
Henry G. Sanders	...	Man with Pipe

Storyline

Jesse has to get out of Las Vegas quickly, and steals a car to drive to L.A. On the way he shoots a police man. When he makes it to L.A. he stays with Monica, a girl he has only known for a few days. As the film progresses, the police get closer to him, and the crimes escalate.

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Plot Keywords:

police | cop killer | sex in shower | junkyard | thief | 

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Taglines:

He's the last man on earth any woman needs - but every woman wants...

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 June 1983 (Australia)

Also Known As:

A Bout de Souffle Made in USA

Filming Locations:

11070 Strathmore Dr., Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$19,900,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Breathless Associates, Miko Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actor Richard Gere left straight away to go and work on Beyond the Limit after principal photography was completed.

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Goofs

In the newspaper article that mentioned the death of a CHiP Officer, the text of the article has absolutely nothing to do with the headline

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Quotes

Detective: "Don't F-U-C-K with the L.A.P.D."

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Connections

Referenced in Reservoir Dogs (1992)

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Soundtracks

"Wind on Wind"
(Instrumental)
Performed by Fripp & Eno
E.G. Music, Ltd./E.G. Records, Ltd.

User Reviews

I really liked this film

To me Richard Gere carried the movie--he managed to make Jesse LuJak a character both repulsive and likeable. LuJak is a petty criminal, car-thief and then a murderer, not very bright (he reads comic books and seems to model himself on The Silver Surfer). LuJak moves in a world of cheap motels and seedy bars, and has a torrid and obviously doomed affair with an art student. But in the end he comes off as somehow admirable--we believe that he loves the Kapinsky character, that he might even be a good father to her child, given the chance. LuJak comes mighty near what I would call a tragic hero--flaws and all.

As for the look of the movie, I find that equally well done--just for example, at one point the hero and heroine make love in torrid red lights, with a black-and white 30s movie in the background, also dealing with doomed lovers. The juxtaposed images were very nicely handled.

Both thumbs up!