Read this article. Choose a scene in Breathless and respond to the following quote. Be sure to write at least 2 paragraphs. Respond to each others' posts.
Here's the quote:
This basic sequence of events is the minimal thread of continuity that holds the filmic narrative together. However, causal development and character motivation in the traditional sense are relatively loose. While the film does not reject narrative conventions as a whole, it goes a long way towards weakening the tight-knit structure and explanatory mechanisms affiliated with dominant narrative. The film's visual construction works even more aggressively against conventional film style. It systematically departs from the aesthetic guidelines and rules defined by continuity editing, relying variously on long-take sequences (often shot with hand-held camera) and jump cutting.
“Breathless” is a 1960 French crime drama directed by Jean-Luc Godard. The film centers on a French small time crook, Michel, and his relationship with an American girl, Patricia, in Paris. The film has a lack of continuity, with the dialogue jumping around with jump cuts. The plot is extremely thin, and the characters do not develop in anyway, but Godard presents these two almost sociopathic and extremely selfish characters and their rock relationship with harsh cinematic techniques. One notable scene where Michel and Patricia drive through Paris trying to find the man who owes Michel money employs the use of jump cuts, out of focus shots, and a shot that breaks the 180 degree rule. The article notes that the film “works even more aggressively against conventional film style”, however, to call the experimentations of the film aggressive would imply that the film is purposefully so brash in editing and design. Godard himself notes that the jump cuts were made because the producers forced him to shorten the film, so he simply cut out the uninteresting bits of the dialogue; with the majority of the film shot by handheld cameras, there was naturally a lack of continuity from one line to the next, since the second line was never meant to follow the first. The film was shot in a much more conventional way, but changed in editing with no intentions of breaking barriers – so the film is not aggressive in going against the conventional cinematic style, but just somehow ended up breaking barriers.
ReplyDeleteThe jump cuts work in the film, and give the film a sense of style, and an erratic, chaotic sense to the film which goes well with the omnipresent sense of danger hanging over Michel’s head. The scene where Michel discovers the man he was looking for deals with Patricia growing increasingly distant. The jazz tinged score and quick jump cuts push the scene along swiftly, making the out of focus shots of Patricia seem out of place, which helps convey the out of place feeling that Patricia is now experiencing. She no longer feels at home in the criminal world of Michel, and instead longs to live in the world of pseudo-intellectuals, one of whom she meets at the restaurant where Michel finds his cohort. Likewise, the breaking of the 180 degree rule shows the shifting in loyalty that has just suddenly started to occur in Patricia regarding Michel. The lights flash Michel’s name as he rushes through the city, ducking down when he sees people he knows. A sense of tension builds in this scene with the jumpy editing and shaky camera work. Although Michel and Patricia may not openly show their emotions, the emotions are conveyed cinematically to the viewer. Even if most of the techniques were accidental, they prove very effective for the tone and style of the film. Godard does not use cinematography to his advantage so much as editing, removing what he deems boring and leaving in only what is interesting. There is a lack of concern for conventions in the way the film is edited, but not the way it was shot. At one point a man starts a conversation with Michel about wearing silk socks with a tweed jacket – Godard simply cuts him off by jumping ahead to Michel yelling at someone in the distance. The conversation has no value, but Godard does not just simply omit it entirely, but instead makes an example out of it by abruptly ending the conversation; a quick jab at the glib socialites surrounding the nonconventional Michel. Godard has provided countless future directors with small budgets to create films that brake normal conventions, since he was one of the first to so drastically and radically do so.
Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless,” as a child of the French New Wave, is an experiment that bends the rules of filmmaking and storytelling. Its narrative is disjointed and extremely open ended, and like others from the New Wave era, it is shot using a handheld camera in an effort to evoke a sense of realism that had been lost in the cookie-cutter studio days. The editing in Breathless is also trademark, with Godard using disjunctive editing, namely jump cuts, throughout. As mentioned by Alex, this editing was described by film critic Jonathon Dawson as the result of “Godard going at the film with scissors and cutting out anything he thought was boring” in an effort to cut down the movie, but I would argue that it had an even greater effect.
ReplyDeleteIt becomes apparent when watching Breathless that Godard’s jump cuts do more than destroy continuity, but also serve to impart a feeling of alluring spontaneity onto the viewer that would otherwise be impossible. This is exemplified by the scene in which Patricia is riding around Paris in the passenger seat of Michel’s stolen car. There are a series of jump cuts in which Patricia is filmed from the same angle, but is in a different position (sometimes looking at Michel and sometimes looking away, as if uninterested) in front of a different background in each shot. This is the result of Godard filming an extremely long-take of her and then cutting it later, thereby shortening the film while giving the scene a deeper implicit meaning. In this scene, the audience’s attention is pulled to Patricia with each jump cut, forcing us to examine her and recognize her ability to be both involved with and detached from the scene, and from Michel himself, at the same time. We are thus able to understand her ability to turn him in at the film’s close, while feeling sadness and guilt at his death. Yet, the disjointed editing does more than shorten the film and reveal character traits, it also sends a message. Godard and the filmmakers of the French New Wave, namely the Cahiers du Cinéma, wanted to go against the conventional cinematic styles that bored them and begin an age of filmmaking the viewed as superior, sacrificing convention in order to make art.
"Breathless”, a 1960 French drama directed by Jean-Luc Godard, is renowned for its revolutionary style of filming. “Breathless” established Godard as one of the most influential filmmakers of the 1960’s. The film is particularly notable for its aggressive visual construction when compared to conventional films. As mentioned in the article, “character development and character motivation in the traditional sense are relatively loose”. The two central characters, Patricia, a whimsical American student and Michel, a wannabe gangster, are not necessarily characters the viewer can sympathize with. However, “Breathless” remains relevant for its presentation rather than its plot and character development.
ReplyDelete“Breathless”’ unorthodox presentation is evident in the lengthy scene in Patricia’s apartment. As Patricia and Michele roam aimlessly around Patricia’s tiny bedroom and adjacent bathroom, the wandering camera often cuts off their heads. There is very little continuity throughout the scene. One moment Patricia is in the bathroom, the next shot jumps to a low angle shot of Michel talking to himself in the mirror, alone. In a similar fashion, as Patricia lights a cigarette the camera shoots her with an eye level medium shot. However, the shot changes abruptly to a high angle full shot of Patricia offering Michel a cigarette. It is apparent that time has elapsed in the space of the cut albeit, by a few seconds. As Flora mentions, Godard’s jump cuts do not only destroy any semblance of continuity but also impart a feeling of spontaneity. This spontaneity is palpable throughout the entire scene as Michel and Patricia converse naturally if randomly. Similarly, the camera randomly shoots whatever it feels to be interesting or indicative throughout the scene. It pans and tilts not necessarily in sync with the character’s action or dialogue. The lighting in the room changes frequently as well. Sometimes the natural lighting clearly illuminates the characters faces and bodies while at other times it hides them in shadow. Godard does not seem to care that the viewers cannot distinguish the features of Patricia or Michel. Rather, he seems to be implicitly arguing that the characters are mysteries to themselves as well as the viewer.
Leah Suleski
ReplyDeleteThe famous hotel scene from Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless is one of the most paramount examples of the director’s disobedience of traditional film style and exhibits the basic characteristics of French New Wave films. Breathless or A bout de soufflé was a major international success and allowed the style to diffuse and popularize. Obvious jump cuts and long edits shot in handheld are distinguishing traits of the movement and are all apparent within this scene. It opens with a shot of Michel, the film’s protagonist and so called “hood rat”. He lies on the hotel bed face down until we hear his girlfriend Patricia enter the room exclaiming “Oh no”. Here a match cut would have been appropriate as Patricia has not yet been shown. However, the camera stays steadily on Michel as he flips over into a flirtatious pose. In the following shot Michel is already sitting up despite the fact that he was laying down a split-second earlier. This is just the first instance of the unnatural jumps. The shot is also especially long with no match cuts of the individuals throughout their conversation. This is especially odd when considering the lighting within the shot. The sunlight coming in through the window darkens Patricia’s face and it cannot be made out. She can be seen only in her silhouette. Patricia makes her way around the room and walks nearly out of frame, however, the cut is made just before she can exit. Again a jump is made as Patricia is already at a standstill in front of her bathroom mirror, now in close-up in contrast to the previous long shot. Michel teases her claiming she’s “pulling a long face” and shows her what he means in the following close-up. She charmingly mimics his faces in the mirror and passes him by casually. The action could have just as easily be shown with a basic tracking shot following Patricia to the door to retrieve a towel. Instead, Godard broke it up into two shots from a similar position (distance and angle) that don’t quite fit together in the conventional sense. Michel makes a quick comment as he is brought into the shot and another cut in made of him alone at the sink, stroking his lips. This habit, along with the “long faces” made in this scene, is crucial in concluding the film with purpose and charm. For me, the most memorable shots of the film were the final two: Michel on the pavement stretching and scrunching his face, and the last of Patricia looking directly at the camera petting her lips with her thumb.
The next long edit, again in front of the blinding window, moves the scene forward bringing the two together on the bed. When Patricia flops down dramatically the 180 degree rule is broken and the line of continuity crossed. This is confusing at first but when the beautiful Patricia turns her face toward the camera the jump is essentially forgotten and the rules go out the window. What is admirable about the narrative is its utter simplicity. The audience does not have to think too hard or consider too much in falling in love with the characters (or at least appreciating their relationship). The fact that Michel is a murderer is not a major concern to audience members because the characters don’t linger on it. Patricia’s flaws are somehow undermined by her alluring grace and symbolism. The couple is unexpected and unusual but fit together in a way that could only be French New Wave.
1960 “Breathless,” directed by Jean-Luc Godard, is one of the first and most influential films of the French New Wave. It’s innovative style stemmed from Godard’s use of editing, specifically jump cuts, and his utilization of sting, unique visuals. Since Godard originally envisioned “Breathless” as a documentary, the filming is done with a more untraditional handheld camera and no unnatural lighting, to evoke a bold sense of realism. This real-life look into 1960’s France, deeply disconnects the viewers with the two protagonists, Michel and Patricia, two seemingly shallow characters. This is represented in the article, as Alison previously mentioned, as ”causal development and character motivation in the traditional sense are relatively loose.”
ReplyDeleteThis sense of stylistic filming and discontinuity of shots is greatly apparent in the second scene of the film. As Michel drives down a beautifully shot landscape, on location in a Paris countryside, the camera quickly shifts from close-ups of Michel, to his point of view of cars and people around him. The use of jump-cuts, in this instance, gives the viewer a sense of how time is elapsing. The fast paced cuts reveal that time is passing quickly, due to the long distance Michel seems to be making. This type of editing creates an illusion that time and space are moving faster than they actually are. Although the choppy editing may not be very aesthetically pleasing, it does provide crucial implicit insights. Since this is the first time the audience is really seeing Michel, it sets the tone for the film and highlights who he is as a character. The edits create a suspenseful ambiance, as jump-cuts generally elicit surprised responses out of viewers. This also relates to the spontaneity of the film (as Godard used improvisation, handheld camera, on location setting, etc.), because with jump-cuts, you truly never know what will be shown next. All of these aspects tie together to create a memorable and powerful sense of realism, as aforementioned. These critical devices readily draw the viewer in, which almost makes them feel like they are a part of the film. Godard and his contemporaries proved that unconventional film making can still be powerful and desired by audiences for all time.
A bout de souffle, directed by Jean-Luc Godard, is a film concerned less with character development or an intricate plot and more with the aspects of cinematography and mise-en-scene that can be used to develop said elements. A bout de souffle translated in English means Breathless that must refer to the frequent lengthy scene of just dialogue or possibly the fact that Main character is on the run throughout the entire film and meets his untimely fate literally running from the police. The film begins with him running from something, but it unclear what exactly he is running from. The dialogue Michel has with himself, in the beginning, while driving recklessly on French countryside foreshadows the rest of the film as he continues to live recklessly, having full scenes of dialogue with his lover. In the end of the beginning scene he shoots and murders the police, which also foreshadows the end of film that is consequently the end of Michel, as the police shoots him.
ReplyDeleteThe scene in which Michel meets up with Patricia in the middle of the street selling the New York Herald Tribune is loaded with lengthy shots and jump cuts focuses on their argument about whether Patricia should go away with Michel. The conversation is not as important as the mise- en scene portrayed in this scene. Patricia a native New Yorker is living in Paris attempting to make it as a journalist, “how ironic.” She wears a t-shirt with the name of the New York Herald Tribune logo on it. As she and Michel walk up down the middle of the streetcars are passing and people are walking conveying a parallel between New York City and France. The consistent jump cut imposes less confusion on the audience than the less obvious jumps within their conversation. Their conversation is meant to portray frivolous and irrelevant. Michel’s minor attempt to sleep with Patricia again also portrays how unattached they are to each other.