u/DrAneurysm

Whenever I see a post about Godard’s Breathless it’s always regarding the form, structure, and technique. I have yet to see someone delve into the themes of the narrative and what he is trying to say.

When I first watched the film I was drawn in by the jazzy rhythm and fast cuts. I expected/wanted a gritty noir. “When will Michel stop talking to this girl and find his money. When’s the next shootout going to happen”. It wasn’t until my second watch did I realise that it is an out and out love story. Whether the love in the film is portrayed ironically or sentimentally is up for debate. I lean toward it being sentimental. I take Michel and Patricia’s declarations of love (or declarations of uncertainty about their love) at face value.

“There’s no need to lie. It’s like poker. The truth is best. The others still think you’re bluffing, so you win”

And there’s a lot of moments in the film that burst with romance; Patricia peeping at Michel through the rolled up magazine, them exploring each others eyes in the cinema, their body language and how they interact in Patricia’s bedroom. A lot of the physical romance may seem one sided as Michel cant keep his hands off Patricia, but you get the sense that she is completely enamoured with him.

I think the ultimate crux of the film and the main takeaway I took from it comes with the quote of Melville’s Parvulesco - “I want to become immortal, and then die”. This is ultimately what happens to Michel. Though, the immortalisation part is in regards to how he has immortalised and cemented himself into Patricia’s mind and life after death. Because as lustful and romantic - but aren’t they the same thing? - as their relationship seems, Patricia is definitely the more ambitious of the two. She has a job, she has aspirations to be a successful journalist, she’s saving to study soon, she contemplates her freedom and unhappiness and how to solve both of them. This is in contrast to Michel who constantly laments about being tired. He’s a jobless crook who steals, lies, cheats, kills, and disregards almost everyone he encounters. For lack of a better word, Michel is essentially a stepping stone for Patricia to reach maturity (she is only 20 after all). There’s another Parvulesco quote that pertains to how Patricia will thrive in the world and doesn’t need to be held down by a villainous Bogart wannabe - “Do women have a role to play in modern society?”
“If they’re charming and wear striped dresses and dark glasses”

This may seem like a tongue in cheek response as he is just describing Patricia but I think he is saying that all women, including Patricia, have a role to play in the modern world.

And I believe the ending is this beautiful conjunction of love and death. Patricia calling the police on Michel may seem out of the blue and “immature” but it’s the final and most important step toward her maturity and reaching independence. She says exposing Michel is a test of her love for him. “If I do something so awful, I must not actually love you”. I don’t think she gives Michel away because she doesn’t love him, rather because she loves her self more. “You know, you said I’m scared, Michel. It’s true, I’m scared. Because I want you to love me. But at the same time, I want you to stop loving me. I’m very independent, you know”. Michel acquiescing and succumbing to the police is him recognising her independence. How them living a life on the run wouldn’t be good for either of them, especially Patricia, or their relationship. The final sequence is a “if you love something set it free” kinda moment. Michel’s death a sacrifice is the ultimate display of love. He has changed her life for the better and has set her on a course of self actualisation. You get the idea that even in 20/30 years time, she will never forget Michel (even though they’ve only spent 5 nights together)

What does everyone else think?

There’s a whole other bag of worms to be opened up in regards to the films commentary on French/American relationships. In response to the question “Are French women romantically different from American women?” Parvulesco says “French women are totally unlike American women. The American woman dominates the man. The French women doesn’t dominate him yet”. Which, in a way, is what Patricia (an American woman) does to Michel.

Is Breathless a feminist film?