Breathless Draft Outline

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Jake Delpine April 11, 2015 FST 200 Dr. Olenina Breathless Draft Outline Thesis: Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless holds aggressive attacks on filmmaking norms like breaking the 180 degree rule, and the use of ellipses that convey pure artistic liberation. The breaking of these norms coupled with the film’s cinematography, improvised performances, and the unorthodox style during the production’s sequence where Michel drives through the country provide a great sense of spontaneity and authenticity. Breathless is widely regarded as a film that doesn’t feel like a film. 1. Raoul Coutard, the film’s cinematographer, claims that the film was virtually improvised with the only written dialogue being from Godard’s personal notebook that no one else had …show more content…

Raoul Coutard was tasked to shoot the film as a documentary, on a handheld camera, with little to no lighting. The effect the decision to shoot under Godard’s documentary conditions produces on the visuals is that the film never really feels like a film, despite reminding you from end to end. Instead Breathless feels like an interesting home movie, (if such thing is even possible,) with shakes, basic framing, and other imperfections throughout. The images on screen simply feel real. • The first shot as Michel drives the getaway car through the France countryside is a twenty second POV shot. There are no establishing shots of the car driving through the country, there is no narrator to explain what is unfolding, only a POV from Michel’s perspective. In employing such a long and simple shot, the viewers feel the nonchalance of the drive as well as the improvised nature of the film. • Michel looks over his shoulder as he drives and announces “If he thinks he’s going to pass me in his bloody Renault!” The over the shoulder shot as Michel peers out of the window is like that of the view of a passenger in the car. Adding to this passenger perspective, the handheld aspect of the filming is now made apparent through various bumps and shakes. The motion and framing all play a part into making this film feel

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