There’s a common theme amongst the reviews for the pioneer French New Wave film Breathless (“A Bout de Souffle”); it’s erratic nature and immoral characters. On February 8th of 1961, The New York Times published Bosley Crowther’s review of the (then) new film, in which he wrote “…sordid is really a mild word for its pile-up of gross indecencies—it is withal a fascinating communication of the savage ways and moods of some of the rootless young people of Europe (and America)…” He’s right to be fair, as the first line in the movie is “After all, I’m an asshole” where the antihero Michel then goes on to desert his assumed female accomplice without a second thought. One thing Crowther emphasized throughout his piece is his apparent view of youth and “young people.” At first, he writes about the film in general saying “It is emphatically, unrestrainedly vicious, completely devoid of moral tone, concerned mainly with eroticism and the restless drives of a cruel young punk to get along,” then goes on to criticize the characters by writing “there is…an element of youth that is vagrant, disjointed, animalistic and doesn’t give a damn for anybody or anything, not even itself.” Ah, to be young again.

Critics are right, the film is erratically filled with nervous, spontaneous nature. Godard has a way of keeping the audience on its toes, saturating much of his film with (seemingly) random jump cuts, pop-culture references, existentialism, style, and so much more. For this reason along with its utter absence of prudence for a film of its time, it falls under unconventional cinema. That was the best route Godard could’ve gone for, as it is now listed as one of the founders of French New Wave films that followed shortly thereafter. Within the first five minutes, Godard has the main character Michel driving and rambling, breaking the fourth wall entirely by speaking to the camera. Michel–a serial misogynist– has a virtue deficiency, objectifying every woman he encounters, stealing from them, and guilt-trips them, even going as far as yelling at his pregnant girlfriend saying “You should’ve been more careful!” when she everso cautiously delivers the news.

Although it’s easy to blame the film’s unethical demeanor on Michel, his American journalist girlfriend Patricia is also no saint. Aware of Michel’s supposed love for her, she has a quite touchy lunch with her boss where she even goes as far as discussing her possible abortion before she’s even told Michel she’s pregnant to begin with. Why is this important you may ask? Oh only the fact that he’s very likely the father of her child.

Both characters have narcissistic qualities, coated brilliantly by Godard using Humphrey Bogart movie posters and an interview for a writer and his new book. It becomes apparent that Michel sees himself as Bogart while he stares longingly at a movie poster, muttering ‘Oh, Bogey” as he takes a look at the turn of events in his life at the moment. Patricia makes her arrogance known when she’s at an interview for another writer, wherein she still somehow manages to make the situation about herself (only in her beautifully twisted mind of course). One reporter asks the difference about an American woman and a French woman when it comes to love. The writer (who’s being interviewed) replies “The American woman dominates the man. The French woman doesn’t dominate him yet.” Someone goes on to ask “Who is more moral, an unfaithful woman or a man who walks out?” Patricia obviously alludes this to her current situation, curious to hear the answer. “An unfaithful woman” he replies, as the camera cuts to a pleased wide-eyed girl with a pixie cut, our very own Patricia. Her true desires surface as someone asks the writer another question and he says “Two things matter in life; for men its women, and for women it’s money,” something Patricia often brought up looking back in the film. Finally, the writer answers her question, the one she had asked twice: “What is your greatest ambition in life?” “To become immortal, and then, die.” Here is where Godard reveals his intent hidden in the dialogue of his script…and that’s exactly what he did.