Synopsis
Paris, summer 1959. A young Jean-Luc Godard sets out to shoot À bout de souffle (Breathless),
a production that looks chaotic, improvised, and under-funded, but is driven by a fierce, almost
mischievous conviction that cinema can be made differently. Following the shoot day by day,
the film tracks the spark (and frictions) between Godard, his collaborators, and his stars Jean
Seberg and Jean-Paul Belmondo, capturing the moment just before a movie (and a movement)
rewired film history.
Context and Craft
Linklater approaches Nouvelle Vague as a ‘making-of’ film that doubles as a love letter to the
French New Wave, to a particular Parisian film culture, and to the DIY audacity of first features.
Cannes’ own write-up frames it as a cinephile’s declaration of love that recreates the period’s
methods and atmosphere. Linklater’s choices reinforce the “time-capsule” feel: the deliberate
imitation of mid-century film grammar and texture; a lovingly detailed re-staging of
the Breathless shoot rather than a modern re-interpretation. At the same time, the film’s big
idea is its tension: it honours Godard’s radicalism, but does so through a smoother, more
classical flow, making the film feel warm, witty, and accessible even when it’s depicting a
famously disruptive artist.
Critical Reception
- “A stylish, reverent homage that’s slick and cinephile-forward-admiring”. — The
Guardian - “Joyful tribute energy, dense with period knowledge and affection for the New Wave’s
free spirits”. — BFI Sight and Sound - ”A second look notes the ensemble’s charm… unmistakably a Linklater film even while
saluting Godard.” — BFI Sight and Sound - “An American director making a French-language, black-and-white film about a French
cinematic “holy text,” and the care taken to recreate the original shoot.” — Reuters / AP
Audience Rating: 8.6
Comments:
Why not put on several New Wave films?
- Very stylish, but not knowing his films, story didn’t engage.
- Deliberately bizarre, not sure it worked
- Insight into filmmaking of the past. So natural
- Thankfully slept all the way through
- Not my favourite
- I missed out by not having seen Breathless
- As a director I really enjoyed this film, but not sure how much I would have enjoyed it otherwise.
- A great ending to the season’s films