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 for extra credit. 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."
I chose to analyze the scene in Patricia’s apartment with Michel and Patricia. I felt that this scene illustrated the ideas that the quote was trying to get across, with a looser narrative and a more casual sense to it. In this scene, Patricia and Michel lazily lounge about the apartment, their dialogue completely irrelevant to the motivations of the film or the development of their characters. Their conversation goes in circles, arguing about nondescript things such as her relationship with the other man, and how tired they are, which is a characteristic of the French New Wave, being a look into someone else’s life. He flips through the pages of the magazine and the camera cuts while the dialogue continues, another technique Godard utilizes. They mention Romeo and Juliet, and the camera cuts to a poster of two lovers, and then back to the conversation, which the reviewer alludes to with “It systematically departs from the aesthetic guidelines and rules defined by continuity editing”, because of the jump cuts in this specific sequence and throughout the movie. In a generalized Hollywood blockbuster today or even during the mid twentieth century, the camera would have panned to the poster, but with Godard and the french new wave, there is a jump cut.
ReplyDeleteTheir conversation goes about how a normal couples would, arguing playfully, they get on the topic of something serious, but then both back away, and the theme plays yet again. The camera dollies in on Michel’s face with a playful expression, and then cuts to a close up of them kissing, insinuating time passing and possibly the chance of intercourse. They again pull away, and Patricia brings back up an old topic about a poster, reflecting the pattern their discussions hold, and the characteristics of the french new wave.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis quote Makes reference to how Breathless breaks the aesthetic guidelines, which I think is Rather ironic. I believe that BreathlesS creates its own aestHetic, through the use Of handheld shots and jump cutting. From the point of view of an editor, the jump cutting and discontinuity editing is extremely appeaLing, so much so that I attempted to use it in my group’s most recent film. The scene that really exemplifies GoDard’s use of discontinuity Editing is, obviously, the car sceNe. Michel and PatricIa are driving around Paris, And the editing is used to show how tiMe passes in between each bout of conversAtion. We see Patricia speak, and then Michel responds, and then there is a jump cut where the backGround changes. It is somewhat jarring, but as the viewer gets used tO it, it begins to give the feeling that really, the twO of them have been driving around Paris all Day. It’s a really fantastic uSe of editing, because it is sUbtle enough that after a while you notice it but it does not throw you off, but it is sTill definitely there. It is a narrative thread in the way that a stream of conscioUsness-type thing is. We see the most important parts of the conversation while skipping over the more boring parts.
ReplyDeleteThe hanD held camera works with this kind of “cut up” feEling. Because we do not see the whole conversation, we are left wanting for something to pull us in and make the scene more personal. With the hand held shots, we feel as though we are in the car with Michel and Patricia. The camera is bumping and jolting along with the car, so it is easy to get lost in the Natural flow of the two people’s dialogue. As I said, Breathless creates its own “aesthetic”, and based on this scene and the movie in general I would define thaT as personal but impersonal. It is difficult to describe but I feel as if that’s the only way to really describe it.
i fixed it read the capital letters except proper nouns
DeleteI agree with your statement on how Breathless creates it's own aesthetic and I think you can apply that to all films of the french new wave. I also think that has to do with how Truffaut and Bazin were critics before they started the french new wave so they would watch, read, and write about films making it easy for them to know what rules to break in order to heighten the audience's emotions and create that "anything can happen" feel.
DeleteI agree with your statement on how Breathless creates it's own aesthetic and I think you can apply that to all films of the french new wave. I also think that has to do with how Truffaut and Bazin were critics before they started the french new wave so they would watch, read, and write about films making it easy for them to know what rules to break in order to heighten the audience's emotions and create that "anything can happen" feel.
DeleteThe quote states that sequence of motion is the “minimal thread of continuity” in a film narrative and looking at breathless it’s clear to see that the minimal thread is the absolute most continuity the film operates with. In scenes such as the car ride with Michel and Patricia and the soon to follow conversation between Patricia and an unnamed suitor that thread is barely present it is at best a worn string that if pulled at likely would cause the film to fall apart. While some semblance of continuity is present in the film it’s merely enough to hold the film together for most viewers.
ReplyDeleteIf one is to look at the discontinuity as intentional then they can make a few assumptions about the characters presented to the audience. Firstly the fact that the background repeatedly and rapidly changing allows us to assume that neither these conversations nor these situations are new or unique, the rapid change in the background despite the smooth dialogue suggests that these are infact a constant in Patricia’s relationships with the two men. This alongside the smooth closed frame shot of her on the escalator shows that she feels trapped in both relationships. Keeping this in mind we can now look to the fact that showing Patricia with another suitor compares her to Michel who has already been characterized as unfaithful and selfish, these aspects of the scene together turn Patricia into a selfish character as well. What Godard shows us in this scene removes any goodness from the hearts of his characters their decisions now can be considered self serving even Patricia’s decision to call the police as an informant which otherwise could be considered an otherwise honorable decision.
Almost any scene would properly demonstrate the distinctive discontinuity editing and general defying of film convention, but the opening scene is perhaps the most effective scene of all because it uses these unorthodox filmmaking methods to jar the viewer. Rather than set up a cohesive plot, as this movie isn't really about the plot, the first few minutes serve to give us a taste of who Michel is. It utilizes a unique narration style, and a sinful one at that. We are used to first-person narration, but it's usually intended to give us the effect of being inside the character's head or the concept that the character is offering a retrospective. In Breathless, Michel seems to be talking directly to the audience in the present, even turning and looking directly at the camera ("then get stuffed!"). He offers commentary on everything, showing that he thinks his word is law and proving him quite judgmental.
ReplyDeleteThe editing also contributes to this focus on characterization. The film cuts from Michel reading a pinup and talking about himself to him jumpstarting and stealing a car, showing that he is really French. As he is driving, shots of him addressing the audience are intercut with multiple shots of him passing other drivers impatiently. The editing sometimes jump-cuts from one shot to another almost identical shot, giving the impression that they just cut out a few seconds between the two. This made Breathless something of an iconoclast, but this defiant nature made it a classic in its own right.
The first film that auteur Jean-Luc Godard directed during the french new wave, "Breathless", is a film filled with intrigue and interest. One of the most memorable characteristics of the french new wave is that each film carries the feeling that anything could happen and Breathless is a clear example of that. Jean-Luc Godard did not agree with all of the attention and love people had for Breathless when it came out and thought his film was incredibly small next to other famous films that came out in the 1950s. Although Godard claimed to love the rules of film and continuity “Breathless” is famous specifically for its breaks in continuity and use of jump cuts, it is known that Jean-Luc Godard often said one thing and then did another. The small string of narrative surrounding Breathless allows for continuity rules to be broken even in the first scene of the movie and result in a completely innovative film.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that this film follows no rules of continuity makes it a completely continuous and intriguing movie. The scene begins with the playful piano tune that is often repeated throughout the movie. This tune sets up the film as a whole logistically because it creates a continuous element to draw attention away from jump cuts and in turn, since the music itself dwells on a few low notes then goes to a higher note it is intriguing and we are compelled to know what will happen next. After seeing Michel reading a Newspaper with a woman figure on the front of it there is a match cut between him and a woman. This helps the audience to begin to make connections with Michel and starts to characterize him as mysterious because of his clear interest in women, and the fact he is smoking a cigarette which categorizes him as mysterious. Another aspect that further adds to the feeling of anything can happen is that there is very little dialogue, and the dialogue that is mentioned is very vague which leaves the viewer wondering and intrigued once again. What is arguably most important in this scene is facial expression and unspoken dialogue. In the first scene we see the woman communicate with the movement of her eyebrows and Michel communicate also with his eyebrows.I think this alludes to the making of the French New Wave as a whole. Andre Bazin and Francois Truffaut were both very critical of films being made in France at this time so they decided to make their own; Filmmakers of the French New Wave were taking a chance and I believe this scene is a clear example of taking a shot in the dark. The rest of this scene is filled with shots of Michel in his car, jump cuts to his view of the street, followed by close ups of his face, to shots of hitchhikers, then to shots of him playing around with a gun. Michel is always unclear of the future, by the seamless edits that are completely unpredictable. Essentially the stringy narrative and broken rules of discontinuity result in a beginning scene that carries a deep implied meaning that the future for Michel is completely unpredictable, and this theme is most emphasized through the jump cuts during Michel’s drive of multiple different roads in a row, showing the many possibilities of his future.
Heidi: Great response--the only thing I'd like to see you add is sources for some of the "facts" you give. Example: "Jean-Luc Godard did not agree with all of the attention and love people had for Breathless when it came out and thought his film was incredibly small next to other famous films that came out in the 1950s." Where did you read this? It will make your responses much much stronger. Nice work.
DeleteHeidi: Great response--the only thing I'd like to see you add is sources for some of the "facts" you give. Example: "Jean-Luc Godard did not agree with all of the attention and love people had for Breathless when it came out and thought his film was incredibly small next to other famous films that came out in the 1950s." Where did you read this? It will make your responses much much stronger. Nice work.
DeleteThe first film that auteur Jean-Luc Godard directed during the french new wave, "Breathless", is a film filled with intrigue and interest. One of the most memorable characteristics of the french new wave is that each film carries the feeling that anything could happen and Breathless is a clear example of that. Jean-Luc Godard did not agree with all of the attention and love people had for Breathless when it came out and thought his film was incredibly small next to other famous films that came out in the 1950s. Although Godard claimed to love the rules of film and continuity “Breathless” is famous specifically for its breaks in continuity and use of jump cuts, it is known that Jean-Luc Godard often said one thing and then did another. The small string of narrative surrounding Breathless allows for continuity rules to be broken even in the first scene of the movie and result in a completely innovative film.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that this film follows no rules of continuity makes it a completely continuous and intriguing movie. The scene begins with the playful piano tune that is often repeated throughout the movie. This tune sets up the film as a whole logistically because it creates a continuous element to draw attention away from jump cuts and in turn, since the music itself dwells on a few low notes then goes to a higher note it is intriguing and we are compelled to know what will happen next. After seeing Michel reading a Newspaper with a woman figure on the front of it there is a match cut between him and a woman. This helps the audience to begin to make connections with Michel and starts to characterize him as mysterious because of his clear interest in women, and the fact he is smoking a cigarette which categorizes him as mysterious. Another aspect that further adds to the feeling of anything can happen is that there is very little dialogue, and the dialogue that is mentioned is very vague which leaves the viewer wondering and intrigued once again. What is arguably most important in this scene is facial expression and unspoken dialogue. In the first scene we see the woman communicate with the movement of her eyebrows and Michel communicate also with his eyebrows.I think this alludes to the making of the French New Wave as a whole. Andre Bazin and Francois Truffaut were both very critical of films being made in France at this time so they decided to make their own; Filmmakers of the French New Wave were taking a chance and I believe this scene is a clear example of taking a shot in the dark. The rest of this scene is filled with shots of Michel in his car, jump cuts to his view of the street, followed by close ups of his face, to shots of hitchhikers, then to shots of him playing around with a gun. Michel is always unclear of the future, by the seamless edits that are completely unpredictable. Essentially the stringy narrative and broken rules of discontinuity result in a beginning scene that carries a deep implied meaning that the future for Michel is completely unpredictable, and this theme is most emphasized through the jump cuts during Michel’s drive of multiple different roads in a row, showing the many possibilities of his future.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning scene we can see an example of a non traditional narrative. The first thing we notice is that he begins talking to the viewer. The next thing we notice in the editing. All of it is jump cuts, the only reason we really know it is the same scene is do the the kinesis on screen. Not only does it jump cut in sequence, but also with out of sequence events. It skips through his driving by putting together multiple shots that show him driving in different places. This gives us meaning saying that he is driving for a long time. Not only that but there are many shaky handheld shots while in the car. This though shows the movement of the car and the speed that he is going, but doesn’t go along with conventional film and it jars the viewer. There is even a shot from outside of the car which confuses us because we have been looking from inside the car or on the hood the entire time. It makes us think something else on the road is important, but this isn’t when they decide to introduce the cops. The next few shots are shaky again and one shows Michel whilst the other shows the countryside, but you can barely see it because of how fast the car is going. The music promotes the usual montage style editing, but we see a complex compilation of clips instead.
ReplyDeleteNext they do something different from anything film has done before, and that is the character is directly talking to the camera, but only once in the entire movie. You can see they are “rejecting narrative conventions”. They create a narrative in this one moment and it basically is the only thing that really initiates the plot because of the way that we begins singing about patricia. He characterizes himself in a way and normally film would let the frame do that for them. This section of the film is completely different from the rest of the film and invites us into the plot basically. We even see his image of women which is presented in an almost point of view shot, but it isn’t sure because the next cut is a shot of his face. It is hard to tell the specific intent of each shot, but it is clear that they wanted to go against regular film conventions and take risks while still presenting a marvelous story.