Jean-Luc Godard is one of the most influential directors in the history of film, a pivotal pioneer in the development of the French New Wave, and Breathless marked the beginning of the movement. Heavily influenced by existential and Marxist philosophy, Godard sought to imbue his work with philosophical considerations, many of which we see on display in Breathless. With this film, we can also see Godard's use of techniques from both the silent era and film noir to create a singular genre pastiche that is wholly original.
Many noticed Godard's bold use of jump cuts in this film. At certain times, the camera switches between cuts in an abrupt and unusual way. These cuts do not always make sense in a linear sense, but they serve to convey the psychological content of the scene, pulling the viewer into the emotional experiences of the character more fully. Additionally, he often breaks the "fourth wall" created by the camera and includes character asides, in which the character speaks directly to the audience. This also creates a curious intimacy between viewer and character, further blurring the subjectivity of the film.
Godard’s vision for Breathless was that it would be more like a documentary than a classic film. Starting with a newspaper article about a real-life con man and his American girlfriend that was originally discovered by fellow New Wave director Francois Truffaut, Godard went on to take the story for his own. He wrote the script as he went along, had his cinematographers use only a handheld camera and next to no additional lighting to film his picture, and filmed almost all of the scenes in sequence.
