À bout de souffle / Breathless

France, 1959 Directed: Jean-Luc Godard. Starring: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg.

Godard was quoted as saying that “all you need for a movie is a gun and a girl” which could more or less some up one of my all time favourite and formidibly fashionable films, Breathless.

The story is simple. There’s a guy, with a gun, a shot, a chase, a glamourous girl, all played out in a chic Parisian backdrop.

Breathless is oft heralded as marking the beginning of the ‘modern film’. Much of it’s charm comes from it’s cheeky references to suave American film heroes like Humphrey Bogart. The soundtrack is “super” in the French sense and the staccato filming style broke all the rules of the period.

However, you don’t need to be a film buff to admire of the most appealing aspects of Breathless found in the gorgeous Jean Seberg. I unashamedly have the same haircut and she is the main reason for the breton overload in my wardrobe (as well as my constant stealing of boyfriend’s shirts! oops). On any given lame day, it only takes some Seberg-esque cats eye sunnies, black ‘mod’ pants, and breton stripes, and I instantly feel cooler. Guaranteed!