1960 – “bout De Souffle” – “breathless”

Jean-Luc Godard (1930–2022) was a Swiss-French filmmaker who emerged as a pioneering figure in the 1960s French New Wave cinema movement. Known for his innovative approach to narrative structure, visual style, and sound, Godard's work has had a profound impact on film theory and the art of cinema. His films are characterized by their radical experimentation, political commentary, and the interrogation of the conventions of mainstream cinema. Godard's career began with his first feature film, "Breathless" (1960), which broke away from traditional narrative cinema techniques, employing jump cuts, natural lighting, and on-location shooting to create a sense of immediacy and realism. This film not only catapulted him to international fame but also redefined cinematic language, inspiring a generation of filmmakers. Throughout the 1960s, Godard continued to explore and challenge the boundaries of film with works like "Contempt" (1963), "Pierrot le Fou" (1965), and "Alphaville" (1965), blending genre conventions to create films that were at once reflective and iconoclastic. His work often addressed social issues, politics, and the role of cinema in society, embedding deep philosophical questions within the fabric of his narratives. In the late 1960s and 1970s, Godard's focus shifted towards more explicitly political and experimental films, working within the Dziga Vertov Group to produce radical Marxist films that critiqued capitalist culture and the film industry itself. This period marked a departure from the more accessible style of his earlier work, employing a more didactic approach to film-making. Godard's later career saw a return to more narrative-driven films, though his work remained deeply imbued with philosophical and political inquiry. Films like "Histoire(s) du cinéma" (1988–1998), a video series exploring the history and philosophy of the film medium, underscore his lifelong commitment to interrogating the possibilities of cinema as an art form. Jean-Luc Godard's legacy is that of a relentless innovator and critic of cinema, whose work has influenced not just the realm of filmmaking but also broader discussions on politics, media, and art. His contributions to film are unparalleled, making him one of the most important figures in the history of cinema.