One of the most charismatic feature films of the New Wave, A Bout de souffle (1960) has retained its appeal not only as the emphatic statement of a generational break with tradition, but also as Godard's earliest rendition of a set of thematic and stylistic motifs that would become his trademark. A Bout de souffle is now a cult film, propelled in part by the memorable coupling of its leading actors, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg, whose story on screen seemed to portray the troubled love affair between French cinema and Hollywood. In this original guide to the film, Ramona Fotiade analyses in depth its production and reception, as well as its mise-en-scene and editing. She situates A Bout de souffle in relation to Godard's filmography and critical writings up to 1960, focusing on a narrative and visual discourse that is now identified with a distinctive strand in postmodern French cinema. She also explores the impact of Godard's early counter-narrative and visual strategies on the independent American filmmakers and the French Cinema du Look during the 1980s and 1990s.

In this original guide to the film, Ramona Fotiade analyses in depth its production and reception, as well as its mise-en-scene and editing.

About the Author
Ramona Fotiade is Senior Lecturer in French at the University of Glasgow. She has written widely on Surrealist and experimental cinema and is the author of Pictures of the Mind: Surrealist Photography and Film (2013).

Reviews
"Ginette Vincendeau has assembled an elite corps of film scholars to address a marvellous array of modern and classic French films with the close-up scrutiny they deserve." - Dudley Andrew



Book Information
ISBN 9781780765099
Author Ramona Fotiade
Format Paperback
Page Count 144
Imprint I.B. Tauris
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 195g