Breathless (1983) User Reviews

Lurid fun and has aged well.

[BlackJack_B · 6/10 · 22 November 2005]

Back in 1983, the remake of Jean-Luc Godard's "A Bout de Soufflé" was savagely attacked by critics. It was understandable at the time. Today, I'll bet many of the critics probably feel the film is much better compared to today's bottom feeder cinema (many of which top the box office).

Richard Gere's Jesse LuJack does the rare feat of being both repulsive and likable. Early in the film, you despise the reckless, cocky, S.O.B. of a criminal that he is but as the film wears on you suddenly find his character extremely appealing. Once you warm up with him, you realize how much fun Gere is having playing LuJack. His traipsing in L.A. becomes very entertaining in a video game sort of way. Singing to Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis, disrupting his girlfriend's exam, and his role as The Fugitive makes the film so compelling and fun to watch. He embodies coolness while being hip; which can be hard to do.

As for Valerie Kapinsky, I have seen some of her soft-core films from Europe and she is tremendously sexy. She has sex appeal and looks delicious in virtually every scene. Her acting here gave her an undeserved rap. She's supposed to be playing a French exchange student. I think she did the best job possible by playing herself. I would take Kaprinsky over some American actress faking a French accent. There could have been other French actresses out there that could have taken the part but she fit in perfectly for the role IMO. She probably didn't object to the nudity required.

The film also delivers some steamy situations. Making love in front of a huge screen showing an old movie (I think Judy Garland was in it) while being on the lam in L.A. just sounds so dreamy. Makes me want to do the same with my girl; only I won't have an arrest warrant on my head LOL!

So yes, the movie isn't a classic and it isn't Casablanca but the film is much, much better than the turkey it received in 1983. It's definitely worth seeing.

Interestingly enough, Jim McBride would later direct a biopic of Jerry Lee Lewis in 1988 called "Great Balls Of Fire" so his interest in late 50's rockabilly was apparent here regarding the great soundtrack.

The wildest guy Jesse, his dream French girl and Spacer Surfer!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 4 December 2020]

As I had never seen the French original, I don't have nothing to say about it, but the American version is too much underrated by the critics, l spent last night checking out this picture which I had good memories from the early 90's when I'd watched it on TV, indeed Breathless aged very well and holds up at the time, Richard Gere plays Jesse a wild guy car thief, living blithely as hadn't anything on the future, often reading a comic book of his fave hero Silver Surfer as pure escapism, Jerry had a misfortune to kill inadvertently a cop after committed a mistake on the road, Jerry had plans to your newest French girlfriend Monica (Valérie Kaprisky) at Mexico, henceforth your life turns upside down, whatever he does all things getting worst, although his adventure spirit he goes ahead in randomly, following his own survival instincts, plenty of nudes and sexy scenes notable by the splendorous Monica, also rocked by the Killer Jerry Lee Lewis's Breathless as highlights at fabulous soundtrack, Richard Gere illustrates that is a multilayer and versatile actor, also Art Metrano in a funny queer character with ice screen at mouth as owner of scrap yard and the recurrent stereotyped John P. Ryan as Lt. Parmental of the L.A. Police who enforces a chase without respite of Jesse, moreover the final sequence is really breathless!!

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 1993 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7

Unheralded and unwanted remake

[Groverdox · 6/10 · 3 December 2018]

"Breathless" is an unheralded '80s remake of Godard's revolutionary 1960 flick.

In this one, Richard Gere plays the Belmondo role as a dimwitted yet charismatic car-thief who accidentally (or not?) kills a policeman during a traffic stop and goes on the run.

He hooks up with a girl - Valerie Kaprisky playing a French girl in America, just as Jean Seberg played an American girl in France - and they go on the run together.

Nowadays, "Breathless" is remembered mostly, if it is remembered at all, for Kaprisky's nude scenes. Gere is hard to swallow in the lead role; he just seems like an obnoxious idiot. We don't get into his head at all.

Nor do we really understand Kaprisky's motivations. She seems too smart to do what she does, whereas Gere seems too stupid.

A Pelvic Thrust of Zen

[chaos-rampant · 16 July 2011]

Okay, so the idea is to achieve emptiness so that we may be actually informed by what it is we see. To train an eye for details that doesn't react or classify or evaluate but instead grasps effortlessly the totality of what a film means to us. In this process, naturally we have to discard our preconceptions and routine streams of thought; who made the film, is it art-house, does it belong in a list of masterpieces.

A bunch of those here; a remake of a well known French film, the presence of Richard Gere (usually signifying fluff), the very idea of a film that never made much sense to begin with. Who needs a Breathless remake, much less the Hollywood version? But we got it, so what about it? The Godard film was about young people coming to discover for the first time the struggle with important things, about love and meaning dealt with in the pretentious, silly, superficial ways of youth. What tied the struggle together was a boyhood fantasy about movies. We had a protagonist acting out an imaginary gangster part and the reality of the film arranged around him as a movie plot in which to act the part. It was about the safe distance provided by the fictional as conflated into the emotional distance between two people.

Now watch how the remake transcribes this. Richard Gere is the Michel Poiccard character but instead of Bogart he is a Clark Gable. A movie hunk 'exhuding studly scent' as another reviewer aptly puts it. Recklessly oblivious to anything but the present moment and what it has to offer, he is the very dream of movies. A doofus at first sight but who instinctively seems to have grasped the essence of life by the balls. As much a target of ridicule as admiration. We see him empathize with utmost seriousness with Silver Surfer comics! Something akin to a destiny for him.

But we're not inside him, we're siding with the French girl who's come to LA to study architecture. The girl who plans, thinks, wants the buildings she will create to last. The perfectly logical human being who (along with us) is swept away by the irresistible allure of an existence without bounds, centered in the 'now' and radiating outwards. Valerie Kapriskie is a perfect match here, an Ali McGraw to Steve McQueen; she's great because she can't act to hide what seems a genuine infatuation with Gere's adolescent antics (mixed with genuine frustration).

We travel with them through a fetish dream of LA. Cars are fire-engine red Thunderbirds, summer dresses and even telephones pink. I've been going this month through a phase of cinematic vacation in Los Angeles, and this one has the best sense of place of anything I've seen yet. The dark joint with the jukebox, the empty streets blowing with hot summer wind.

But it's more than a ride of pure, exhilarating movie pleasure, there's something to talk about here.

It's peppered throughout, but centered in a scene by a pool. The girl wants to know what is behind the man's face, what kind of nothingness. He blurts something about love, no doubt cribbed from some magazine. A little later an aging architect, who no doubt has been where she is and has come to understand the world, tells her that nothing that is built lasts.

And the best part, taken from the pages of a Silver Surfer comic. I won't go into details, but it says something about us, the sentient beings narrating our story, removed from our heart yet discovering it in every reflection. It makes for perfect Zen.

So we have this hip-swivelling, rock'n'roll Zorba the Greek, who is empty inside in the best sense possible, so that he is filled with everything. Like only a blank sheet of paper can be clearly written on.

And he's on the run for a fateful mistake of shooting a cop. How the scene is edited is important; we see a windshield shatter, then Gere looking with astonishment at the pistol in his hand. Elements crucially missing from the edit (the action itself) reveal the emotional state; how many mistakes can we look back on and be perplexed how we let them happen?

There's more to it. There's a marvellous love scene in a movie theater playing Gun Crazy (which the film is reversed from). The two lovers roll around as behind them loom huge footage of the fictional couple in Gun Crazy discussing what pertains to the two lovers.

And before the climax, we ride all the way up to a property overlooking the LA nightscape. Errol Flynn's as we find out, again movieland.

It is better than the Godard film, miles better. It's as much about the old tropes of sex and violence as that film, except it's filled with actual heart. It is about kitsch elevated into noble gesture, about reality dismantled into fiction and the opposite. Novice film buffs discovering a sense of importance with Tarkovsky and Malick will find little in this simple film to appreciate; but those who've done their rounds and are looking for specific things may be strangely fulfilled by this.

Watched this last night

[gbenson20 · 7/10 · 13 November 2013]

Seen this on our local THIS channel, which has been showing some really great lost movies that are no where to be found on DVD. Since it was a censored version I missed some of the nude and sex scenes, but since I never saw the original it was fine. I started watching it and for the sure the Tarantino stolen/borrowed shots, scenes, backgrounds were very noticeable to me. Valrie is def a stunner. I see a lot of people bashing her performance. But, really she is playing a French exchange student that I would assume is in her early 20's. So, with that in mind I think she played the part well. Gere did a really good job in this. I like this Gere much better than the older Gere in that he took chances, he didn't play "Richard Gere" back then. This and American Gigolo are really cool, take a chance roles, that he stayed away from later on in his career. Too bad. Anyway a nice movie on a free TV station I would never have seen otherwise.

It's just a panic attack

[tomsview · 4/10 · 2 January 2013]

At the time "Breathless" was released in 1983, a critic claimed that Richard Gere's deliberate overacting supported the stylised fantasy elements of the movie. Really? I suspect that he was simply surprised by the self-indulgence of the performance, especially when compared with films such as "Days of Heaven", "An Officer and a Gentleman" and even "American Gigolo" – all made before "Breathless".

"Breathless" was a remake of Jean Luc Godard's "A Bout De Soufflé" The success of that movie had a lot to do with timing, and forces that were working through society at the beginning of the 1960's. Godard's movie launched French Cinema's influential new wave, which also had an impact on Hollywood.

The remake came 20 years later, and unlike Godard's version was no longer timely nor an antidote to the predictability of contemporary film.

Richard Gere's character, Jesse Lujack, a petty hustler and car thief, accidentally kills a policeman and goes on the run with his French girlfriend Monica, played by Valérie Kaprisky. Unaware of Jesse's criminal activity, she is attracted to his wildness and the aura of danger he projects.

Jesse Lujack as rendered by Gere is arrogant, self-centred, stupid and narcissistic; he has few redeeming traits. Whether it's gyrating to Jerry Lee Lewis while he drives yet another hot-wired automobile or practicing his quick draw with the remote while changing TV channels, extra bits of business are thrown into just about every scene.

Although the film has strong production values, there are lapses in logic that are so silly they would probably get laughs if they had been in "The Naked Gun". Near the end, Jesse runs through the streets with his shirt unbuttoned to the navel, clearly revealing the distinctive tattoo on his breast that is the key feature of the police description that has just been broadcast. His checked pants don't help him melt into the crowd all that well either.

In "White Heat", James Cagney created a memorable finale, surrounded by police on top of a burning fuel tank. In "Breathless", Richard Gere goes him one better when he disco dances – in those checked pants no less – as police close in from all sides. It is so over-the-top that it almost defies description.

Valérie Kaprisky had to work hard to be noticed in this movie. That she does is because of the contrast between her low-key delivery and Gere's attention seeking hyperactivity.

It appears that Richard Gere's performance in "Breathless" was a one off. From then on, if there was a trait that typified a Richard Gere performance, surely it was restraint. Look at him in films as diverse as, "Pretty Woman", "Internal Affairs", and "Shall We Dance?" Not only is he controlled but he also underplays to great effect. Maybe with "Breathless" he just needed to get something out of his system.

An impossible transplant

[roland-scialom · 6/10 · 1 December 2008]

A Bout De Soufflé is closely related to the portrait of a generation shaped by Beatnik and Existencialist philosophies. Kerouak and Salinger in USA, Sartres and Camus in France, were among the intellectuals who inspired this generation.

A generation whose "malaise" is embedded in Paris atmosphere. Paris which was the very center of occidental culture by that time.

The American version of this story, Breathless, directed by Jim McBride, missed the point because the portrait of a generation of the sixties in Paris, cannot be transplanted to a context of the eighties in California.

There is nothing in this movie

[LapinKulta · 1/10 · 10 August 2012]

I started to watch this movie open-minded, without any expectations, not even knowing it scored a very modest 5.5 on IMDb.

The movie proved to be utter disappointment for me. I like Gere, and I think he gave a reasonable performance, but there was simply nothing to the story which could touch me, or motivate me to watch through. He steals cars, reads comic books (Silver Surfer), he is in love with an art student, and longs to go to Mexico. Even if Silver Surfer or the the main character's wish to reach Mexico have hidden meaning, the symbols are rather lame.

I have the impression the movie is built only on popularity Gere enjoyed in early eighties. His role in American Gigolo made him the sex symbol of the era, presumably rightly so, but you can not make a movie only from it.

Prepare to have your preconceptions overturned

[Max_Planck · 9/10 · 11 August 2003]

Richard Gere in a cheesy remake of a '60s French nouvelle vague classic? Sounds like it should really suck, right?

Wrong. Turns out that Jim McBride's "Breathless" one of the best American films of the '80s. Electric performances, superb use of music, and direction with great zip and flair. The fact that this still gets so many negative reviews proves that, even now, most people simply don't get it. The main thing is Gere's performance - you'll either love his preening, irrepressible arrested adolescent, or find him grating. I think it's the performance of his career. This is one of Tarantino's favourite movies, and although it's not really anything like a QT movie, you can see why it appeals to him. I was all set to hate it, but by the end I loved it. Check it out, and decide for yourself.

Oh, and not even LA in the height of summer is anything like as hot as Valerie Kaprisky.

Check it Out!

[sol-kay · 6/10 · 30 January 2013]

****SPOILERS*** Re-make of the 1959 French Film Nior classic "A Bout De Soufflé" the US version "Breathless" has actor Richard Gere as the on the run "Checkered Pants Man", it's the only pair he has in the film, Jesse Lujack who's on the run from the police after accidentally killing a cop who stopped him for speeding on a Las Vegas highway. Jesse ends up hooking, no pun intended, up with this cute French chick Monica Poiccard, Valerie Kaprisky, while being on the lamb. It's Monica that he had a one night strand with the night before after meeting her in a Veges casino. Jesse, a master car thief, now plans to steal a hopped up car and drive with Monica to Mexico where, that's what he thinks, the long arm of the law can't get to him. Did the guy ever hear of extradition treaties between countries?

Monica a French exchange student at UCLA has no idea that her new found boyfriend is wanted by the police for murder and goes along with him just for the sheer thrill of it. By the time that she does find out what it's or Jesse is all about she's torn between turning him, who by then she's madly in love with, into the police or joining him as a fugitive from justice on his mad dash towards the Mexcan/US border. It's a terrible decision on Monica's part but it's Jesse who ends up making it for her at the end of the film.

French actress Valerie Kaprisky was toted to be the next Bridget Bardot and this was to be her breakout movie but you can see that she was way over her head in here. Not in the acting department but in being paired with her co-star Richard Gere. Gere didn't seem to have a script to work with in the film and most of his dialog seemed to be ad libbed. This had Gere doing what seemed like, in his unintelligent mumbling,a Marlon Brando imitation which was hard to figure out what he was saying throughout most of the movie.

Miss. Kaprisky, as Monica, who did speak with a sexy French accent in understandable sentences seemed to have trouble interacting with Gere not quite knowing what he was talking about. But as for the sex scenes between the two they were both first class as well as X-rated! It took almost forever for Monica to find out what her boyfriend did, killed a cop, and when she did she started to have second thoughts in her checking out of the country with him. Even though she was made pregnant by Jesse in what had the be the fastest human pregnancy, about 24 hours, in all of recorded medical history!

It turned out that "Breathless" not only bombed out at the box office but turned out to be the both first and last movie that Valerie Kaprisky ever starred in going back to her native France and continuing her film career there. And as it turned out no amount of money or, in co-staring in films with her, top Hollywood leading men would make her ever change her mind.

When Cheese Goes Bad

[gftbiloxi · 1/10 · 21 April 2005]

This may actually be the most completely vapid film I have endured to date. Based on the famous French film of the same name, BREATHLESS offers the story of a wannabe rebel and petty criminal who accidentally kills a police officer--and promptly goes on the run with the aid of his unsuspecting girlfriend. But where the original constantly surprised, the remake is uninspired, insipid, and about as enjoyable as a root canal.

The big problem with the film is Richard Gere. To give him his due, Gere knocks himself out to inject some life into the predictable plot and mindless script, but there's no way around it: he's incredibly miscast, and his high-energy attempt to bring it off simply adds to the embarrassment. Ultimately, the best thing that can be said for him is that he looks good naked. Valerie Kaprisky operates at much the same level: she too looks good naked, and that's about all one can say for her one way or another.

That aside, the whole thing has the look and feel of a group of people trying desperately to do something "different" and "artistic" and failing miserably at every turn. The film looks glossy and expensive, but the production designs are never quite on target and the costuming is some of the worst I've ever seen; the cinematography is jumpy, but never to any actual point; and director Jim McBride either doesn't know what statement he is trying to make or simply doesn't have the skill with which to communicate it. At best, it is all pretentious; at worst, you won't be able to decide between a stiff drink, a pain-killer, or just simply gouging out your eyes so you won't have to watch any more. Life is too short as it is; don't waste your hours on this one.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Gere at his flamboyant best

[ODDBear · 9/10 · 25 August 2003]

Richard Gere is quite simply the whole show in Breathless. To this day, this remains his most flamboyant performance of them all. He's immoral, yet charming and by sheer enthusiasm you can't help but root for this tragic character. The story seems to be a mere excuse to showcase Gere's charisma and sex appeal and he carries this movie as far as it can go.

Although this is hardly groundbreaking stuff, director Jim McBride seems to be an ample filmmaker. The film is filled with nice location photography and some flashy angles here and there.

I also dug the music score, shame there's no soundtrack album available anywhere. I recommend this film to anyone. Probably seen it over 20 times and I never get tired of it. Granted, I am a Richard Gere fan, but I also think this movie is truly entertaining.

Memorable for Geres' flamboyance.

[Hey_Sweden · 6/10 · 8 July 2012]

Director Jim McBride does manage to create a fairly amusing film based on the classic, highly regarded French film that inspired him to become a director in the first place - Jean-Luc Godards' "Breathless".

The story set up is basically the same, as Richard Gere, in one of his most electric film performances, plays Jesse Lujack, an arrogant, authority defying punk, who in his attempt to get to L.A. quickly from Las Vegas, steals a car and accidentally shoots a cop (who later dies). However, this film has more to do with his energetic pursuit of the love of his life, French student Monica Poiccard (Valerie Kaprisky), than anything else.

Incidentally, one can see how Geres' performance may affect ones' feelings about the film. It is an acquired taste, as is the character of Jesse, who's a big fan of Jerry Lee Lewis music and Silver Surfer comics. You also wish he'd shut the hell up about going to Mexico. But there's no denying the actors' conviction in playing this person. The stunning 19 year old Kaprisky remains a prime visual attraction, and both she and Gere do get nude for the film.

McBride does give the film a decent amount of flash, and populates the story (he co-wrote the screenplay with L.M. Kit Carson) with striking faces and striking characters. A rich cast includes such people as John P. Ryan, as a hard driving detective, film director and designer Eugene Lourie as an architect, playwright Miguel Pinero as Carlito, James Hong as a grocer, Waldemar Kalinowski, also a production designer (and occasional actor), and Art Metrano as a criminal lowlife. The city of L.A. becomes a character in its own right, with much of the film shot on location rather than on any sort of set.

The soundtrack is eclectic, with the expected usage of Jerry Lee tunes and a rocking end credits cover by X.

This won't be for everybody, and it does admittedly go on longer than it should. It's at its best when it focuses on Monica; Kaprisky is definitely a grounding force for the story. Kaprisky remains compulsively watchable throughout.

All in all, this is engaging in spurts, and it has enough style, sex appeal, and humour to make it a decent viewing experience.

Six out of 10.

Stupid!

[jmillerdp · 4/10 · 11 June 2013]

The concept behind both Jim McBride movies, this and "The Big Easy" are to take a routine-at-best story and include one good sex scene. But, that's it! And, it's an amazingly unnecessary remake of Goddard's original.

*** SPOILERS AHEAD ***

The story is completely pointless, because you know exactly what's going to happen. Right at the beginning, Richard Gere kills a police officer. Gere's character is amazingly stupid throughout the whole film. So, we know he's going to get caught or killed at the end.

His "getaway" attempt isn't even a getaway attempt! After killing the officer outside of Vegas, he goes to Los Angeles. Everyone knows that's where he's headed since that direction is where the shooting happened. But, he goes anyway so he can meet his girl. Smart! And then, he stays there for the rest of the film, basically waiting for the police to get him.

Man, he's an idiot! And, he's completely shiftless, just bumming around the whole time. So, there's nothing remotely likable or relatable about him. And the girlfriend is one-dimensional, so who cares! Other bad features include a hilariously bad rear-projection screen trying to mimic the road going by. It's at least as bad as the similar sequence from "Airplane!"

**** (4 Out of 10 Stars)

Mehico! Mehico! Mehico!

[huckfunn · 14 March 2004]

I got tired of watching my censored taped-from-TV version of this film, so I finally bought the DVD. I am one happy hombre. In addition to the superior video and audio quality, one gets several unobstructed views of the object of Gere's love/lust -- and that's no insignificant treat.

One reviewer aptly referred to this film as Gere doing his "early-80s cheeseball riff on the sexiest man alive." I concur. "Breathless" could be seen as an expansion of his minor role as Diane Keaton's dangerous pretty-boy in "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" -- transposed from wintery Chicago to sultry L.A.

I won't analyze this film. It doesn't hold up under criticism, and certainly there is plenty to dislike, starting with the relentlessly sociopathic behavior of its protagonist. Rather, in the spirit of the film's love-almost-conquers-all theme, here's just a partial list of what I love about "Breathless":

1. Kaprisky in her see-through swimsuit. Rowrrrr! The rest of her wardrobe is pretty damn sexy, too. (The jury's still out on Gere's blue 'soot.')

2. The kiss at the diving board. It has to be one of the best in cinema history. Kaprisky is a goner after that.

3. Gere's line: "I think maybe I was rolling dice when I should have been rolling you." Cheesy, sure, but look at her face when he says it.

4. The shower scene, together. Kaprisky running hot and cold. "Jesse, you're crazy." ... "So what?" ... "It's OK. I like it."

5. Gere turning female heads wherever he goes, as he exudes his studly scent.

6. Los Angeles as The Place to Be. I lived and loved in L.A. during the early/mid-80s, and can vouch for the intoxication of being young and on the go in the City of Dreams. It's one big-ass place. McBride and veteran lensman Richard Kline do a superb job of capturing its heat, light (L.A. sunsets put a glow over the whole city), and diversity -- from the downtown hotels and office towers, to the industrial sections, to the Hollywood hills, to upscale West L.A., to the beach communities (where we see what must be every mural in L.A.).

7. The amazing ending. Gere taking his "all-or-nothing" motto to the wire. In what other movie will you see a dude dancing and singing to his woman while the cops have their guns drawn on him?

"Breathless" is Gere at his best. Maybe Kaprisky, too, for whatever that's worth. Don't think too hard about it. Just enjoy the ride.

Not a quality remake

[human2 · 6/10 · 30 October 2018]

For one thing I must say I have not seen the original 1959 French movie this remake is based on, but in my opinion French writer Francois Truffaut and French director Jean-Luc Godard are both masters in the field of cinema who have been well-known and respected in France for decades... I was trying to find a sentence that could resume what I think of this remake, and it could be "the devil is in the details", as goes the saying... There's many flaws in this remake but the main problem in my opinion is that they tought they could take the original 1959 story who was set in the fifities in France and apply it directly to the 80s Los Angeles USA, but of course then the story doesn't work very well... The main character is a sociopath, in the remake he appear clean-cut and nice but he steal cars without any remorse, break the lock of the apartment of some girl he almost doesn't know and then she become attracted to him, doesn't have any permanent residence and basically totally let himself go and doesn't care about anything at all... In the original 1959 movie who was set in the fifties all this would make sense, because it was the era of James Dean, "Rebel Without a Cause", it was when we begun to see rebelling bad guys with leather jackets riding motorcycles becoming part of the folklore.. Those guys would be popular with girls who were attracted to such rebels... In the 1983 remake set 30 years later in 80s Los Angeles the mentalities would have changed, I don't think such a guy would be seen as that romantic by anybody and especially not a girl... In this remake the girl who's a clean-cut university student in design hesitate between Jesse the sociopath and another clean-guy respectable guy; Jesse drive his car recklessly through all the movie, steal almost 5 or 6 of them, he's ignoring red lights and almost causing an accident 20 times, but the girl is beginning to like him for that... again the the early 50s in France that would have been possible, but in 80s Los Angeles? One time Jesse is in the girl's apartment and the girl receive a call from the other guy, Jesse is so angry he throw the answering machine up the windows... 5 minutes later the girl is so steaming they have sex... Overall maybe I'm too picky and can't buy anything, but even if I managed to finish watching the whole movie I don't think this is a quality remake, they should have paid attention to the details, in the original 1959 movie the character is played by Jean-Paul Belmondo, who's roughly in the same range as Mel Gibson, he have the credibility to portray such a rebel, not Richard Gere the romantic... Badly miscast!

Gere too over the top

[croftpydy · 3/10 · 28 May 2011]

Richard Gere acts like a total geek in this movie. stuck on jerry lee lewis music which blieves he is like him. a pretty boy car thief hoodlum wannabe. he acts more like a girl than the girl who hes attracted to... shaking and gyrating like hes Elvis or something. what a wimp!!! i didn't like the movie when it came out and i don't like the movie now that i have just watchd it again. the actress is worth watchn and does a great job. she makes the movie worth while. cop killer.. an accident that couldn't have happened to a better character. no recommendation here! like most of the other reviewers said, the ending was stupid too. only in the movies!!!

Some erotic camp fun

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 8 June 2015]

Jesse Lujack (Richard Gere) is a reckless uncontrollable petty criminal and a fan of the Silver Surfer and Jerry Lee Lewis. He steals a car in Las Vegas to go track down French college student Monica Poiccard (Valérie Kaprisky) is L.A. after spending a few wild nights together. His restless driving attracts a highway patrolman. Jesse shots him and the cops are after him. Monica is seduced by wild bad boy Jesse over Paul the professor. Ultimately their relationship is doomed.

There is something campy and fun about this rendition. It's Richarad Gere's crazy wardrobe. It's the old fashion rear projection driving scenes. It's Kaprisky's flat French accent. It's the music. It's all the Silver Surfer philosophizing. I do feel like director Jim McBride could have committed more fully. This could be great surreal fun. It's partly cheesy, a lot of erotica and some smile-worthy fun.

this movie proves how brainless hollywood really is

[hypercritic · 1/10 · 7 August 2001]

godard's "breathless" was a humorous satire of action movies and love stories (among many other things). the fact that "breathless" was remade with richard gere (!!) further proves how shallow and meanless most hollywood movies are. godard's "breathless" was never meant to be taken seriously and by doing so, this remake illustrates all the points godard was trying to make without even realizing it.

bottom line: this film should only be watched in conjunction with the original, and even then only for film education. on its own, this film is so bad, it doesn't even have CAMP value!!

I can't see this movie enough!

[OceanPagan · 10/10 · 15 March 2011]

I love the character Gere portrayed so flawlessly - Jesse's sheer intensity is a joy to behold. I really enjoyed the music throughout the film also, and the way it captures the varying moods so well. Kaprisky does a good job with her character as well - the exotic Frenchwoman Monica, torn between her plans for her life and her moth-to-the-flame attraction to the exuberant, unstoppable Jesse. This film has just had a run on EPIX on demand and I must have seen it six or seven times - it's one of my all-time favorites: those few, special films that, although I can almost speak the dialogue in unison with the characters, are still the ones I reach for and watch again and again.

A guy called Tarantino was watching .....

[PimpinAinttEasy · 6/10 · 24 December 2015]

Jim Mcbride receives a letter from some guy named Quentin Tarantino in 1984. This is what it says.

Hey Jim, whats up dude? Breathless was the real deal. I mean, I am a fan of Goddard. Big fan actually. But you nailed it with Breathless. This is what every film ought to be like. I loved all the comic book references. I mean you had a scene where Richard Gere reads out of "The Silver Surfer". Oh my god, I nearly exploded during that scene. What a great idea that was. I'm writing a script based on the Silver Surfer comic book. I am sure the f!ockers will reject me man.

And I loved the rock n roll and surfer music soundtrack. How cool was that. Though there are better surf music bands out there than the ones you played in your movie. I have an idea for a movie that would have a lot of surf music.

Valerie Kaprisky is kind of a bad actress. And Jim, I am afraid I do not agree with all the nudity. I disagree with the objectification of women even though I am fine with scenes where their arms get chopped off an blood spurts out like a shower. HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I wouldn't really have cast Richard Gere. I mean he did a great job. But Travolta would have been better. He is just a better dancer. And a lot more cooler. But I'm so glad you didn't cast him because I have an idea for another movie where I'll have Travolta dancing. And that's going to be cooler than the dance scenes in your movie. HAHAHAHHAHHAA! The film did have some pacing issues. But there was so much cool stuff in it. Anyway, just watch out for me, Jim. I plan to make my first movie before I am 26. And I will rip off from your movie. And you know what? My movie is going to be cooler than yours. HAHHHAHAHAHAHA! Quentin.

(6/10)

*,1 out of 5 stars,a mix of a lame-campy story & only good for those who want to see Gere & kiprisky in a cheap-sensual scence (although the film did had quite potential)

[PJS-5 · 2/10 · 15 May 1999]

True the storyline in this film is incredibly weak & the only real reason why anyone would want to watch this is seeing Richard Gere without his shirt & Valerie Kiprisky revealing (really Revealing) the top chestal part of her body during a romance scence,but fix up the storyline (REALLY fix it up) and it may at least had a better rating than a 1.

Excellent Film with a Great Soundtrack

[richlandwoman · 10/10 · 18 October 2003]

I have never seen a film with so many terrific songs used to such great effect. American critics stupidly trashed this movie when it first came out, saying it desecrated the memory of the French original. Several French critics disagreed and named this remake one of the top ten films of the year.

10/10

Bundle of energy that's hard not to like...

[Howlin Wolf · 6/10 · 23 November 2001]

... Even if you only like it because you find it amusing to mock how achingly cool it thinks it is. Okay, a large part of me having such a soft spot for the film is that I haven't yet seen Godard's original on which it was based; but I do know enough about cinema to know that that film is the real thing and this is merely the young upstart who thinks it does everything bigger and better, but actually keeps its brains in its trousers... Hey, you know what? That's actually a pretty good analysis of the movie! It has a real macho/homo-erotic tone; but for those of the hetrosexual persuasion there is the lovely Valeri Karpinski's body to stare at for a large part of the running time...

Gere does his early 80's cheeseball riff on the 'sexiest man alive' circa "American Gigolo" (a MUCH worse film than this) and stares moodily into the camera several times. In his defense, the camera DOES love him, but its slightly overdone and the film begins to take on the tone of a glossy shampoo advert after awhile. In a weird way, that just adds to the fun though. The film is stunning to look at, and it has a strange kinetic energy that makes me overlook the flaws and concentrate on what's right about it. The hero was certainly an inspiration for the style of some of Quentin Tarantino's characters, with his love of "The Silver Surfer", etc. This film is actually referenced in "Reservoir Dogs", according to the IMDb...

Cheesy, overblown and tacky at times, but it's an 80's film, so why should you be surprised? In this reviewer's opinion it's still great fun. Be warned, though; If you hate Richard Gere, as my friend does, then stay away, because all this film will do is serve as a 90 + min refresher course in just why you feel that way...

Americanized Godard against cartoon-colored backdrops...horrendous to contemplate

[moonspinner55 · 3/10 · 11 November 2010]

Bad boy from Las Vegas--into stealing cars and reading comic books--chases after a French college student in Los Angeles after a two-night stand in a hotel room has left him breathless. He's anxious to get to Mexico after (rather abstractly) shooting and killing a police officer, but she's more the responsible type and feels torn. American rewrite of 1960's "À bout de soufflé" with the character's nationalities flip-flopped; trendily irresponsible in 1983, but not a good idea then or now. Richard Gere, frequently lapsing into baby talk (with a cigarette dangling from his mouth), tries acting reckless but it's not in him to be a dumb mug. Newcomer Valérie Kaprisky seems to have all the males panting in her wake, but we are never sure why--she runs hot and cold throughout, and her mincing speech patterns are even more annoying than Gere's. Director Jim McBride encourages his stars to go for broke, but the results are still lethargic. *1/2 from ****