Sunday, April 10, 2011
Lovers in the Time of the Beatles
One interpretation of Breathless is that it is a film about love in the modern world, where lovers know little about each others' past, follow their impulsive longings, only to end up betrayed at the end. Is there more to this take on modern romance? Is there something deeper in Michel and Patricia's relationship? Or is there something less? Is love even possible in the shadow of the atomic bomb and the Cold War? (Don't forget that Michel has other girlfriends and Patricia spent the evening -- and might have slept with -- her editor).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think it is true that the relationship between Michel and Patricia was very weak and unbalanced. Michel has been shown that he is very impulsive throughout the movie which contrasts with Patricia’s passivity. However the film also shows that they have feelings for each other. For example, Michel is explaining to Patricia and everyone he meets how much he loves her and how it can be a problem sometimes. Also how Patricia denies to the police officer the location of Michel. However the way the film portrays their relationship is shown as though it is all a game. For example, the dialouge between the two when they are at Patricia’s apartment is constantly back and forth moving at a steady pace. Michel talks about how all he wants to do is sleep with her while Patricia is questioning whether she loves him. The setting seems very light and easy showing that they are not taking their relationship seriously. The reason why the director made their relationship seem this way is to show a realistic view of a romance between young adults. People at their age are still unsure about their lifestyle and want to be independent but still have someone to be with while they are figuring out who they are. We clearly see this in Patricia: wanting to be a successful journalist but still clinging to Michel for emotional support. While most Hollywood movies shows two lovers living happily ever after, this movie shows the real attributes of a relationship. In the end, Patricia finally learns to let go of Michel which was a big step in her life of being independent.
ReplyDeleteBreathless introduces many ideas on modern romance that leads to an unfortunate and unavoidable end. Other than the story of a modern romance where lovers only know little about each other and end up getting hurt in the end, another take is the belief to have met a partner by fate and end up in a relationship that lives on throughout their lives. However, Michel and Patricia’s relationship there does not appear to be much more than an on and off love affair. While Michel acts as though he loves Patricia, he feels no guilt when he is with his other girlfriends. Michel only seems to go back to Patricia because he likes the attention he gives her. Patricia is in a constant debate with herself throughout the film whether she loves Michel or not. I think she is only attracted to dangerous and cool lifestyle the Michel lives and not in love with him. Patricia ignores Michel’s said to love for her and spends time with other men like her editor and the movie director she interviewed. Their lack of concern for each others feelings shows that their there is something less in their relationship. The final moments in the film, Patricia calls the police, which showed that she was ready to move on to a deeper relationship with someone else. Michel doesn’t run because Patricia is the stability in his life, rather than his love, and without her he has no hope. Not much hope may be scene alongside the shadow of an atomic bomb, but love is certainly possible. The Cold War put a lot of fear into many people, but it should not be able to prevent the possibility for love. It is too big of a picture to interfere with the relationships between people who have no influence on which way the war turns.
ReplyDeleteMichel and Patricia are two strange characters whose true identities remain unknown for the duration of the film. Their relationship is complicated, chaotic, and unbalanced, and even if it is true love, it surely doesn’t seem like it. Michel is constantly asking Patricia “why she won’t sleep with him,” and she constantly taunts and teases him. He disrespects her, she disrespects him, and not only does Michel flirt with other women, but Patricia seems to have a thing going with her editor. I believe that their relationship is built on lust, especially on Michel’s part. They are constantly arguing, and seem to have nothing in common. They are often hostile towards each other, and the only time they stop bickering is when they are kissing or in bed together (in some cases Michel continues to complain even under the covers). My point of view is that Patricia longs to escape the grasps of Michel’s controlling nature, yet through all her efforts, such as fooling around with her editor or refusing to sleep with Michel, she still cannot seem to overcome her feelings for Michel. In the end, she betrays him and turns him into the police, because she knows that the only way she will ever get over him is to have him disappear. At the end, I interpret the stroking of her lips, just as Michel used to do, as her way of saying "screw you," and a way to express her joy over finally getting him out of her life.
ReplyDeleteThe film, Breathless, like many films of the nouvelle vague were stories of the modern world meant for the modern world. Modern for the people at the time of the films release was a little gloomy to say the least; atom bombs were dropped and millions were killed in the second world war, and immediately after The Cold War emerged, where every country was afraid of a nuclear holocaust. So the young people were probably in a state of disillusionment and were fed up with the conventional ways of living and wanted to enjoy every second creating really shallow lifestyles exhibited in the film. Michel kills a man, steals cars, sleeps with many women and does not see a problem with any of it. Patricia knows Michel does all of his crazy stuff and she still dates him and hides him from the police for the majority of the film. And there is virtually no scene of chemistry between the two yet they are in “love.” Then when Patricia interviews the director asking about how many people its ok to sleep with, and she receives ridiculous answers were the director shrugs off the question with “Too many to count.” (or something I don’t remember the exact line) It definitely isn’t conventional. So when this film was enjoyed by the public at the same time it was probably critiquing their lifestyles saying it was a shallow lifestyle and they would probably die like michel at the end the film.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Michel and Patricia never had love but instead had lust. Michel is always talking about how much he wants to touch her and to have sex with her and in my opinion that is not at all love. You never see the two of them having real conversation or giving any kind of compliments to one another that aren't sexual in any kind of way and while I say all this, their relationship is still so realistic. So often do people claim to love someone when in reality all it is is lust which is why this relationship is so realistic. I do believe that love exist and can exist but here it does not. Their relationship is almost like a game only with no benefit or reward at the end of it. Michel is going around committing all kinds of crimes and Patricia is just following him along. She doesn't look out for him and he doesn't really care for her so their relationship is pointless in a sense. In addition they are always arguing with each other and while come disagreement in relationships is healthy, arguing non stop all the time over nothing is not. Then to top it all off she rats him out at the end of the movie and tells him that she was never in love with him. I just think that their relationship is like a ball of knots that will never come undone.
ReplyDelete