Godards Breathless Essay Questions - 1553 Words

Vanishree Gandhi Godard’s Breathless 4. In a world where there are no ultimate reasons for action, how does Michel find freedom to act and to live creatively? Why does Patricia, who shares Michel’s nihilistic world-view, draw the opposite conclusion from it? Why is she only capable of negative freedom expressed as independence in the course of the film? In the movie Breathless, written and produced by Jean-Luc Godard, is a French film about a thief named Michel Poiccard, who spends his time in Paris persuading his girlfriend to flea with him to Italy while being chased by French Police for killing a cop. Through this essay I explain my claim the Michel and his lover, Patricia represents the two types of individuals philosopher Friedrich†¦show more content†¦Goddard supplies us with many clues to convey this; firstly is here appearance, since she has the popular and socially accepted long hair and ELLE beauty magazine lying her bed. She also has pictures of actresses taped to her dresser, which indicates her envy for an outward persona that flourishes in society. Secondly, when Michel if she is still following her dream to be an actress ‘in the movies’ she responds, â€Å"No. You gotta sleep around.†, which shows her unconscious actions to follow society conventions that condemn female promiscuity and thu s give up her dream, rather than to sleep around in order to follow her own dreams. Lastly, on a wall in her room she had begun spelling out the French word ‘Pourquoi?’ which means ‘why?’ but did not complete it. This is Goddard’s largest clue; while she is aware that the basis of her actions, and thus her morality, is questionable, she is not motivated to search for the answer, just as most people who live by societal conventions. Nietzsche suggest the alternate path of morality based on faith in oneself. ‘One could conceive of such a pleasure and power of self-determination, such as a freedom of will’. To go down this path, one must become aware that their actions can be their own, rather than in accordance with faith in God. In the movie, for example, while in a taxi on the way to Patricia’s office (The New York Herald Tribune), Michel and