Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Love 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, have trouble communicating, 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).
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This movie is a perfect example of what becomes of untamed love. Michel and Patricia love each other dearly. You can see this with the risks they are willing to go for the other’s wellbeing. However their own selfish desires keep them from fully being with one another. Michel is a thief and murder, who is willing to use Patricia to escape arrest. Patricia is a student and journalist who is willing to do anything to succeed in the newspaper business. Did she turn Michel in just because she thought it was the best thing for him or did she do it because it would make a good story? Whatever the reason both lovers selfish desires leads to their own disaster.
ReplyDeleteThe greatest line within the movie is Michel’s last words “Makes me want to puke”. I don’t believe Michel was talking about Patricia when he said that. I believe he was referring to the love they had for one another. Love is very powerful and it can be used to change people. Michel and Patricia’s love was no exception to this. Even though Michel was a no good thief, it is heavily implied that his love for Patricia made him want to be more than that. For example in the ending scene he could have easily escaped and fled Paris. However, he didn’t. He probably either grew tired of running or wanted to be something better than a fugitive. Not thinking this was possible he decided to die instead. If it wasn’t for Patricia’s love he may have never thought of a life better than the one he has. He probably hated that someone had that type of power over him and that is what made him want to puke.
I believe that Breathless does make a complicated commentary on love in the modern world through Michel and Patricia’s relationship. Even though their relationship is strained in terms of honest communication, impulses, and betrayal, there is, to me, underlying evidence of a deeper love. However, this feeling never surfaces because of what I see as a long-term relationship stigma in the society of the time as it is portrayed in the film. This comes across very greatly in the scene where Patricia finds Michel waiting in her bed. During this scene, the two characters flirt with each other mainly, but part of their discussion involves a lot of cynicism and irony around the validity of their true feelings for one another. Michel’s impulsive behavior and his outrageous stunts are indicative of his attitude, but they may also shield his inner feelings from the surface so that he can keep his persona up. The only point in the movie where Michel verbally acknowledges his relationship with Patricia is at the end when he wants her to come with him to Rome and indirectly invokes “a man who loves you” (Meaning himself). Patricia also indicates her interest in true love while she is interviewing the famous novelist. The discussion itself revolves around a new novel but several questions come up discussing true love and the scholar’s opinion on the subject. Michel and Patricia’s separate evidence of a deeper interest points to an interest in deeper love but a fear of intimacy due to what appears to be a sort of “de-sacralization” of sex and relationships in the youth culture of the time. This phenomenon doesn’t seem like it would be surprising given the constant feeling of fear and uncertainty around the time of the Cold war and nuclear threats.
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