"Breathless" Response

Just because a move is important, doesn’t mean that it’s inherently good. I understand the place that Breathless (1960) has in cinema history and how important it was that it subverted the standards of filmmaking in the way that it did, but it ended up making a film that was tiresome to watch. Immersion was never goal of the film, and this much is obvious; the movie reminds you that it’s a movie at every possible turn by breaking cinematic rules designed to aid in the comprehension of the elements on screen.
The most notable way that Breathless challenges convention is through its editing and cinematic techniques. Breathless is characterized by jump cuts, discontinuous movement between shots, and unconventional framing. The opening police chase is the most dramatic example of these techniques, but they’re prevalent throughout the entire film. In addition to the cinematography, Breathless also shows dialogue differently from many other films, largely discarding the shot-reverse-shot method. Instead, the characters talk around one another, both in their blocking and framing as well as the dialogue itself.

The only problem is that many of these techniques result in a movie that is a burden to watch. Many cinematic conventions exist to aid comprehension, and when you break them it makes the easier more difficult to comprehend. I understand breaking rules for a reason, but most of the time in Breathless it feels that the rules are being broken just to show that they can be broken, which I don’t find particularly interesting. Breathless is a film that needed to exist, but I don’t think that the film itself is worthwhile.

"Hiroshima Mon Amour" Response

Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959, dir. Alain Renais) flows effortlessly; whether the movie is pairing time periods, locales, or symbols, Hiroshima makes it feel as though all parts of the story are happening concurrently. The paired elements, as well as a sense of fluidity and musicality, are pervasive throughout the entire film. Every part of the filmmaking process was centered around these themes, which is so rare in cinema. Hiroshima stands out as an example of a film that took full advantage of the medium in all respects.
The cinematography alone is incredible. Most notable are the extended tracking shots that transition into one another, specifically in the first segment. By matching the speed and angle of tracking shots between cuts, the action flows seamlessly. The tracking shots are less stylized later in the film, but they are still present, such as when She is wandering through the streets of Hiroshima, intent on leaving it behind.
That particular sequence brings me to the editing, which is superb. The viewer truly understands Her perception of the war in Hiroshima being the same as her experience of the war in Nevers. In the aforementioned sequence, shots of neon signs in Japan are interspersed with those of a French villa, bringing the two settings together just as She is undergoing her greatest amount of emotional distress.
Talking about any one element in particular almost cheapens the rest of film. It is almost like a truly great piece of music; when listening, you don’t think about how consistent the percussion is or how clear the vocals are, you’re able to experience the song as a single entity, as a feeling. The musicality of the film was intentional, and the film does it so well you’re able to understand this without even being told so.