"Breathless" Discussion: Enabling Misogyny in Film

 

After viewing the 1960 film Breathless, I can see how this film paved the way for others to follow. It introduced the idea of basic plot structure with jump-cuts that we see in our films today, and even introduced new film tropes to be emulated later in the future. 

That being said, I feel it would be a disservice to our generation and to women as a whole if we did not address the behavior of the main character, Michel Poiccard. More importantly, I feel his behavior presents a broader discussion regarding the way cinema has protected misogyny throughout the years and often glamorized this behavior instead of condemning it.

Throughout the film, Michel commits grand theft auto, murder against a police officer, and petty theft against his girlfriend. He then cheats on his girlfriend, and openly admits that he does not care. 

...And this is just in the first 30 minutes. 

And yet... this man is somehow still considered desirable? Desirable by an aspiring, talented, intelligent, and ambitious girl nonetheless. As a Gen-Z feminist, it's... painful to watch. Painful is a generous word for it really.

What did you think of Michel's behavior? Do you think we've made progress as a society in condemning this type of behavior in the media we consume? I'd love to discuss in the comments!