Anna Daniels
The Show-Stopper
Richard Linklater—the visionary behind Before Sunrise and Boyhood—has just released the teaser for Nouvelle Vague, his exploration of Jean-Luc Godard’s classic Breathless in French. True to Godard’s unconventional style, the teaser is wonderfully chaotic. Is there a hidden camera concealed in a mail cart? Absolutely. Featuring fresh faces? You bet. A self-referential narrative about a film that broke every norm? Mais oui.
Why This is a Game-Changer (or Not)
Linklater isn’t merely crafting a biopic—he’s orchestrating a cinematic heist. The gritty black-and-white visuals and guerrilla filmmaking techniques evoke the rebellious essence of Breathless, featuring newcomers like Guillaume Marbeck as Godard. Imagine The Social Network colliding with Living in Oblivion—if David Fincher shot on borrowed film stock.
But the twist? Linklater, the American filmmaker, is handling this project entirely in French. It could be a genius move or a risky Lost in Translation scenario. With Zoey Deutch portraying Jean Seberg and Aubry Dullin as Belmondo, the casting choices are as daring as Godard’s innovative editing styles.
The Untold Narrative
This isn’t the first instance of a filmmaker romanticizing the art of cinema—works like Day for Night, 8½, and Babylon have all tread similar paths. However, Linklater’s unique angle? He isn’t simply narrating the story; he’s recreating the disorder. The teaser’s playful homage to Godard’s covert filming technique (“He captures me with a mail cart”) references the DIY spirit of the New Wave.
Reportedly, an unnamed crew member quipped, “Linklater banned tripods. Claimed they were ‘too bourgeois.’” (Unverified, but certainly intriguing if accurate.)
Brilliance or nonsense? A heartfelt nod to film lovers or a self-indulgent stunt? Regardless, Cannes is gearing up for a major reaction.
NOUVELLE VAGUE, a film by Richard Linklater
This is the story of Godard making “Breathless”, told in the style and spirit in which Godard made “Breathless”.
