As I had never seen the French original, I don't have nothing to say about it, but the American version is too much underrated by the critics, l spent last night checking out this picture which I had good memories from the early 90's when I'd watched it on TV, indeed Breathless aged very well and holds up at the time, Richard Gere plays Jesse a wild guy car thief, living blithely as hadn't anything on the future, often reading a comic book of his fave hero Silver Surfer as pure escapism, Jerry had a misfortune to kill inadvertently a cop after committed a mistake on the road, Jerry had plans to your newest French girlfriend Monica (Valérie Kaprisky) at Mexico, henceforth your life turns upside down, whatever he does all things getting worst, although his adventure spirit he goes ahead in randomly, following his own survival instincts, plenty of nudes and sexy scenes notable by the splendorous Monica, also rocked by the Killer Jerry Lee Lewis's Breathless as highlights at fabulous soundtrack, Richard Gere illustrates that is a multilayer and versatile actor, also Art Metrano in a funny queer character with ice screen at mouth as owner of scrap yard and the recurrent stereotyped John P. Ryan as Lt. Parmental of the L.A. Police who enforces a chase without respite of Jesse, moreover the final sequence is really breathless!!

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First watch: 1993 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7

"Breathless" is an unheralded '80s remake of Godard's revolutionary 1960 flick.

In this one, Richard Gere plays the Belmondo role as a dimwitted yet charismatic car-thief who accidentally (or not?) kills a policeman during a traffic stop and goes on the run.

He hooks up with a girl - Valerie Kaprisky playing a French girl in America, just as Jean Seberg played an American girl in France - and they go on the run together.

Nowadays, "Breathless" is remembered mostly, if it is remembered at all, for Kaprisky's nude scenes. Gere is hard to swallow in the lead role; he just seems like an obnoxious idiot. We don't get into his head at all.

Nor do we really understand Kaprisky's motivations. She seems too smart to do what she does, whereas Gere seems too stupid.

Jesse Lujack (Richard Gere) is a reckless uncontrollable petty criminal and a fan of the Silver Surfer and Jerry Lee Lewis. He steals a car in Las Vegas to go track down French college student Monica Poiccard (Valérie Kaprisky) is L.A. after spending a few wild nights together. His restless driving attracts a highway patrolman. Jesse shots him and the cops are after him. Monica is seduced by wild bad boy Jesse over Paul the professor. Ultimately their relationship is doomed.

There is something campy and fun about this rendition. It's Richarad Gere's crazy wardrobe. It's the old fashion rear projection driving scenes. It's Kaprisky's flat French accent. It's the music. It's all the Silver Surfer philosophizing. I do feel like director Jim McBride could have committed more fully. This could be great surreal fun. It's partly cheesy, a lot of erotica and some smile-worthy fun.