Breathless

Breathless (1983)

Timing: 1:40 (100 min)

5.8/10
258

6.327/10
2283

6/10
12000

All about film

Video 5

Photo 52

Actors and characters

Release date

1983-05-13

Country

United States

Production

Orion Pictures, Breathless Associates, Miko Productions

Genre

Romance, Drama, Action

Budget

$7 500 000

Revenue

$19 910 002

Website

Director

Jim McBride

Actors

Richard Gere, Valérie Kaprisky, Art Metrano, John P. Ryan, William Tepper, Robert Dunn, Garry Goodrow, Lisa Jane Persky, James Hong, Waldemar Kalinowski
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Martin Erlichman, Keith Addis

Operator

Richard H. Kline

Composer

Jack Nitzsche

Artist

Audition

Jane Jenkins

Editing

Robert Estrin
All team (52)

• A couple of erotic scenes were cut during editing to secure an 'R' rating (under 17s are only admitted with a parent or legal guardian). In one, Jesse slowly cuts Monica’s dress off with scissors. In the other, they have sex against the backdrop of a burning palm tree.
• The first American film featuring actress Valerie Caprisky (birth name – Valerie Scher).
• In the United Kingdom, a version without editing was released for theatrical viewing, but 24 seconds of screen time were cut from the 1986 video release. These are scenes in which Jesse steals a car and uses a lockpick to enter Monica's apartment. These scenes were restored in 2001.
• When Lieutenant Parmentier interrogates Jesse's friend, he mentions "Johnny Goddard." This is a reference to the director of the original film, Jean-Luc Godard.
• Candidates for the main role in the film were Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and John Travolta.
• While breaking into Monica's house, Jesse holds a vase with a yellow flower in place with a copy of "Learning from Las Vegas" (1972) by Robert Venturi (1925-2018), Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour.
• Initially, it was planned to end the film as the 1960 original – Jean-Luc Godard's debut feature film – did, but audiences at preview screenings strongly disliked the death of Richard Gere's character, and the producers were forced to change the ending.
• When Lieutenant Parmentel interrogates Jesse's friend, he mentions "Johnny Godard." This is a reference to the director of the original film, Jean-Luc Godard.
• Originally, the film was planned to end as its 1960 counterpart did – Jean-Luc Godard's debut feature film. However, audiences at preview screenings strongly disliked the death of Richard Gere's character, and the producers were forced to change the ending.