Many might think that branding Breathless as a gangster film may be stretching the definition of the genre more than just a little, but Jean-Luc Godard's French New Wave film certainly features more than just a few similar motifs to the gangster genre. Not only is the film's 'protagonist' a petty career criminal who murders a cop within the opening moments of the film, he's also a character that you'll try and find redeeming qualities in without ever quite realising it. Michael flees the crime scene seen at the beginning of the film and seeks out his girlfriend Patricia (Jean Seberg) for shelter from the authorities, the girl unaware but suspicious of his criminal history. Like many gangster films since, the relationship between Michael and Patricia is almost one of apathy. She knows that his morals are less than squeaky-clean, that he's hiding from something,but never turns on him until the very end when her conscience catches up with her. Crime never pays, and just like every single entry on this list, Breathless is no different. Michael is gunned down at the end of the film trying to escape the authorities, and had it not been for Patricia 'betraying' his crimes to the police, he probably would have escaped. Let this be a lesson to you, don't ever try to be a criminal, and if you already are, never ever tell anyone what you've done. Are there any other gangster films not directed by the great Scorsese that you think we've missed? Let us know in the comments below if there's a favorite gangster film of yours that deserves some recognition.
Joe is a freelance games journalist who, while not spending every waking minute selling himself to websites around the world, spends his free time writing. Most of it makes no sense, but when it does, he treats each article as if it were his Magnum Opus - with varying results.
