The Chaotic True Story That Inspired Nouvelle Vague

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I just finished watching Nouvelle Vague, which hits Netflix on November 14th, and it’s a really interesting film. It’s basically a movie about making a movie – specifically, director Richard Linklater’s take on how Jean-Luc Godard might have created his iconic 1960 film, Breathless. It’s a fascinating peek behind the curtain, imagining the creative process of a filmmaking legend.

This inexpensive film by Jean-Luc Godard, featuring Jean Seberg and Jean-Paul Belmondo, blended crime and romance and sparked the French New Wave cinema movement. Its innovative style included quick, jarring cuts and actors who often improvised their dialogue.

When Breathless was first released in the United States in 1961, reviews were varied. TIME magazine noted the film lacked a traditional plot, describing it as having the disjointed, dreamlike quality of a nightmare. Despite this, the movie proved popular, particularly in France. TIME questioned why, noting it didn’t feature established stars – Jean Seberg was a Hollywood newcomer and Jean-Paul Belmondo was relatively unknown – and that its experimental style, described as a ‘jaggedly abstract piece of visual music,’ could be challenging for audiences. However, the magazine acknowledged the film’s undeniable energy and originality as the reasons for its success.

Jean-Luc Godard, the celebrated filmmaker known for his innovative approach to cinema, passed away in 2022 at the age of 91. Here’s a look at his life and groundbreaking work.

What does “Nouvelle Vague” mean?

The film’s title, which translates to ‘The New Wave,’ refers to a filmmaking movement from the late 1950s and 1960s. During a traditionally strict time, a group of young directors enthusiastically explored innovative cinematic techniques.

This movement centered around a film magazine called Cahiers du Cinema (it’s still published today). Jean-Luc Godard was one of many young film critics working there who were raised on a steady diet of movies.

According to Dudley Andrew, editor of Breathless: Jean-Luc Godard, Director, this new group of filmmakers – often called the ‘Young Turks’ – rejected the established French cinema. They criticized older filmmakers for being uninspired and advocated for a fresh, innovative approach to filmmaking, essentially launching a ‘new wave’ movement.

The rebellious attitude reflected the era’s broader cultural shifts. As David Sherritt, editor of Jean-Luc Godard: Interviews, explains, the 1960s were marked by movements like the sexual revolution and protests against the Vietnam War – all challenging established norms. The young filmmakers of the French New Wave were doing the same thing.

According to film scholar Wheeler Winston Dixon, a key goal of the New Wave movement was to move away from the control of major movie studios. These filmmakers were actively rejecting the traditional studio system, as well as the emphasis on expensive, large-scale productions and famous actors.

According to Dixon, Godard made Breathless because he was eager to start filmmaking and explore his own creative vision.

Working with Godard

As demonstrated in Nouvelle Vague, Jean-Luc Godard was a director known for empowering his actors. He famously encouraged them to contribute their own ideas, even asking them how they wanted to perform a scene rather than dictating it himself. According to film critic Andrew, actors felt comfortable challenging his direction and suggesting alternative approaches to their lines and performances.

But he also just gave actors a gist of what the scene was and let them improvise. 

“He more or less asked the actors to make up their own dialogue,” says Dixon.

As a big Godard fan, I always found it amazing how he worked. He’d actually write the dialogue the night before, or even the morning of filming! Because he shot without recording sound directly, he could feed the lines to the actors while the camera was rolling. It was such a spontaneous and cool way to make movies.

To avoid drawing attention while filming in public, Godard famously transported his cameraman, Raoul Coutard, in a disguised cart resembling a wheelbarrow – with an opening just for the camera. He even occasionally used a wheelchair to move his camera operators around.

According to Vincent Palmo Jr., a screenwriter from the French New Wave movement, the director wanted to film on the Champs Élysées while remaining hidden. They couldn’t block traffic, hire extras, or use synchronized sound recording – all of which would have revealed they were making a movie. Palmo calls this a typical workaround for the situation.

The film reveals that Godard rarely did more than two takes of any scene. Michèle Halberstadt, a producer and co-writer of Nouvelle Vague who also collaborated with Godard on King Lear, explains, “You lose the genuine feeling and naturalness if you do too many takes.”

Unlike typical movie sets, they didn’t use special studio lights. Instead, the filmmakers of the Nouvelle Vague movement, like Godard’s team, would find out when the streetlights came on in Paris and film scenes using only that natural light.

What Godard was like

Halberstadt collaborated with the filmmakers to ensure the dialogue closely reflected Godard’s actual words from interviews and his writings, emphasizing that they avoided creating any fabricated lines for him.

The film features several memorable lines that were actually spoken by the director, including famous quotes like, “All you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun,” and “To direct is to aim for intellectual and moral anarchy.”

Halberstadt explains that the director was known for making surprising statements. One example of this was his belief that while a film should have a beginning, middle, and end, those parts didn’t always need to happen in that order.

Sterritt notes that he often spoke in a confusing way, and appeared to intentionally do so. He viewed interviews as a sort of game, enjoying the challenge of manipulating language and playing with the interviewer.

According to screenwriter Holly Gent, the famously enigmatic statements of Nouvelle Vague director Jean-Luc Godard may have been intentional. She suggests he used indirect language to maintain a separation between his creative work and excessive questioning, perhaps wanting the audience to interpret his films for themselves. Gent believes this approach demonstrates a respect for viewers.

Throughout the film, viewers will notice Godard frequently wearing sunglasses – a stylistic choice that became his trademark. This visual element playfully mirrors his tendency to offer critical commentary, often described as ‘throwing shade’.

According to Sterritt, Godard didn’t achieve mainstream commercial success as a filmmaker. However, he continued creating films well into his nineties, and Halberstadt noted that he even enjoyed using his camera phone for filmmaking.

Halberstadt believes the film Nouvelle Vague will inspire new filmmakers to be bold and embrace the opportunities that come with being young. He points out that while Godard and his team worked with bulky, loud equipment, today’s filmmakers have it even easier with the quiet, portable technology available on phones.

Gent suggests that the message might encourage people to take chances and pursue opportunities, even if they don’t feel fully prepared or the path ahead seems challenging. It’s not just about filmmaking, but about finding your own way and achieving your goals, however you can.

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2025-11-14 21:11