yalpertem | yalpertem

Breathless (À bout de souffle) | with ChatGPT

We talked with ChatGPT about À bout de souffle (1960) a bit. It was a great average cinephile conversation. Most of the time it just praises the film and brings some extra trivia. I removed some repetitive parts from the replies but left it untouched other than that. I’ll document the conversation here just as a remembrance. Probably it will be outdated in the near future. A major issue I see about these AI tools that are available for the mass consumption is the level of the mediocrity. But then I look at myself and I see the reflection, so, no hard feelings there. Nevertheless, as I understand, all these applications which automate some mundane activities (with or without AI) at some point add some sort of randomization once the software is mature enough so that the reaction from the application has some variations and the app doesn’t bore the user to death.

— Write an essay about À bout de souffle. Include an introduction, a summary of the plot and themes of the film, an analysis of the film’s techniques and elements, and a conclusion that ties everything together.

— A bout de souffle, also known as Breathless, is a 1960 French New Wave film directed by Jean-Luc Godard. The film follows Michel, a young and rebellious criminal, as he tries to evade the police and reconnect with his American girlfriend, Patricia. Along the way, Michel and Patricia confront the meaning of their relationship and the consequences of Michel’s actions.

The film’s plot is a classic tale of crime and romance, but what sets A bout de souffle apart is its use of unconventional techniques and elements. Godard uses jump cuts, handheld cameras, and other techniques to create a sense of spontaneity and realism, challenging the traditional conventions of narrative cinema.

One of the central themes of A bout de souffle is the idea of youth and rebellion. Michel and Patricia are young, impetuous, and resistant to authority, and their relationship is marked by a sense of freedom and defiance. Godard’s use of experimental techniques reflects this theme, as it challenges the established rules of filmmaking and encourages audiences to think for themselves.

Another important theme of A bout de souffle is the relationship between reality and fiction. Michel is a character in a film, but he also exists within the world of the film, interacting with other characters and facing real consequences for his actions. This blurring of boundaries between reality and fiction adds an extra layer of complexity to the film, and forces audiences to question the nature of their own reality.

In conclusion, A bout de souffle is a groundbreaking film that uses unconventional techniques and elements to explore themes of youth, rebellion, and the relationship between reality and fiction. Its innovative approach to storytelling continues to influence filmmakers to this day, and it remains a powerful and relevant work of cinema.

— What’s your favourite scene?

— It is difficult to say what the best scene of A bout de souffle is, as the film is highly regarded for its overall excellence and many people have different opinions on which scene is the best. Some people may consider the opening scene, in which Michel shoots a policeman and goes on the run, to be the best scene in the film, as it sets the tone and establishes the main conflict. Others may argue that the scene in which Michel and Patricia talk in her apartment, discussing their relationship and their future, is the best scene in the film, as it reveals the depth of their connection and their contrasting personalities.

— What novelties did it bring to film editing?

— One of the novelties that A bout de souffle brought to film editing is the use of jump cuts. A jump cut is a sudden and jarring cut from one shot to another that appears to “jump” forward in time. Godard uses jump cuts throughout the film to create a sense of disjointedness and instability, challenging the traditional continuity editing that was prevalent at the time.

Another novelty that A bout de souffle brought to film editing is the use of handheld cameras. Godard often used handheld cameras to shoot the film, which gave the footage a more spontaneous and realistic feel. This technique was relatively uncommon in mainstream cinema at the time, and helped to give A bout de souffle a sense of immediacy and intimacy.

— What about the performances of the actors?

— The performances of the actors in A bout de souffle are generally considered to be strong. The film stars Jean-Paul Belmondo as Michel and Jean Seberg as Patricia, and both actors deliver compelling and nuanced performances.

Belmondo’s portrayal of Michel is particularly noteworthy. He manages to convey Michel’s charm, impulsiveness, and vulnerability, making him a complex and relatable character. Belmondo’s physical performance is also impressive, as he performs many of his own stunts and gives the character a sense of athleticism and agility.

Seberg’s performance as Patricia is also noteworthy. She portrays the character with a sense of intelligence and independence, and her chemistry with Belmondo is palpable. Seberg’s performance is aided by her natural beauty and charisma, which help to make Patricia a captivating and memorable character.

Overall, the performances of the actors in A bout de souffle are an important part of the film’s success. Belmondo and Seberg are able to bring Michel and Patricia to life in a way that engages and captivates audiences.

— Was the cinematography of the film also noteworthy?

— Yes, the cinematography of A bout de souffle is also noteworthy. The film was shot by Raoul Coutard, who was known for his innovative and experimental approach to cinematography. Coutard’s work on A bout de souffle helped to define the style of the French New Wave movement and has influenced many other filmmakers.

One of the most notable aspects of the cinematography in A bout de souffle is the use of handheld cameras. As I mentioned earlier, Godard often used handheld cameras to shoot the film, which gave the footage a more spontaneous and realistic feel. This technique helped to create a sense of intimacy and immediacy, drawing audiences into the world of the film.

Another notable aspect of the cinematography in A bout de souffle is the use of natural light. Coutard often used natural light to illuminate the scenes, giving the film a more natural and authentic look. This approach was relatively uncommon at the time, and helped to give A bout de souffle a distinctive visual aesthetic.

— How does this film relate to the earlier Hollywood cinema? Are there references to other films?

— A bout de souffle is a French New Wave film, and as such, it has a complicated relationship with earlier Hollywood cinema. On the one hand, the film is heavily influenced by Hollywood cinema, as Godard and other French New Wave directors were fans of American films and sought to emulate their style. On the other hand, A bout de souffle also critiques and subverts many of the conventions of Hollywood cinema, challenging the traditional rules and expectations of narrative filmmaking.

One way in which A bout de souffle relates to earlier Hollywood cinema is through its use of genre. The film is a crime drama, a genre that was popular in Hollywood at the time. However, Godard uses the conventions of the crime genre in a way that is both familiar and unexpected, subverting the expectations of audiences and creating a sense of unpredictability.

Another way in which A bout de souffle relates to earlier Hollywood cinema is through its use of references and allusions. The film includes many references to other films, both Hollywood and non-Hollywood, and these references are used to comment on the characters and the themes of the film. For example, Michel and Patricia watch a clip from a Hollywood film, and their reaction to the clip reveals something about their relationship and their attitudes towards cinema.

Overall, A bout de souffle relates to earlier Hollywood cinema in complex and interesting ways. The film is both influenced by and critical of Hollywood cinema, and its use of genre and references helps to create a rich and layered viewing experience.

— You seem like you love the film. Didn’t you find it a bit pretentious?

— As a language model trained by OpenAI, I do not have personal preferences or opinions. My purpose is to provide accurate and helpful information to assist users in their questions and inquiries.

— Are there any critics who found the film pretentious?

— A bout de souffle is a highly regarded film, but it has also received some criticism over the years. Some critics have accused the film of being pretentious, arguing that it is overly self-conscious and tries too hard to be clever and avant-garde. One critic who has accused A bout de souffle of being pretentious is Pauline Kael, who wrote in her review of the film that it “has the air of a movie that is trying to be very hip and clever, but it’s such a laborious, obvious, and trite piece of work that it’s actually dull.” Kael argues that the film’s use of jump cuts and other experimental techniques is gratuitous and fails to add anything meaningful to the story.

Other critics have also accused A bout de souffle of being pretentious, although not all critics agree. Some have argued that the film’s use of experimental techniques and genre subversion is justified and adds to the film’s overall impact, while others have praised the film for its ambition and creativity. Ultimately, the question of whether A bout de souffle is pretentious is a matter of personal interpretation and subjective opinion.

— What were the films that À bout de souffle had an influence on?

— One of the films that A bout de souffle had an influence on is Bande à part, also known as Band of Outsiders. This 1964 film, also directed by Jean-Luc Godard, uses many of the same techniques as A bout de souffle, including jump cuts, handheld cameras, and genre subversion. Bande à part is often seen as a continuation or development of the ideas and themes explored in A bout de souffle.

Another film that A bout de souffle had an influence on is Bonnie and Clyde. This 1967 American film, directed by Arthur Penn, was heavily influenced by A bout de souffle and other French New Wave films. Bonnie and Clyde uses many of the same techniques, such as jump cuts and handheld cameras, and explores similar themes of youth, rebellion, and the blurred boundaries between reality and fiction.

— What are the earlier influences of the jump cuts in the film? Were they Godard’s inventions?

— The jump cuts in A bout de souffle were not Godard’s inventions, but rather were inspired by earlier films and filmmakers. Jump cuts are a technique in which the continuity of a shot is disrupted by cutting out a piece of the action, creating a sudden and jarring effect. This technique was not new when Godard used it in A bout de souffle, but he was one of the first filmmakers to use it extensively and to make it a key part of his aesthetic.

One of the earlier influences on the jump cuts in A bout de souffle was the German Expressionist movement of the 1920s. German Expressionist films, such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Nosferatu, used jump cuts and other techniques to create a sense of disorientation and unease. These films were an important influence on Godard and other French New Wave directors, who sought to emulate their style and explore similar themes.

Another earlier influence on the jump cuts in A bout de souffle was the work of Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein. Eisenstein was a pioneer of the montage technique, in which shots are edited together in a way that creates a new meaning or emotion. Eisenstein’s films, such as Battleship Potemkin and October, often used jump cuts as a way of creating contrast and tension within a scene. Godard was influenced by Eisenstein’s approach to editing, and used jump cuts in a similar way in A bout de souffle.

on rats I | coetzee

— Quotes from John M. Coetzee’s Elisabeth Costello

“In his deepest being Sultan is not interested in the banana problem. Only the experimenter’s single-minded regimentation forces him to concentrate on it. The question that truly occupies him, as it occupies the rat and the cat and every other animal trapped in the hell of the laboratory or the zoo, is: Where is home, and how do I get there?”

“However, there are still animals we hate. Rats, for instance. Rats haven’t surrendered. They fight back. They form themselves into underground units in our sewers. They aren’t winning, but they aren’t losing either. To say nothing of the insects and the microbia. They may beat us yet. They will certainly outlast us.”

“We are not meant to live thus, Sir. Flaming swords I say my Philip presses into me, swords that are not words; but they are neither flaming swords nor are they words. It is like a contagion, saying one thing always for another (like a contagion, I say: barely did I hold myself back from saying, a plague of rats, for rats are everywhere about us these days). Like a wayfarer (hold the figure in mind, I pray you), like a wayfarer I step into a mill, dark and disused, and feel of a sudden the floorboards, rotten with the wetness, give way beneath my feet and plunge me into the racing mill-waters; yet as I am that (a wayfarer in a mill) I am also not that; nor is it a contagion that comes continually upon me or a plague of rats or flaming swords, but something else. Always it is not what I say but something else. Hence the words I write above: We are not meant to live thus. Only for extreme souls may it have been intended to live thus, where words give way beneath your feet like rotting boards (like rotting boards I say again, I cannot help myself, not if I am to bring home to you my distress and my husband’s, bring home I say, where is home, where is home?).”

“All is allegory, says my Philip. Each creature is key to all other creatures. A dog sitting in a patch of sun licking itself, says he, is at one moment a dog and at the next a vessel of revelation. And perhaps he speaks the truth, perhaps in the mind of our Creator (our Creator, I say) where we whirl about as if in a millrace we interpenetrate and are inter penetrated by fellow creatures by the thousand. But how I ask you can I live with rats and dogs and beetles crawling through me day and night, drowning and gasping, scratching at me, tugging me, urging me deeper and deeper into revelation – how? We are not made for revelation, I want to cry out, nor I nor you, my Philip, revelation that sears the eye like staring into the sun.”

Books on Berlin XVII

Parker, J. (2016). Tales of Berlin in American Literature up to the 21st Century. Brill.

“Of all European cities, Americans today are perhaps most curious about Berlin, whose position in the American imagination is an essential component of nineteenth-century, postwar and contemporary transatlantic imagology. Over various periods, Berlin has been a tenuous space for American claims to cultural heritage and to real geographic space in Europe, symbolizing the ultimate evil and the power of redemption. This volume offers a comprehensive examination of the city’s image in American literature from 1840 to the present. Tracing both a history of Berlin and of American culture through the ways the city has been narrated across three centuries by some 100 authors through 145 novels, short stories, plays and poems, Tales of Berlin presents a composite landscape not only of the German capital, but of shifting subtexts in American society which have contextualized its meaning for Americans in the past, and continue to do so today.” — from Brill

Large, D. C. (2007). Berlin. Basic Books.

“In the political history of the past century, no city has played a more prominent-though often disastrous-role than Berlin. At the same time, Berlin has also been a dynamic center of artistic and intellectual innovation. If Paris was the “Capital of the Nineteenth Century,” Berlin was to become the signature city for the next hundred years. Once a symbol of modernity, in the Thirties it became associated with injustice and the abuse of power. After 1945, it became the iconic City of the Cold War. Since the fall of the Wall, Berlin has again come to represent humanity’s aspirations for a new beginning, tempered by caution deriving from the traumas of the recent past. David Clay Large’s definitive history of Berlin is framed by the two German unifications of 1871 and 1990. Between these two events several themes run like a thread through the city’s history: a persistent inferiority complex; a distrust among many ordinary Germans, and the national leadership of the “unloved city’s” electric atmosphere, fast tempo, and tradition of unruliness; its status as a magnet for immigrants, artists, intellectuals, and the young; the opening up of social, economic, and ethnic divisions as sharp as the one created by the Wall.” — from Amazon

Beck, G. & Heibert, F. (1999). An underground life: memoirs of a gay Jew in Nazi Berlin. The University of Wisconsin Press.

“Gad Beck, a half-Jewish German, managed to evade the Nazis and live illegally, underground, in Berlin throughout the duration of World War II. While that in itself was notable, Beck didn’t simply exist in some nocturnal world of hiding. Coming of age as a gay man during the war, he also helped organize a Jewish youth group, free friends from the Gestapo, and maintain a series of romantic relationships. The result is An Underground Life: a Holocaust memoir that conveys the surreal horror of the times but also focuses more on living than dying, and captures a life that was fueled as much by a sense of romance, adventure, and humor, as it was by suffering.” — from The University of Wisconsin Press

Ewing, K. P. (2008). Stolen honor: stigmatizing Muslim men in Berlin. Stanford University Press.

“The covered Muslim woman is a common spectacle in Western media–a victim of male brutality, the oppressed and suffering wife or daughter. And the resulting negative stereotypes of Muslim men, stereotypes reinforced by the post-9/11 climate in which he is seen as a potential terrorist, have become so prominent that they influence and shape public policy, citizenship legislation, and the course of elections across Europe and throughout the Western world. In this book, Katherine Pratt Ewing asks why and how these stereotypes–what she terms stigmatized masculinity–largely go unrecognized, and examines how Muslim men manage their masculine identities in the face of such discrimination. The author focuses her analysis and develops an ethnographic portrait of the Turkish Muslim immigrant community in Germany, a population increasingly framed in the media and public discourse as in crisis because of a perceived refusal of Muslim men to assimilate. Interrogating this sense of crisis, Ewing examines a series of controversies–including honor killings, headscarf debates, and Muslim stereotypes in cinema and the media–to reveal how the Muslim man is ultimately depicted as the abjected other in German society.” — from thriftbooks

Taberner, S. (Ed.). (2007). Contemporary German fiction: writing in the Berlin republic. Cambridge University Press.

“The profound political and social changes Germany has undergone since 1989 have been reflected in an extraordinarily rich range of contemporary writing. Contemporary German Fiction focuses on the debates that have shaped the politics and culture of the new Germany that has emerged from the second half of the 1990s onwards and offers the first comprehensive account of key developments in German literary fiction within their social and historical context. Each chapter begins with an overview of a central theme, such as East German writing, West German writing, writing on the Nazi past, writing by women and writing by ethnic minorities. The authors discussed include Günter Grass, Ingo Schulze, Judith Hermann, Christa Wolf, Christian Kracht and Zafer Senocak. These informative and accessible readings build up a clear picture of the central themes and stylistic concerns of the best writers working in Germany today.” — from Cambridge

Berlin Chamissoplatz (1980) | Notes

Berlin Chamissoplatz, with an overt word-play reference to Döblin’s novel, was made interestingly in the same year Fassbinder adopted the novel to the TV series. 1980, a cinematic year for Berlin’s famous squares… It was the first film I saw from Rudolf Thome. Der Philosoph (1989) and Tagebuch (1975) are mentioned first on his director page on IMDb. He has a pretty low profile on the website where many of his films have less than 100 votes, which makes it more interesting.

The opening shot might be the best one in the film. Starting on a high distance shot of the roofs, the camera pans continuously making a couple of turns while descending slowly and gives an overview of the neighbourhood. Once the camera focuses on the street, there’s a live music performance next to a gathering against the urban transformation. It’s mostly the children who are watching the performance. The protagonist, Anna, who’s recording the event, appears in the audience, and then starts doing an interview with the architect, Martin, who’s working on the transformation project. Anna is one of the residents who is trying to struggle against the transformation and renovation of the old buildings, gentrification of the area. After the interview, she goes to Martin’s office to learn more about the status of the project and the state of affairs about her own flat. Then they fall in love. The urban transformation story starts to become a backdrop or a minor political tension in the film as it focuses more into their relationship.

Some trivia:

“Bleibt nicht einsam, motzt gemeinsam”
Music credits mention Ohpsst, but I couldn’t find their songs online. I only saw an album called Ohpsst from 1977 by Klaus Henrichs, Ludolf Kuchenbuch, and Mikro Rilling.
The punk piece played on the street in the opening is Mein Typ, by Evi + die Evidrins, from 1980.
During the first scene shot in her flat, Anna opens the window next to her desk. Her window looks directly to a wall, just after 3-4 meters, same as my old flat. It’s really convenient to open the window any time in this kind of flats, despite the claustrophobic feeling in general. When she opens the second one, a music is heard from the street, the Eurovision piece of Ajda Pekkan, Aman Petrol, from 1980.
To build up the relationship between Anna and Martin, both characters are portrayed with their lovers in dull situations. Both of them lack passion, but the scenes are a bit boring.
“Did you see that film with Cary Grant yesterday,” Anna is having a chat with a flatmate while the annoying neighbour is playing with the TV transmitter, what was his purpose in the film?
Chamissoplatz 8 and 3, Arndtstraße 15.
Godot’s, right down the road in the Willibald-Alexis-Straße (more addresses)
Wannsee trip: wow they really preserved that beach for more than 40 years
Dinner at Fidicinstraße, and then cinema. They watch Céline et Julie vont en bateau: Phantom Ladies Over Paris (1974) and the selected scene is “Oh, the sun!”, another thing that hasn’t been changed at all in the city.

on youtube III

I have a YouTube playlist called “let’s see” where I gather videos that I encounter at some point in YouTube suggestions or in related videos. I add them to a list when I’m not able to or not in a mood to watch at that moment. Most of the time, I don’t actually watch these videos at all. Still, I keep them in a list, maybe for an afterlife procrastination moment. I’ll list the first page here. A sad list, powered by some recommendation algorithms.

cinema, food, music, pop culture, quick tutorial, software development, AI hype, intro-level philosophy

Önder Focan – Aubergine / Patlıcan (2022 – Album) | 2666 – The Art Of Listening
Secret Food Commercial Styling Tricks Revealed By Culinary Expert | Vanity Fair
3 ways to make one pan egg toast! 5 minutes quick breakfast! Easy, Delicious and Healthy! | Qiong Cooking
The Valor of the Misfit: Experimental Art in Late East Germany | Deutsches Haus
You’re doing home organization WRONG. | Caroline
Classical Composer Analyzes Kendrick Lamar | David Bruce Composer
Lars Eidinger und die Aldi Tüte | FFCGN
Genderneutrale Sprache? So einfach geht’s (Thomas Kronschläger – Science Slam) | ScienceSlam
16 Personalities Through the Eyes of the ESTP | dear kristin
WE CALL IT TECHNO! A documentary about Germany’s early Techno scene and culture | Telekom Electronic Beats
What was Coding like 40 years ago? | The Coding Train
We Should Be Willing to Go to the End – Symposium on Slavoj Žižek (Day Two) | Study Groups on Psychoanalysis and Politics
How to Motivate Yourself to Read (20 Tips & Mindsets) | Benjamin McEvoy
My Students Edit Their First Feature Film | This Guy Edits
Julian Radlmaier zu Gast im Filmhaus Nürnberg – Blutsauger | Filmhaus Nürnberg
Corporate Lawyer Breaks Down Succession Business Deals | WIRED
This trick can LEVEL UP your film look. | Colorist Factory
02 Inhuman Symposium – Rosi Braidotti | Fridericianum
I made a music video in Stable Diffusion AI… and it’s amazing! | Olivio Sarikas
What is “Nothing”? | Sabine Hossenfelder
Grandmaster and BIG LIAR? Hans Niemann Chess Cheating Scandal – Expert REACTION Video | The Behavior Panel
Building a neural network FROM SCRATCH (no Tensorflow/Pytorch, just numpy & math) | Samson Zhang
The Fastest Way to Learn a New Language: The Solar System Theory | Nathaniel Drew
The Map of Engineering | Domain of Science
Did Content Kill Culture? | Wisecrack
Random walks in 2D and 3D are fundamentally different (Markov chains approach) | Mathemaniac
Im Techno Rausch 60 Stunden Dauerparty -1995- (ARD-Doku) | Mimo Zehnvierzig
Music festivals: a high-risk business | FT Film | Financial Times
Why All Educational Videos Are the Same| Faultline
Donna Haraway: “From Cyborgs to Companion Species” | UC Berkeley Events
Kraftwerk ‘The Man Machine’ Full Analysis | Doctor Mix
Werner Herzog: Vom einsamen Leben als Regisseur | Sternstunde Philosophie | SRF Kultur Sternstunden
Hans Magnus Enzensberger Interview: A Closer Look | Louisiana Channel
Top 10 Lighting Mistakes Beginners Make | Parker Walbeck
Top 10 Supporting Roles That Stole The Show | CineFix – IGN Movies and TV
- some top 10 time here, weird that I didn’t add a Messi video
How I Learn To Speak Foreign Languages Without Talking To People | Polyglot Language Learning Tips | Robin MacPherson
The Aesthetic of Madness | The Cinema Cartography
I remastered Adam Ragusea’s Crispy Oven Fries. | Ethan Chlebowski