A bout de souffle
France 1960 Black / White 90 Minutes
Release date: March 16, 1960
April 9, 1933
Belmondo's early success stemmed from stage-bred acting skills and unconventional looks. The breakthrough role in Jean-Luc Godard's A bout de souffle (1960) made him one of the key figures in the French New Wave, effortlessly carrying more than a dozen films before redefining his persona in L'homme de Rio (1964).
Jean-Paul became one of the populist heroes of French cinema in films like Borsalino (1970) with Alain Delon, Le casse (1971), Le magnifique (1973) and L'as des as (1982). In the late eighties his popularity declined and he finally made his return to the stage. Belmondo has been awarded numerous awards and prizes for his work, including the Legion of Honor in 1991.