Breathless (1960)

In 1960, Jean-Luc Godard's energetic feature-length debut was a turning point in cinema history, inspiring a generation of young filmmakers around the world. Nearly half a century later, the crime thriller retains its infectious allure, due in part to entrancing performances by Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg as a petty hood and his American girlfriend. Viewed as either pure entertainment — it’s among Godard’s most accessible films — or as the influential predecessor of films to come, Breathless is a cinematic treasure not to be overlooked.