How did Jean-Luc Godard use noir ideas in Breathless?

In his 1960 film Breathless (À bout de souffle), Jean-Luc Godard utilized the conventions of film noir to establish a foundation for his innovative New Wave style. Rather than strictly adhering to the genre's traditional tropes, Godard reinterpreted them through a modern, improvisatory lens.1

Godard incorporated noir elements in the following ways:

• Character Archetypes: The film centers on a petty crook, played by Jean-Paul Belmondo, who explicitly admires the classic noir icon Humphrey Bogart. This self-conscious reference highlights the film's engagement with the history of the genre.2
• Thematic Pessimism: Consistent with the existentialist philosophy often found in noir, the film explores themes of betrayal and moral ambiguity. The protagonist is betrayed by an American girl who informs on him to the police, driven by a capricious desire to test her own feelings.32
• Subversion of Technique: While classic noir relied on dark, stylized cinematography and shadows, Godard used groundbreaking narrative techniques, such as his signature "jump cuts," to create a jerky, disconnected effect that challenged conventional storytelling.41
• Improvisation: Godard moved away from the rigid scripts typical of earlier crime dramas, opting instead to sketch dialogue overnight and revise it during production, which gave the film a sense of spontaneity and detachment.12