Richard Linklater Brought the French New Wave Back to Life in Nouvelle Vague
Richard Linklater Brought the French New Wave Back to Life in Nouvelle Vague
If you were to name the spiritual successor to the rebellious, intellectual, and "hang-out" style of the 1960s French New Wave, Richard Linklater would likely be at the top of the list. From the meandering streets of Before Sunrise to the real-time existentialism of Slacker, Linklater has long been the American filmmaker most aligned with the ethos of Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut.
With his latest film, Nouvelle Vague (2025), Linklater has come full circle. Released on Netflix this past November after a buzzy premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, the movie isn't just a biopic; it’s a meticulous, black-and-white resurrection of the most important 23 days in cinema history: the making of Godard’s 1960 masterpiece, Breathless (À bout de souffle).
A Love Letter Written in Black and White
Nouvelle Vague is a rare project where the director's passion for the subject matter is palpable in every frame. Shot in a crisp 4:3 Academy ratio with tactile film grain, Linklater avoids the "glossy period piece" trap. Instead, he drops the audience directly into the humid, cigarette-smoke-filled streets of Paris in 1959.
The film follows a young, arrogant, and often inscrutable Jean-Luc Godard (played with haunting accuracy by newcomer Guillaume Marbeck) as he attempts to "break" cinema. Linklater focuses on the chaotic production of Breathless, a film shot with no permits, an unfinished script, and a director who would often cancel filming for the day simply because he "ran out of ideas."
The Cast: Reincarnating Icons
One of the most impressive feats of Nouvelle Vague is its casting. For a film about icons, Linklater wisely avoided "A-list" distractions for the French roles, opting instead for actors who embody the spirit of the Cahiers du Cinéma crowd.
Guillaume Marbeck (Jean-Luc Godard): Marbeck captures the essence of the man behind the dark sunglasses—a philosopher-king who treated the camera like a weapon.
Zoey Deutch (Jean Seberg): As the only major American star in the cast, Deutch is luminous. She portrays the "girl from Marshalltown" with a mix of sharp wit and mounting frustration as she navigates Godard’s lack of a screenplay.
Aubry Dullin (Jean-Paul Belmondo): Dullin nails the effortless, "cool ease" that made Belmondo the face of a generation. His chemistry with Deutch recreates the lightning-in-a-bottle energy that made the original Breathless so revolutionary.
"A Girl and a Gun": Recreating the Guerilla Style
Linklater doesn't just tell the story of the shoot; he recreates the feeling of it. The film highlights the innovative—and often illegal—tactics used by Godard and his legendary cinematographer Raoul Coutard.
One of the film's standout sequences involves the recreation of the famous Champs-Élysées scene. To avoid the need for expensive permits and crowds, Godard had Coutard hide in a small covered delivery wagon with his handheld camera while the actors walked among real, unsuspecting Parisians. Linklater films this "behind-the-scenes" moment with a reverence that makes the viewer feel like a co-conspirator in a creative heist.
A "Who's Who" of Cinema History
For hardcore cinephiles, Nouvelle Vague is a feast of "Easter eggs" and cameos. Linklater uses on-screen text to introduce the revolving door of legends who inhabited Godard’s world. You’ll see:
François Truffaut (Adrien Rouyard) handing over his loose treatment for the story.
Agnès Varda and Claude Chabrol dropping by the set to offer advice or a cigarette.
Mentors like Roberto Rossellini and Jean-Pierre Melville appearing in the periphery, serving as the "fathers" these young rebels were trying to both impress and dethrone.
"The best way to criticize a film is to make one." — Guillaume Marbeck as Jean-Luc Godard
Why Nouvelle Vague Matters in 2025
In an era dominated by multiverses and rigid studio formulas, Nouvelle Vague serves as a vital reminder of what happens when you "tear up the rulebook." Linklater has often said that Breathless changed his life, and in this film, he attempts to share that "beginner's mind" with a new generation.
The film acknowledges that Godard was a difficult man—bordering on a "man-child" at times—but it never loses sight of the magic he captured. By focusing on the labor of the crew and the confusion of the actors, Linklater demystifies the legend while simultaneously making it more impressive.
Where to Watch
Nouvelle Vague is currently streaming globally on Netflix. After a successful festival run that included an 11-minute standing ovation at Cannes and a nomination for the Palme d'Or, the film is also playing in select indie theaters for those who want to experience the 4:3 cinematography on the big screen.
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