Barry Hurto
Newton
My brother and I had the opportunity to travel to Marshalltown to participate in the festivities of the 4th Annual Jean Seberg International Film Festival in honor of the late Iowa actress who became a respected actress in France following a disappointing U.S. debut with Otto Preminger’s “Saint Joan” in 1957.
We had the pleasure of seeing again the ground-breaking French film “Breathless”/”A Bout de Souffle,” New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard’s debut work shot in Paris in 1959.
Seberg was only 21 when she startled viewers with a surprisingly mature performance as Patricia Franchini, a New York Herald-Tribune reporter tangled up with a small time, self-obsessed hood played by the charismatic Jean-Paul Belmondo.
Made on a shoestring budget, “Breathless” heralded in a great many attempts to copy its success, and it remains amazingly fresh when seen today. In fact, according to a 2012 British poll about the best films ever made, “Breathless” ranked 13th.
One thing is certain: the camera loved Seberg, and she was indeed an actress to be reckoned with and probably ahead of her time. An added treat came with our being able to visit briefly with former Newton residents Mary Ann and Ed Shuey. Mary Ann is Jean Seberg’s sister.