"Breathless" (À bout de souffle / 勝手にしやがれ), Original Japanese Re-Release Movie Poster 1978, Masakatsu Ogasawara, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) I255A

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed for the 1978 Japanese re-release of Jean-Luc Godard’s seminal French New Wave film Breathless (À bout de souffle / 勝手にしやがれ). Designed by Masakatsu Ogasawara for France Eiga-sha’s celebrated BOW Series, it is one of the most graphically distinctive Japanese revival designs created for the film.

Film background

Released in 1960, Breathless was Jean-Luc Godard’s first feature film and a defining work of the French New Wave. Based on an original treatment by François Truffaut and photographed by Raoul Coutard, it stars Jean-Paul Belmondo as Michel Poiccard, a reckless car thief wanted for killing a police officer, and Jean Seberg as Patricia Franchini, an American student and aspiring journalist living in Paris.

Shot on the streets of Paris with lightweight cameras, natural light and a deliberately spontaneous approach, the film rejected the polished conventions of traditional studio cinema. Its jump cuts, direct addresses to the camera, fragmented dialogue and fusion of crime cinema with youthful romance profoundly altered the language of modern filmmaking. Belmondo’s fedora, cigarette and insolent manner, together with Seberg’s cropped hair and effortless modernity, became enduring symbols of Nouvelle Vague style. 

Poster design

Ogasawara’s design divides the composition into two contrasting photographic fields, united by a bold emerald-green and monochrome palette. The upper section reproduces the film’s celebrated final sequence, showing Michel staggering along a Paris street between rows of parked cars. Its grainy, documentary-like appearance recalls Coutard’s revolutionary location photography and the fatal urgency of the film’s conclusion.

The lower section presents an iconic image of Patricia kissing Michel on the cheek. Michel appears in his fedora, patterned tie and cigarette, while Patricia’s close-cropped hairstyle and striped top embody the understated elegance associated with Seberg’s performance.

Between the two images, the poster reproduces the Japanese rendering of the film’s famous final exchange:

俺は最低だ…！ — “I’m the worst…”

最低って何のこと？ — “What does ‘the worst’ mean?”

The Japanese title 勝手にしやがれ dominates the top in large white lettering. Rather than translating À bout de souffle literally, the title carries the confrontational meaning “Do as you please” or “Suit yourself,” perfectly expressing Michel’s defiant attitude. The original French title is handwritten in green across Patricia’s shirt, while the production credits and Godard’s name are arranged in clean white typography at the right.

At the lower edge appears the BOW Series inscription and its promotional phrase, 傑作を世界からはこぶ—“Bringing masterpieces from around the world.” This places the poster firmly within France Eiga-sha’s influential programme of bringing important international cinema to Japanese theatrical audiences.

This poster is in excellent+ condition and presents beautifully, with a rich emerald-green field, strong photographic contrast and a remarkably clean overall appearance. Please refer to the imagery of the exact poster offered for sale.

It is 48 years old.

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.