"Breathless" spawned a cocktail of reality and fantasy into a goblet of delicious deceits, complete with crime and passion. (Above picture; 19-year-old Frech actress, Valerie Kaprisky as Monica)
The emotional feelings of love may be as old as time itself, and 1983s "Breathless" starring Richard Gere and Valerie Kaprisky is a weird fantasy of infatuation.
"It's like blasting on the high way at 90 or a 100 mph, and all of a sudden there's a dip in the road that sucks your guts out, your breath is gone. That's me around you sugar, breathless." Jesse (Gere) said to Monica. (Kaprisky)
The Sky Rider of the space ways, the Silver Surfer is Jesse Lujack's, (Gere's) fictional idol. Lujack is a car thief whose heart is seized by love after spending a few nights in Las Vegas with Monica, portrayed by Valerie Kaprisky, a naturally beautiful French lady who ignites delicious desires.
While Monica is attending college in Los Angeles, Lujack steals a Porsche in Las Vegas and speeds west on Interstate 15 to pursue his wanton wants for Monica.
While on his way to LA, Lujack accidentally kills a cop. He soon becomes a fugitive with his picture in the newspapers. Instead of fleeing to Mexico on his own, he simply refuses to live his life without Monica.
Lujack is a hustler with many enemies in Los Angeles, yet his heart's one desire, Monica also dwells in the city of angels.
Both Gere and Kaprisky have full frontal nude scenes in this R rated flick, so be forewarned if you're a first-time watcher of this movie.
Monica faces the reality of graduating college and harnessing a career as an architect or blindly following her heart to Mexico with Lujack. The very ending of this movie leaves some mystery as to whether or not Lujack is killed, arrested or indeed makes it to Mexico to live with the woman he loves.
Upon the release of "Breathless," the movie was panned hard by the critics. They defensed their criticism by saying Kaprisky was a bad casting choice as Monica. Let's review this ludicrous defense. Screenwriters, L.M. Kit Carson and Jim Mcbride needed a woman with the ability to capture a man's heart, and he's eager to run to her cage. I applaud the casting crew for choosing the French actress kaprisky.
The above picture is Gere and Kaprisky reading a Silver Surfer comic book, and the words of love are marvelously written in this book. "I have seen the death of stars, and the birth of planets, galaxies crumble and new suns aborning, and yet in every star and in every sun, I see, her face, the Silver Surfer said of his one true love, Shalla-Bal.
Two solid thumbs up for "Breathless."
Mark Izzy Schurr
