Michel Poiccard (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is a petty Parisian criminal who aspires to be Humphrey Bogart. After he steals a car and shoots a police officer his life starts to resemble the plots of American gangster films as he dodges cops and plans his escape from the law. His "girl" Patricia--an American student [Jean Seberg]--is torn between following Michel and staying in Paris. Her final decision leads to a fatal conclusion and one of the most memorable endings in cinema. Regarded as one of the best films of the French New Wave, "Breathless" launched the careers of director, Jean-Luc Godard, Belmondo, and Seberg.