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.