Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 masterpiece Breathless. Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive
It's one of the classic tales of modern cinema: the brilliant but delinquent protagonist rails against the establishment, living life by his own rules and implicating a close associate in his crimes, as they spiral out of control. It could be the plot of Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 masterpiece Breathless. But, it turns out, it's actually the plot of his own life.
In an interview with Die Zeit, the French director admits to having stolen money from a variety of sources - including his own family - in order to finance his fledgling film career. "I had no choice," he says. "Or at least it seemed that way to me." But his motives weren't entirely selfish. In true Robin Hood style, he also redistributed the wealth among fellow auteurs, lending New Wave director Jacques Rivette funds to make his debut film, Paris Belongs To Us. "I pinched money to be able to see films and to make films," he says.
Godard, 76, receives a lifetime achievement award from the European Film Academy in Berlin tomorrow. But it seems his bad boy credentials remain intact. Do the ends justify the means? I'd be hard pushed to argue otherwise. Does it suggest a better method of fundraising for today's struggling directors? I couldn't possibly comment ... Just don't use it to make another Sex Lives Of The Potato Men, please.
