Backfire

Backfire, originally titled Échappement libre, is a 1964 French crime film directed by Jean Becker. It stars Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg, paired on screen together again for the first time since Breathless (1960). A co-production between France, Spain and Italy, the picture opened in France on 4 September 1964. The supporting cast includes Fernando Rey, Gert Fröbe, Enrico Maria Salerno, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Henri Attal and Dominique Zardi. Rather than settling into a single genre, the film blends crime intrigue and thriller suspense with adventure in exotic locations, touches of film noir, and a streak of romantic comedy. Some commentators have loosely associated it with the French New Wave, though it lacks the movement's most characteristic traits. The screenplay was written by Jean Becker, Daniel Boulanger and Claude Sautet, and the film runs about 94 minutes.