The thematic similarities between Jean Seberg’s titular role in Godard’s Breathless and Kristen Stewart’s portrayal of Jean Seberg in Seberg are undeniable. In the French new wave masterpiece, Seberg’s character, Patricia, falls for a criminal and finds herself caught between a near-impossible love and more grounded reality. The film, which also helped birth the idea of cinéma vérité, is an existential musing on life’s contradictions, and often the very human notion of grappling with the various identities we project into the world.

Kristen Stewart’s portrayal in the film that depicts the incredible life of Jean Seberg deals with many of the same themes. Real-life Seberg fell in love in a seemingly impossible way when she met Hakim Jamal, cousin of Malcolm X, played in the film by the captivating Anthony Mackie. Seberg’s seemingly chance meeting with Jamal took place on an airplane and changed the course of her life; both were already married, but the attraction between the two was undeniable and they soon launched into an affair.

As Seberg fell more deeply for Jamal, she also became more deeply entrenched with fronting money for both the Black Panthers and Jamal’s local endeavors to create better schools and opportunities for his community. As movie star Seberg continued to pay visits to Jamal in South Central, she soon attracted the attention of the FBI (Jamal was already under surveillance). Here’s where Seberg’s real life took a turn into what barely seems believable.

The FBI (under J. Edgar Hoover) becomes tasked with constantly surveilling Seberg under COINTELPRO, a program dedicated to disrupting the lives of those considered political dissidents. As Seberg’s life becomes heavily scrutinized (her phone is tapped, an obsessed FBI agent photographs her at every turn, agents sniff her lingerie in her home) Stewart’s Seberg becomes increasingly paranoid.

Additionally, the camera work of accomplished director of photography Rachel Morrison takes a cue directly from both Godard and Breathless cinematographer Raoul Coutard. The camera in this case almost becomes a character; both a friend (as Seberg, of course, still makes her living acting) and a foe as she is under surveillance without her knowledge.

Morrison seamlessly transitions the eye from the glamour of late-1960s’ Hollywood to giving the audience an inside seat to the spy life. There are moments shot around corners, through windows, and from doors just barely ajar that make the viewer feel like an intruder, yet you don’t want to look away — at least not when Morrison’s eye is delivering such gorgeous visuals.

All the while, Seberg is grappling with the identity she’s carefully crafted, curated and put into the world versus the narrative the FBI wants to tell through its harassment of Seberg and fake news stories they plant through Hollywood gossip columns. Just like Patricia in Breathless, Seberg is not sure of her next move. Does she follow her heart or does she attempt to continue to craft the vision of her Hollywood persona that has brought her fame and wealth? Unlike Patricia, Seberg is under the thumb of the FBI and the pressure is often overwhelming.

In the final scene of Breathless, Seberg’s Patricia is alone both in spite of and because of her choices. Seberg’s real life was also underscored by loneliness as even her own husband did not believe that the FBI was after her until it was too late. There’s a line from Breathless that underscores both films so beautifully: Seberg’s Patricia says, “Between grief and nothing, I will take grief.” If Seberg had to do it all over again, it would be interesting to know whether or not she would choose the same.