overview of the French New Wave
The French New Wave movement started in the late 1950's
The principle New wave directors had been film critics and believed the director should express a personal vision of the world. The films shared themes:
Authority is to be distrusted and political and romantic commitment is suspect.
Since making Film was an expensive undertaking low budget films encouraged experimentation and improvisation and gave directors more control.
The Style of these films:
- Shot on location using portable equipment, little known actors and small crews
- Usually shot silent and post dubbed
- Plots often build around chance events and have open ended narratives
- Extended shots and Handheld footage
- Scenes unrehearsed
- Natural lighting
- Scenes jump to and from different points in time
- The use of freeze frame
Two Influential Director of the style:
Francois Truffaut:
His early films have zoom shots, choppy editing and
bursts of quirky humor or sudden violence.
Films by Francois Truffaut
-
The 400 Blows (1959) – (This film is credited with bringing the attention of the New wave movement to the world) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i89oN8v7RdY
-
Shoot the Piano Player (1960)
-
Jules and Jim (1962)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMRoAtPrvkA (Documentary)
Jean-Luc Godard
Like Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard was a film critic before a filmmaker
More abrasive style – handheld camerawork and jerky editing
Godard juxtaposes staged scenes with documentary material (advertisements, comic strips, crowds passing on the streets) often with little connection to the narrative
Films by Jean-Luc Godard
- Breathless (1959) – Breaks traditional Hollywood storytelling conventions (jumpcuts, handheld camera, disjoined narrative, improvised score, dialogue spoken directly to camera)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpqZfw6HJYM (Trailer)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KUVwKp6MDI (clip)
Authority is to be distrusted and political and romantic commitment is suspect.
Since making Film was an expensive undertaking low budget films encouraged experimentation and improvisation and gave directors more control.
The Style of these films:
- Shot on location using portable equipment, little known actors and small crews
- Usually shot silent and post dubbed
- Plots often build around chance events and have open ended narratives
- Extended shots and Handheld footage
- Scenes unrehearsed
- Natural lighting
- Scenes jump to and from different points in time
- The use of freeze frame
Two Influential Director of the style:
Francois Truffaut:
His early films have zoom shots, choppy editing and
bursts of quirky humor or sudden violence.
Films by Francois Truffaut
- The 400 Blows (1959) – (This film is credited with bringing the attention of the New wave movement to the world) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i89oN8v7RdY
- Shoot the Piano Player (1960)
- Jules and Jim (1962)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMRoAtPrvkA (Documentary)
Jean-Luc Godard
Like Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard was a film critic before a filmmaker
More abrasive style – handheld camerawork and jerky editing
Godard juxtaposes staged scenes with documentary material (advertisements, comic strips, crowds passing on the streets) often with little connection to the narrative
Films by Jean-Luc Godard
- Breathless (1959) – Breaks traditional Hollywood storytelling conventions (jumpcuts, handheld camera, disjoined narrative, improvised score, dialogue spoken directly to camera)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpqZfw6HJYM (Trailer)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KUVwKp6MDI (clip)
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