The french new wave

(1959-1964)

The french new wave

Origin:

The label ‘New Wave’ appeared in a sociological investigation of the phenomenon of the new post war generation published in L’ Express.

The survey involved 8 million French people between the ages of 18 and 30 who were asked questions relating to fashion, moral values, life styles and cultural behaviour .

The findings were published in a volume under the title of La’ Nouvelle vague: Portraits de la jeunesse (The New wave: Portraits of youth )

The french new wave

Origin:

In the 50’s a collective intellectual French Film critics led by Andrew Bazin and Jacques Donial-Valcroze formed the ground breaking journal of film criticism ‘Cahiers Du Cinema’.

They influenced the writings of French Film Critic Alexander Astruc , who had argued for breaking away from the “tyranny of narrative ” in favour of a new form of film language.

The cahiers critic Bazin and Valcroze who had grown up in the post war years watching mostly American films that had not been available in France during the occupation.

Cahiers du cinema

Two Guiding Principles:

A rejection of classical montage style film making, in favour of : mise-en-scene or literally ‘placing in the scene’ . Long take and deep composition.

Cahiers du cinema

Two Guiding Principles:

A conviction of that the best films are personal artistic expression and should and bear a stamp of personal authorship, much as great work of literature bear the stamp of the writer. This later tenet would be dubbed by American film critic Andrew Sarris the “Auteur (Author) theory”.

The french new wave

The film makers of French New wave are their own style and distinctive. But they collectively comprised one of the most influential movements in cinema history.

Some of films aged better than others. Even though they weren’t aiming at mainstream success. Many of these films became popular and critically acclaimed worldwide. The subject of much debate and ultimately inspired filmmakers everywhere.

The five film makers who came from cahiers du cinema (Truffaut, Godard, Chabrol, Rivette and Rohmer) were incredibly prolific: in the years between 1959 and 1966, the peak of the new wave. They made 32 films.

A technical practice - an Aesthetic

The auteur director is also the scenarist/script writer for the film.

The director doesn’t follow a strict pre-established shooting script.

The director privileges shooting in natural locations.

The director opts for ‘direct sound’. The director doesn’t depend on additional

lighting. The director employs non-professional

actors. The direct will direct professional actors in a

free manner. Unhappy ending films

Techniques in Camera

Mise-en-scene – a new visual fiesta

Natural lighting

Liberation of camera from tripod

Use hidden camera

Actor looks camera while acting

Techniques in Editing

Discontinuity of shots while editing.

The long take, (Citizen Cane ASL* – 10.7, Matrix ASL – 3.3 Sec)

Syncopated editing

Jump cut & Unnatural Jump cut

Break the rules- Create new one- Break them

ASL –Average Shot Length

Techniques in Sound

Interior monologues and comments

Modern sound tracks

Direct sound recording

No scripted dialogues (Improvise in situation)

The new approach allow for?

A greater sense of flexibility. Erasing the boundaries between

professional and amateur cinema/ fiction and documentary.

Creativity in film making –creation of narrative is unrestricted.

LOW budgets. An exploration of the contemporary. Digression and Subversion.

Key Directors

François Truffault Jean-Luc Godard Claude Chabrol Jacques Rivette Eric Romer Agnés Varda Louis Malle all of these directors started as critic except for Agnés Varda and Louis Malle