postwar cinema the french new wave (“la nouvelle vague”)
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THE “TRADITION OF THE “TRADITION OF QUALITY”QUALITY”
French films of late 1940s & 1950s known as “Tradition of Quality”
3 general characteristics:– High PRODUCTION VALUES– THEATRICAL & LITERARY– Made in a STUDIO SYSTEM
BRESSON & TATIBRESSON & TATI 2 important directors Post-war Era who
had an important impact on New Wave, but were not part of it
Also were outside of mainstream filmmaking of the period
Common an obsession with perfection– Films took years to make, financed
independently (not by major studios)– Demanded complete control of their films,
refusing the contributions of anyone else– Their films share a meticulous subtlety
ROBERT BRESSONROBERT BRESSON
Films consist mostly of close-ups, details of mise-en-scène
Rejects extensive use of nondiegetic sound, using instead natural sounds
Keeps dialogue to a minimum, often relying on voiceover narration
Leaves out exciting stuff, puts in "boring details"
ROBERT BRESSONROBERT BRESSON
Known for his treatment of actors– He disliked them & thought they were
generally stupid, esp. those who had been trained in acting
– Preferred to think of them as part of the mise-en-scène
– Refused to let them contribute; they did what they were told or were fired
Films tend to be depressing dramas about hopeless situations
JACQUES TATIJACQUES TATI Like Bresson, but made comedies Began career in 1930s, as vaudeville mime
& acrobat (this is evident in his films) Influenced by silent film comedians, esp.
Hollywood actor/directors Chaplin & Keaton But comedies are subtle, never
sentimental, not exactly slapstick Instead, comedies based on film form itself
JACQUES TATIJACQUES TATIWe refer to Tati as a parametric
filmmaker– Tended to use the parameters, or
extremes, of film style– All of elements of film style
choreographed to make jokes about possibilities of film form
– Best known are Jour de fete (1949; Mr. Hulot's Holiday (1953); & Playtime (1967)
THE “AUTEUR THEORY”THE “AUTEUR THEORY”
THE GROWTH OF FILM CRITICISM IN FRANCE– ALEXANDER ASTRUC
Wrote an article in 1948 on the “CAMERA-STYLO”
Camera to the filmmaker what the pen is to the writer
– CAHIERS DU CINÉMA Founded by ANDRE BAZIN Promoted 2 basic principles:
– Mise-en-scène aesthetics– “AUTEUR THEORY”
THE “AUTEUR THEORY”THE “AUTEUR THEORY”
CHARACTERISTICS– Film should be a MEDIUM OF SELF-
EXPRESSION– The best films bear the director's
PERSONAL SIGNATURE– A director's OEUVRE more important
then any particular film– Worst film of an auteur is better than
the best film of a non-auteur (or “metteur-en-scène”)
THE “AUTEUR THEORY”THE “AUTEUR THEORY”
Rejected the French Tradition of Quality– Too concerned with being literary, not
cinematic– Jean-Luc Godard:
“Your camera movements are ugly because your subjects are bad, your casts act badly because your dialogue is worthless; in a word, you don't know how to create cinema because you no longer even know what it is.”
THE “AUTEUR THEORY”THE “AUTEUR THEORY”
Auteur critics preferred:– Directors of French Poetic Realism– Obscure French directors of 1940s &
1950s (Jacques Tati)– French documentary filmmakers (Alain
Resnais, Jacques Cousteau)– Italian Neorealism
Hollywood directors: John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles & Jerry Lewis
FRENCH NEW WAVE,FRENCH NEW WAVE,1959-681959-68
Directors of the New Wave were critics 1st
– Influenced by films instead of stage & literature
– Became critics; couldn’t get into the industry– Borrowed money & services to finance low-
budget productions The New Wave Arrives in 1959
– FRANÇOIS TRUFFAUT made The 400 Blows– JEAN-LUC GODARD made Breathless– ALAIN RESNAIS (not a critic, older) made
Hiroshima, mon amour
FRENCH NEW WAVE:FRENCH NEW WAVE:FORM & STYLEFORM & STYLE
NARRATIVE FORM relatively DISCONTINUOUS– Lack GOAL-ORIENTED
PROTAGONISTS– CAUSAL CONNECTIONS are loose– Less CLOSURE than the CHC
FRENCH NEW WAVE:FRENCH NEW WAVE:FORM & STYLEFORM & STYLE
CHARACTERISTICS OF CINEMATIC STYLE– CASUAL LOOK– LOCATION SHOOTING– NATURAL LIGHTING– IMPROVISATION of lines, actions, etc.– THE MOVING CAMERA– DISCONTINUOUS EDITING; JUMP CUTS
are common– THE LONG TAKE
SELF-REFLEXIVE SELF-REFLEXIVE CINEMA & THE OPEN CINEMA & THE OPEN
TEXTTEXT New Wave films tend to be SELF-
REFLEXIVE– Remind us that we are watching a film,
don't allow us to get too involved with the story
– AESTHETIC DISTANCING– Self-reflexivity result of style & form in
general, but also of 2 specific techniques: DIRECT ADDRESS HOMMAGE
THE OPEN TEXT
DECLINE OF THEDECLINE OF THEFRENCH NEW WAVEFRENCH NEW WAVE
Came to an end around 1968ABSORPTION INTO STUDIO
SYSTEM– Many directors absorbed into
studio system– Directors & films attractive to the
studios: Low-budget, little financial risk Popular at the box office Critically praised internationally
DECLINE OF THEDECLINE OF THEFRENCH NEW WAVEFRENCH NEW WAVE
THE “BIG 3” DIRECTORS– FRANÇOIS TRUFFAUT
Became a mainstream director Made literary adaptations with high production
values Died in 1984
– ALAIN RESNAIS Made big-budget films for a number of French
studios Critically acclaimed but obscure
– JEAN-LUC GODARD Became increasingly political Films popular with intellectuals but not audiences
INFLUENCE OF THEINFLUENCE OF THEFRENCH NEW WAVEFRENCH NEW WAVE
Popularized the open text Major step in rise of European Art
Cinema Influenced other movements & national
cinemas (American, British, Australian) Conventions (freeze frames, jump cuts,
etc.) absorbed into mainstream cinema & TV
Auteur theory became common “Personal expression” approach
influenced directors worldwide