The young French film makers were the most successful and influential in the new wave of film makers, they resided from Paris and were writing for the "Cahiers du cinema", their ideas and theory on film were in stark contrast to that of the french film establishments of the time. They criticized the big french film makers of the times and created ground breaking new cinema through there original and innovative films.
Film makers such as Jean Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol, François Truffaut, Jacques Rivette and Éric Rohmer, they were all from the Cahiers du cinema journal and by the 1960 they had all made there first films and were making waves in the world of film.
Breathless by Jean-Luc Godard.
In 1960, a director by the name of Jean-Luc Godard burst onto the scene and shattered the film community's preconceptions of what was essential in a film. Prior films would push that every film needed a decipherable beginning, middle, and end. Characters in typical films had to go somewhere, they couldn't remain static. A film couldn't be free-form and flowing, and everything had to serve a purpose.
The film opens with the lead character Michel Poiccard driving through the french country side, the shots from inside the car as he drove were something never seen in mainstream cinema before and was quite revolutionary at the time. We hear his thoughts as he travels down the picturesque roads, and follow him as he tries to flee from some cop cars, he pulls into a side road and thinks hes got away until one pulls in. Micheal in a rush of blood shoots and kills the police officer and quickly deals with the body, he then heads to Paris to find his American girlfriend and get some money from a friend to start his new life.
The film now follows Micheal through his day and night as he navigates through Paris and his problems, as he tries to get his girlfriend to leave the city with him and come to Rome. A main part of the film is based on the relationship between him and his lover, a long interesting scene in shot in her bedroom as they are hiding out there as the police are searching for him. Eventually he is betrayed by his lover in a dramatic ending in which he is killed in the middle of the road by the police as his American partner looks on, its a powerful climax left us pondering the motives and goals of the characters.
The films free flowing and lively feel gives it a unique feel, which was innovative and fresh at the time and has paved the way for many other films of its type since its release. A very original and effortlessly cool looking film which will stay with me for a while and has really inspired me for this project.
The 400 blows by François Truffaut's
Antoine Doinel is a 13-year-old boy who can't seem to do anything right. His parents yell at him and then bribe him for his love and his promises to work harder in school. Meanwhile, his schoolteacher is out to get him and blames Antoine for everything--turning him into the class clown. As a result, Antoine runs away from school and his difficult family, living on the streets of Paris and committing petty crimes. While his life on the street is tough, it's much better than dealing with his preoccupied parents and his accusatory teacher. Nonetheless, things only go downhill for Antoine, descending to a simultaneously painful and beautiful conclusion.
Another powerful and groundbreaking picture from the New french wave directors, showing a lust of reform and a burning desire to tell their stories through the new ways of films making, in my opinion not as new and interesting as Breathless but none the less a massive film in the history of modern cinema.
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