The French New Wave portrays the evolution of film making and an artistic movement whose influence on film as profound; The French New Wave, began in Paris in the late 1950s and 1960s, built upon a group of Young Film Makers creating cheaply made footage, this influenced the beginning of breaking the rules.
The film directors burnt the books on the way it should be done; New Wave introduced an alternative way of film creating substitutes for the original techniques, this displayed the rejection of classical montage-style filmmaking, allowing the young creators to freely create the best films upon personal artistic expression, showing their personal authorship.
The French New Wave was fast growing, displaying the birth of the ‘auteur’ and the rise of the ‘camera stylo’ through the explosion of young vibrant film makers. Camera-Stylo was a term given to the young creators of film, due to them using their camera, the way a writer uses their pen.
The techniques within the French New Wave showcased a different take on original film, due to the directors of New Wave exchanging the original techniques of film making with their own personal directions. The following techniques helped to form the French New Wave:
- Jump Cuts: this technique used to show the space and time between two different shots, to match two shots or to mismatch two shots, in order for the audience to become more conscious that they are watching a film.
- The French New Wave showed us that the audience doesn’t have to see everything within the scene, it taught us to show and don't tell through the use of transitioning shots, where it would just cut to it instead of revealing everything. We were also showed an alternative to transitioning from one setting to another, through the use of panning, the audience doesn’t need to do a full scene showing off the setting.
- Unconventional camera movements; this was a significant staple of the new wave as it imitated a fly on the wall, making it feel like there was an unnoticed observer of a particular situation. This was sometimes used to create tension through movement of the camera to through the use of editing; the French New Wave often tested alternative methods, to create new ones which conveyed the same message. Instead of using close-ups, the directors altered the frame to enhance their own style, without cutting or even moving the camera this emphasised their style of breaking the rules.
- Freeze frames were another common technique used within The French New Wave, this technique consisted of taking a snap shot in order to make the scene appear more dramatic, making the audience wonder what was so important about that moment.
- Fourth Wall is a technique achieved through the actors performance, avoiding direct contact with the camera, this technique is generally used by actors in a television drama or film.
- Due to the films being cheaply made making mistakes was never seen as an error but more of a highlight within the genre, mistakes were praised instead of faulted.
- Natural Lighting was used throughout the duration of most French New Wave films due to it showing the sharp contrast between Black and White, as well as being the cheaper option.
- Self Reference was shown through multiple French New Wave films due it displaying the appropriation of certain cinematic techniques and portraying the directors specific style.
Jean-Luc Godard, a French-Swiss Film Director produced many French New Wave films that influenced the beginning of breaking the rules, by showing his audience alternative techniques displayed within the ‘Nouvelle Vague’ aesthetic. Goddard produced many films that fit the conventions of New Wave, his first piece of work was a series of short films planned with his friend Rohmer, the series of short films planned to centre the lives of two young women, Charlotte and Véronique; however Godard wasn’t the first person to produce the first film in this series, it was Pierre Braunberger in the autumn of 1957.
A popular film directed by Jean-Luc Godard, is Breathless which was released in 1960. This is a black and white film, that documents a petty thug called Michel who considers himself a suave bad guy, but he panics and impulsively kills a policeman while driving a stolen car. On the lam, he turns to his aspiring journalist girlfriend, Patricia and spends most of his time hiding out in her Paris apartment. The budget for this film was only 400,000 whereas the average cost now to produce a major studio movie is around $65 million.
François Truffaut, was a French film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and a film critic. As well as being one of the founders of the French New Wave. Truffaut was a big influence that started off the beginning of breaking the rules, by showing his audience alternative techniques that substituted the original techniques. The film that brought attention to François Truffaut was his film The 400 Blows which became a defining film within the French New Wave movement.
The 400 Blows was released in March 1960. This is a black and while film, that documents the life of a young Parisian boy Antoine Doinel, displaying how his life is one difficult situation after another. Surrounded by inconsiderate adults, including his neglectful parents. It shows how Antoine spends most of his days with his best friend Rene, trying to plan for a better life. This film won various awards such as: Cannes Best Director Award, French Syndicate of Cinema Critics Award for Best French Film and Bodil Award for Best Non-American Film.
François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Goddard had a few disagreements within the French New Wave Industry; Jean-Luc Godard accused Truffaut of making a movie that was a built upon a “lie" as well as Goddard producing Breathless which was based on an original treatment by François Truffaut who was uncredited.
