Crooked legs

August 20, 2018 3:58 am

urbancatfitters:

me: [vibrating slightly because I had too much caffeine] everything in the world is my fault

444,041 notes

August 19, 2018 2:31 am

Breathless (1960) Hotel Scene - Jean Seberg / Jean-Paul Belmondo

(Source: youtube.com)

1 note

August 19, 2018 2:28 am

French New Wave

French New Wave (1958-64) has become one of the most important cinema movements certainly outside Hollywood, which influenced and is still influencing film-makers all over the world. French New Wave was a reaction to classic French cinema and particularly the Tradition of Quality, the use of established directors and actors, an emphasis on narrative - script writers were considered particularly important. Subjects covered were adaptations of the classics, literary or historic heroes. The films were shot in studios on large budgets. The films used large crews and the use of heavy technical equipment. The films were popular with the post-war audiences as cinema was the main form of entertainment

In 1951 Jacques Doniol-Valcroze and Andre Bazin started a new journal Cahiers du Cinema Bazin was an influential critic who employed a number of young intellectuals passionate about cinema to write articles. They included Jean-Luc Goddard, Claude Chabrol and Francois Truffaut. Truffaut had written an article in 1954, A Certain Tendency of French Cinema in which he attacked the uniform and unimaginative cinema of the time. Also important to French New Wave was the idea of la politique des auteurs. This associated the role of the film director to that of the author. Some of these young critics including Godard and Truffaut, went on to make there own films which were to be termed New Wave. French New Wave film-makers worked together as a group. The didn’t consider themselves as part of a movement, but they worked together on ideas, screen plays, as technicians and even acted in the films. The characteristics of New Wave were opposite of the traditional cinema. They had small budgets, used a new generation of young actors playing young roles, original screenplays or adaptations , modern themes, The films were shot on location with natural light.

Breathless (1960) is an seminal film in French New Wave. The film directed by Jean-Luc Godard , brought to the screen a new type of leading man. Jean-Paul Belmondo is not conventional good looking, and is not playing a likeable character. Michel Poiccard is a thief and a murderer, but he has charisma as has the actor playing him. Belmondo is still the name that comes to mind when we think of a French film star. He is teamed with young Hollywood actress Jean Seberg. Francois Truffaut wrote the script, while Goddard directed and even appeared in the role of the snitch. Godard cast fellow New Wave film-maker Jean-Pierre Melville in the minor role of Parvulesco the writer. Melville also advised on editing. Truffaut’s The 400 Blows (1959) is another very significant French New Wave film. It tells the story a young Parisian boy neglected by my his mother and stepfather whose behavior, truanting, running away and stealing, leads to him being sent to a young offenders institution. The story is autobiographical as Truffaut has a similar upbringing. He could identify with the subject common in French New Wave. Truffaut would revisit the same boy in four further films.

New Wave film-makers show the audience that film is a series of moving images with improvised dialogue, rapid scene changes and shots breaking 180 degree rule. In Breathless, Belmondo driving along, turns to the camera to address the audience. Jump cuts were used to solve the problem of the film being too long, and were considered very effective. New Wave films often refer to other films. In Breathless Michel (Belmondo) thinks he is Hollywood tough guy Humphrey Bogart and spends time fixing his hat and posing in front of the mirror. In The 400 Blows real passers by react to the clock going off. They react realistically. French New Wave has influenced the work of film-makers throughout the world including New Hollywood film-makers such as Martin Scorsese, and more recently Quentin Tarantino.