French New Wave

The 'French New Wave' was an artistic movement whose influence on film has been profound. The French New Wave has been credited for birthing 'auteur' and saw the rise of 'camera style', an explosion of young and vibrant film makers, a cultural revolution.

In 1951, Cahiers du Cinéma; a French magazine of film criticism was formed by a collective of intellectual French film critics, led by André Bazin and Jacques Donail-Valcroze.

They had been influenced by the wrings of French film critique, Alexandre Astruc; who had argued for breaking away from the 'tyranny of narrative'; instead, adopting a new form of film (and sound) language. The Cahiers du Cinéma critics gathered by André Bazin and Jacques Donail-Valcroze were all young, cinematic production enthusiasts who had grown up during post-war years watching mostly great American films that hadn't been available in France during the Occupation.

Cahiers du Cinéma had two guiding principles

• A rejection of classical montage-style film making- The French New Wave was innovative in the sense that it was unique in its approach. The French New Wave refused to conform to traditional conventions found in mainstream film. The French Wave; unlike mainstream Hollywood films during the same time period, preferred the reality of their production over manipulation via editing (E.g. . In addition to this, French New Wave film makers often drew attention from audiences using discontinuity to continuously remind the audience that they are watching a film.
• The ideology that the best films are a personal artistic expression and should bear a stamp of personal authorship- As other great works of literature bears the stamp of the writer (E.g. Romeo & Juliet, Othello and Hamlet have feared the stamp of William Shakespeare over the course of time), this latter tenet was later dubbed the 'auteur theory' by US film critic Andrew Sarris.

The film makers of that made up the French New Wave collective were original and distinctive enough to pursue their own solo careers, however when associated as a clique, this group achieved some of the most influential movements in cinematic history, providing a platform for new film makers to take inspiration from. Some film makers to take influences from the collective's work include American film directors; Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese 

Although the accomplishing mainstream success is not on the agenda for new wave film makers, many films have become popular and critically acclaimed worldwide over the years. 'The 400 Blows';  a French New Wave film directed by François Truffaut, received a UK release just under 10 months after its initial release. The five collective film makers who came from Cahiers du Cinéma; Chabrol, Godard, Rivette, Rohmer, and Truffaut were prolific in their prime. During the peak years of the French New Wave; 1959-1966, they directed 32 films between them.

French New Wave movement was first established to show that film did not have to abide to the typical Hollywood conventions and editing/filming techniques to still maintain quality. Instead. the French New Wave introduced a previously unseen alternative way to direct that allowed film makers more creative by rejecting the Hollywood conventions. Typical practise within the French New Wave movement includes:

• The auteur directors were often also deployed as script writers/scenarist for their directed films as well.
• The directors rejected following a strict, free-established shooting script, instead opting for more improvisation from their actors/actresses.
• Directors had a preference for shooting in real locations, as opposed to artificial locations (e.g. movie studios) favoured by Hollywood films.
• The director was known to keep his crew size small. One reason that this may have occurred is the low budget French New Wave films were accustom to.
• Directors favoured using direct sound in their films, as opposed to reflected sound.
• The auteur directors were reluctant to incorporate additional lighting to their films. This ties into their preference for filming in natural locations. Another reason for this is, within French New Wave films; one convention is their ability to dispositioning the audience from narrative, consistently reminding them they are watching a film. This perspective seeks to ensure that audiences do not experience real-life emotions for the narrative.
• The auteur directors favoured using non-professional actors/actresses. This adds to the realist vibe French New Wave films  aimed to create. Auteur directors were also perceived as being unintimidated by big-name actors/actresses, and would direct in the free manner they saw fit.

The French New Wave opened up a new platform in which directors and film makers could develop.  Some benefits that the French New Wave brought about were:

• A greater sense of creativity as by rejecting Hollywood conventions, film makers were able to create the film their way, without the constraints of abiding by blockbuster film patterns.
• The French New Wave movement was credited for erasing the boundaries between professional and amateur cinema.
• The French New Wave allowed auteur directors to explore contemporary issues (E.g. The 400 Blows documents the issue of petty youth crime during the post World War 2 era; a time period in which crime in adolescent youths was increasing).
• The French New Wave movement was famous for its ability to create quality films on a low budget, particularly attracting unknown film makers who were limited to strict financial constraints.

Common French New Wave techniques of filming include:

• Natural lighting with a sharp contrast between black and white colours.
• Liberation for the recording camera from tripod, encouraging more handheld filming.
• The appropriation of certain cinema techniques and director styles worked as a self reference for some French New Wave film makers.
• Embracing Mistakes- Claude Chabrol was famously recorded looking at a bolt when asked to look through the camera eyepiece in his debut film; Le Beau Serge (1958).
• Coutard's Influence.
• Alternative Framing.
• Recording using a hidden camera