Film techniques French New Wave

the movies featured unprecedented methods of expression, such long tracking shots (like famous traffic jam sequence in godard s 1967 film week end). also, these movies featured existential themes, such stressing individual , acceptance of absurdity of human existence. filled irony , sarcasm, films tend reference other films.

many of french new wave films produced on tight budgets; shot in friend s apartment or yard, using director s friends cast , crew. directors forced improvise equipment (for example, using shopping cart tracking shots.) cost of film major concern; thus, efforts save film turned stylistic innovations. example, in jean-luc godard s breathless (À bout de souffle), after being told film long , must cut down 1 hour , half decided (on suggestion of jean-pierre melville) remove several scenes feature using jump cuts, filmed in 1 long take. parts did not work cut middle of take, practical decision , purposeful stylistic one.

the cinematic stylings of french new wave brought fresh cinema improvised dialogue, rapid changes of scene, , shots broke common 180° axis of camera movement. in many films of french new wave, camera used not mesmerize audience elaborate narrative , illusory images, rather play audience expectations. godard arguably movement s influential figure; method of film-making, used shock , awe audiences out of passivity, abnormally bold , direct. result of techniques, example of director accused of having contempt audience (something experimental filmmakers in decades ahead, stanley kubrick , david lynch, charged with). stylistic approach can seen desperate struggle against mainstream cinema of time, or degrading attack on viewer s supposed naivety. either way, challenging awareness represented movement remains in cinema today. effects seem either trite or commonplace, such character stepping out of role in order address audience directly, radically innovative @ time.

classic french cinema adhered principles of strong narrative, creating godard described oppressive , deterministic aesthetic of plot. in contrast, new wave filmmakers made no attempts suspend viewer s disbelief; in fact, took steps remind viewer film sequence of moving images, no matter how clever use of light , shadow. result set of oddly disjointed scenes without attempt @ unity; or actor character changes 1 scene next; or sets in onlookers accidentally make way onto camera along extras, in fact hired same.

at heart of new wave technique issue of money , production value. in context of social , economic troubles of post-world war ii france, filmmakers sought low-budget alternatives usual production methods, , inspired generation of italian neorealists before them. half necessity , half vision, new wave directors used had available channel artistic visions directly theatre.

finally, french new wave, european modern cinema, focused on technique style itself. french new wave film-maker first of author shows in film own eye on world. on other hand, film object of knowledge challenges usual transitivity on other cinema based, undoing cornerstones: space , time continuity, narrative , grammatical logics, self-evidence of represented worlds. in way film-maker passes essay attitude, thinking – in novelist way – on own way essays.