To talk about the Characteristics of French New Wave, I would like to use Breathless (1960) by Jean-Luc Godard as an example. Breathless or in French, À bout de soufflé is literally define as: "at breath's end".
Breathless (Jean Luc Godard, 1960) Poster. Retrieved July 28, 2013, from http://www.impawards.com/1960/breathless.html
Synopsis
Michel Poiccard (Jean-Paul Belmondo) steals a car and
killed the policeman who followed him across the road. In the movie, he models himself on the film persona of Humphrey Bogart. This includes stealing money and cars wherever and whenever, lying and cheating, using women since they are attracted to his charisma. This is shown when Mitchel gets back to his ex-girlfriend and steals her money. He will do whatever he needs to get what he wants.
As a wanted man by the authorities, he goes to reunite
with Patricia Franchini (Jean Seberg), an American journalism student in Paris whom he met a
couple of weeks ago in Nice. He decided to leave Paris with Patricia to Italy for an escape, but before that he need to collect debt from an underworld acquaintance named
Antonio. At one point, Patricia learns that Michel is on the run when she is questioned by the police. She decided to betrays him in the end and leading to a final shoot out in the street.
Characteristics
The French New Wave film movement
is a defining moment for the film world. It is the rebellious act to go against
the traditional Hollywood film-making systems. It challenged the objectives of
Hollywood cinema and also started its own established film-making techniques that
go completely the opposite of Hollywood films. Jean Luc Godard’s films
contributed the most in French New Wave. He is known for his personal
authorship or the Auteur theory that film is a work of art with the directors
are like writers of their own films by having distinctive themes using their
personal creative vision.
With the post-war condition of
World War 2, the economics condition leads them to low-budgeted production for
instance, having social actors, light-weighted cameras that give directors
freedom over their work,which are easy to carry for locations shooting. Giving self-conscious
narration to the film by using social actors rather than professional actors
that go through training. The technology on the new cameras, faster film stocks which required less lighting and light weighted equipment that actually creates more oppurtunity to the directors and artistic freedom over their work. For example: Jean Luc Godard uses there kind of technique on the set of Breathless(Jean Luc Godard, 1960). (Refer to Picture 1.0 and 1.1) The cinematographer Raoul Coutard was pushed around in a wheel chair, following the character down the street and into the buildings. Innovative is shown.
Picture 1.0
Jean-Luc Godard pulling Raoul Coutard in a wheelchair on the set of Breathless(Jean Luc Godard, 1960).
Picture 1.1
Jean-Luc Godard pulling Raoul Coutard in a wheelchair on the set of Breathless(Jean Luc Godard, 1960).
In Breathless (Jean
Luc Godard, 1960), all of the scenes are shot in locations including indoors.
Jean Luc Godard does not shoot in the studio with the conventional lighting
techniques introduced in Classical Hollywood films. Having available lighting is the way
to go without any artificial lighting, that is when sometimes the characters' shadows can be seen, but only the conversations can be heard(Refer to Picture 2.0)
Picture 2.0
Retrieved from Breathless (Jean Luc Godard, 1960)
Since we mentioned about the location shooting, passerbys turn to look at the the social actors being filmed,
in which goes against the perfection of Hollywood films and also it grabs
attention to the technique used in return to tell apart the differences of
French New Wave. (Refer to Picture 3.0)
Picture 3.0
Retrieved from Breathless (Jean Luc Godard, 1960)
Long takes are essential in French
New Wave to favour the mise-en-scene. For example, the 25-minute conversation
in Patricia’s apartment. (Refer to Video 1.0). The directors will try to have as many long takes as
possible to lower down the possibility on editing because it gives the sense of
realism.
Video 1.0
Breathless (Jean Luc Godard, 1960) Hotel Scene.
Furthermore, jump cuts is the obvious editing that contrasts Hollywood seamlessness editing
between two shots. It is the discontinuity of the film to remind the audience that they are watching a film.
According to Susan H., “The narrative is transposed from one time and space
to another without any explanation such as a shot or voice-over”. Sometimes
budget constrained issues as barriers to the film-makers, the long take will be
made as a series of jump cuts if they can not afford to remake the
scene. Take an example of Patricia is talking to Michel in the car (Refer to
Video 2.0) the mise-en-scene is jarring for the audience and indicates the time has passed. It concludes that French New Wave has a free editing style and did not conform to the editing rules of the Hollywood's.
Video 2.0
Breathless (Jean Luc Godard, 1960)Patricia is talking to Michel in the car
Breathless (Jean Luc Godard, 1960)Patricia is talking to Michel in the car
Other than that, the directors
break the 180-degree rule also to against the Hollywood continuity editing. A
scene shows Patricia is reading newspapers while walking on the street. (Refer
to Picture 4.0) In long shot, Patricia is walking from left to right and then
cut to middle shot which Patricia is walking from right to left. This cut
overlaps the 180-degree rule and break the tradition with freestyle editing.
Picture 4.0
Retrieved from Breathless (Jean Luc Godard, 1960)
Retrieved from Breathless (Jean Luc Godard, 1960)
Femme Fatale is famous in the
French New Wave because they adore the strong role given to the female in the
films. The conventional femme fatale in Hollywood films always being punishment
at the end, but in the French New Wave femme fatale will not get punishment at
the end of the film. For example, Patricia chooses to report Michel at the last and causes Michel's dead indirectly. Besides that, Patricia rubs her lips when Michel die, which is imitating Michel. (Refer to Picture 5.0).
For my opinion, this action want to show that women can be powerful as men.
For my opinion, this action want to show that women can be powerful as men.
Picture 5.0
Retrieved from Breathless (Jean Luc Godard, 1960)
Anti-heroes role also exists in this film movement, in
the whole film we are following the anti-hero journey and witnesses the
deceiving behaviour of his. The only difference with anti-heroes in Film Noir is
the character dies at the end of the film. The characteristics of the
anti-heroes are charming and interesting. The film is showing from Michel Poiccard’s point of view. Michel is an
anti-hero who killed a policeman with a gun on the way after he stole a car.
(Refer to Picture 6.0)
Picture 6.0
Policeman shoot by Micheal. P.O.V of Micheal
Retrieved from Breathless (Jean Luc Godard, 1960)
The final characteristic of French New Wave is the improvised
plots and dialogue within the
films. Hollywood films are scripted and everything said by the characters meant
something for later scenes. Moreover, the tradition films have three parts of a
plot, beginning, middle and end. However, in French New Wave, the dialogues are mostly
not scripted by giving them freedom to converse as would happen in real life to each another. This is to enhance the realism of the film. In the 25-minute of conversation in
Patricia’s apartment, they were talking about poker game. (Refer to Video
1.0). Monologues were also used, as the voice-overs expressing a character’s inner feelings.
The use of sound in French New Wave is experimental: American jazz music that was popular in Paris at that time also featured in this film. For example, the Miles Davis score for Ascenseur pour l’Echafaud. In A Bout de Soufflé, the sound comes after the action.
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