Godard directed with the very goal to break the classical film rules of its era. Though watching it now, it would seem like many of the techniques used are very present in other film. But, backtrack to 1960, Breathless was the very first film to incorporate jump cuts into it. Before Breathless was released, most French films were shot and filmed in pretty much the same manner. Godard utilized jump cuts to create a sense of chaos and confusion that seemed quite peculiar in the postclassical period. He essentially cuts the gaps between time and space to elicit a more eerie and fast paced aura to the film. No matter the period we are in, thriller films all eventually try to bring out the emotion of suspense. Godard wanted to show that he was able to make a film through unorthodox measures and produce a film that was better that the traditional ones. …show more content…
They all had a number of technicians, rules, regulations that controlled them in the production of the film. However, Godard got rid of the excessive and only kept Raoul Coutard, his cinematographer. The usage of sensitive film stock helped them film both outside and inside without any relative problems. Also, as I mentioned previously, the sound in Breathless didn’t seem to fit and was due to Godards decision to film the movie silently and dub the sound in after. This was a perfect example of how post classical culture encouraged people to tackle the status quo and look for innovative ways to further the discourse. Breathless was Godard’s stubborn assertion that he could make the film he wanted how he wanted. In todays films, we see Godard’s innovation in many of our current day styles. Jump cuts alone, are often apparent in music videos or commercials, in trying to rewrite the rules, Godard created a new standard not only for the thriller genre, but also for film
Film Noir, as Paul Schrader integrates in his essay ‘Notes on Film Noir,’ reflects a marked phase in the history of films denoting a peculiar style observed during that period. More specifically, Film Noir is defined by intricate qualities like tone and mood, rather than generic compositions, settings and presentation. Just as ‘genre’ categorizes films on the basis of common occurrences of iconographic elements in a certain way, ‘style’ acts as the paradox that exemplifies the generality and singularity at the same time, in Film Noir, through the notion of morality. In other words, Film Noir is a genre that exquisitely entwines theme and style, and henceforth sheds light on individual difference in perception of a common phenomenon. Pertaining
First of all, François eliminates almost all of the science-fiction aspects of the original novel. For example, Faber’s communicator, the mechanical hound and multiple television sets are removed from the film. These details are replaced with ordinary devices that seem to diminish the futuristic aspect of the story. Without them the film loses some of the excitement that was found in the novel. On the other hand by removing these minor details Truffaut emphasises the idea that our literary in...
The medium of film, while relatively new and unexplored compared to other visual arts, has proven itself time and time again to be extremely versatile and fascinating with regard to aesthetic properties. At times, film can be used to enhance or respond to another piece of art—for instance, the adaptation of novels or other works that inspire or serve as the basis for a film. An adapter by nature, Alfred Hitchcock often used other works as inspirations for his films. Hitchcock’s filmography contains predominantly adapted works, though these adaptations are usually loose and edited to fit Hitchcock’s aesthetic and common themes. For his acclaimed film Vertigo, Hitchcock drew from Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac’s novel D’entre les morts (or
Before Citizen Kane, filmmaking was easily predictable and virtually all the movies used the same stagnant camera angles, same lighting, and similar sets. Citizen Kane broke all the settled rules and introduced exceptional storytelling and Cinematography methods to the Hollywood.
In brief, the audience can see how this 1931 sound film could be shaped by sound in a number of ways. Considering that sound at this time was a new phenomenon it is understood why mostly diegetic sound was used over nondiegetic sound. This director also showed the audience how the story could be affected by sound with examples like the clock becoming a character and storyline of its own and also the murderer being identified with his whistling. With the lack of sound and the collage of images during specific times, the director was able to create a mood without music or sound. Apparently this was a technique that was learned throughout his many years of silent films. These details were what brought the story together and would not have been done so precisely without the technique of sound.
Since the very first actualities from the Lumière brothers and the fantastical shorts of Maries Georges Jean Méliès, cinema has continually fulfilled its fundamental purpose of artistic reflection on societal contexts throughout the evolution of film. Two French cinematic movements, Poetic Realism (1934-1940) and French New Wave (1950-1970), serve as historical bookends to World War II, one of the most traumatic events in world history. The Rules of the Game (Jean Renoir, 1939) is a classic example of French Poetic realism that depicts the disillusionment in society and government politics by a generation already traumatized by the monumental loss of human life during the First World War. Breathless (Jean Luc Godard, 1960), one of Jean Luc Godard’s most iconic films, portrays the next generation’s consequential feelings of loss and struggle. Both Rules of the Game and Breathless embody the spirit of their respective movements while exploring realism and redefining the purpose of cinema. However, while Rules of the Game contrasts the formative and realistic traditions through long takes and deep focus, Breathless breaks cinematic conventions through distanciation techniques and disjunctive editing to convey disillusionment and cinematic realism. Though these techniques and definitions of realism are seemingly oppositional, Godard and Renoir both hold to the same cinematic purpose of communicating their feelings of disillusionment towards society with the audience.
The opening scene in Breathless is one of the best examples of the use of jump cuts. While filming this scene, Godard filmed one continuous shot of Michel pulling a gun from the glovebox as he is driving. However, in post-production, he has made a conscious effort to remove seconds of footage that seem unnecessary to smoothly continue the momentum of in the film. This new method and new aesthetic replaced the “tired” cinema of France that had preceded it, highlighting the importance of montage for “discontinuity in continuity” (Andrew 9). Utilization of jump cuts is something that has been since been integrated into modern mainstream film. Breathless seemed to “destroy the rules of classical composition and privileges syncopated editing in action sequences… as well as during the dialogue scenes” (Marie 92). Godard reinvents modern montage but he also took inspiration from the montage editors of the 1920’s Soviet cinema. You can see similarities in the pacing of Eisenstein 's Battleship Potemkin and films of the French new wave (Marie 93). The innovative use of continuity editing during the Odessa step sequence to create a feeling of trauma during a massacre has many similarities to the final sequence of Breathless in which Michel is being chased through the streets by the police. Battleship Potemkin was also innovative in it’s use of shock cuts were often widely used in films of the Nouvelle Vague.
Jean Luc Godard’s Breathless is often regarded as one of the earliest films exhibiting the French New Wave style of cinema due to its influence on the movement and innovation by the producers. One of the most noticeable edits that Godard does in Breathless is the jump-cuts made frequently during conversations, and other times when one would expect continuity, in order to break up the flow of story to the audience and force them to actively participate in understanding the progression of events. This is quite contrary to the typical Hollywood style of film editing as transitions between shots are usually smoothed over as much as possible so that the audience focuses solely on the plot events transpiring on the screen rather than the editing work. Godard breaks free from the mould countless times throughout the film in order to force the audience to pay attention to the editing as well as the progression of the plot in order to achieve a lack of continuity within and between scenes.
Roger Deakins was in charge of the film’s cinematography, he used many different styles of stocks and lit up many of the parts of the films.
Think about your favorite movie. When watching that movie, was there anything about the style of the movie that makes it your favorite? Have you ever thought about why that movie is just so darn good? The answer is because of the the Auteur. An Auteur is the artists behind the movie. They have and individual style and control over all elements of production, which make their movies exclusively unique. If you could put a finger on who the director of a movie is without even seeing the whole film, then the person that made the movie is most likely an auteur director. They have a unique stamp on each of their movies. This essay will be covering Martin Scorsese, you will soon find out that he is one of the best auteur directors in the film industry. This paper will include, but is not limited to two of his movies, Good Fellas, and The Wolf of Wall Street. We will also cover the details on what makes Martin Scorsese's movies unique, such as the common themes, recurring motifs, and filming practices found in their work. Then on
Film techniques are used extremely effectively in Strictly Ballroom by the director Baz Luhrman. Costume and makeup, camera angles and lighting and also character behaviours were used to influence the portrayal and development of all of the main characters. Without these film techniques, Strictly Ballroom could not have been made into a film as entertaining as it is and the characters personalities and development would not have been portrayed.
Analysis of Movie Moulin Rouge In this essay I will be analyzing in depth four scenes from Baz Luhrmann's critically acclaimed Moulin Rouge that was released in 2000. I will be analyzing the opening sequence, the sequence in the Moulin Rouge itself, the two dancing sequences 'Like a Virgin' and 'Tango Roxanne' and the final scenes of the film. Throughout this essay I will be commenting on the filming techniques that Luhrmann uses and what affects these have on the audience, also I will be analyzing how the film is similar and different to typical Hollywood Musicals.
The highly acclaimed Citizen Kane creates drama and suspense to the viewer. Orson Welles designed this film to enhance the viewer’s opinion about light and darkness, staging, proxemics, personal theme development, and materialism. Creating one of the most astounding films to the cinematography world, Welles conveys many stylistic features as well as fundamentals of cinematography. It is an amazing film and will have an everlasting impact on the world of film.
Godard creates a unique editing style in Contempt and Breathless through the combination of long takes and jump cuts. Godard’s use of these two editing techniques expresses two separate ideas in regards to an individual’s place in society. In Contempt, Godard’s use of editing illustrates how an individual can exist separate from society. While in Breathless, editing conveys the idea of how society can isolate an individual. The use of jump cuts within Breathless and Contempt was an unconventional technique during the French New Wave and still is today because it violates one of the rules of Classic Hollywood Style.
Sound is what brings movies to life, but, not many viewers really notice. A film can be shot with mediocre quality, but, can be intriguing if it has the most effective foley, sound effects, underscore, etc. Sound in movies band together and unfold the meaning of the scenes. When actors are speaking, the dialogue can bring emotion to the audience, or, it can be used as the ambient sound. Music is one of the main things to have when filmmaking. The use of Claudia Gorbman’s Seven Principles of Composition, Mixing and Editing in Classical Film gives audiences a perspective of sound, and, how it can have an impact on them.