Jean-Luc Godard’s Weekend, released in 1967, embodies the entirety of the French New Wave cinema in its prime, as well as being a masterpiece and a hit worldwide. Strewn with different types of cuts and camera angles, as well as lots of bright colors, Godard creates a humorous, crash-filled piece with a dark underlying plot. The combination of these seemingly opposing factors only adds to the genius of Godard, who throughout the piece alludes to something deeper thematically- the human self-destruction of civilization.
From the very beginning of the movie, in the opening car crash scene, the movie starts with a literal bang. Godard seems to enjoy cars and chasing them and crashing them, just like the car chase from his movie two years prior, Alphaville. From that point forward, the psychopathic couple have tons of different odd encounters, and go through many crash-filled roads on their journey. Godard somehow manages to mesh humor and violence in the movie extremely well, somehow making all the violent acts seem much more nonchalant; for example, when waiting for a ride Corinne casually gets raped, and then the story moves on. The inclusion of all these random, weird, and somewhat terrifying acts only aid in Godard’s view of the “terrible” world and the people that inhabit it. Although these acts are appalling and a little demented, the nonchalant-ness that the tone of the movie gives leaves the audience entranced, and wondering what will happen next.
Aside from the rapturous plot and many side stories of Weekend, the shots and angles that Godard uses definitely help to draw the audience in as well. The entire course of the movie is found with long shot after long shot, each seemingly endless as the screen keeps moving slowly ...
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...though a little wry, was that Roland and Corinne speed by the accident as if nothing happened, not taking a second to reflect at the situation around them and just ready to get back on the road. However, a ton of the greatness of the shot comes from that exactly, the shot. Godard uses the tracking shot a lot throughout the course of the movie, however here, it’s spectacular. It’s longer than ever before, and is extremely smooth and consistent, making it easily the greatest long shot of its time, and definitely earns a spot amongst the tops today. New things keep popping into the screen for the viewer, and keeps them extremely interested and excited for what’s next. This famous and revolutionary shot, as well as others like these, exemplify the greatness of Godard, and are what create the characteristics and add to the supremacy of the French New Wave cinematic era.
...olours of the opening scenes combines with the horrid lifestyle of Vaughn and Lena, whilst the greens and clouded with droplets of rain as they drive over the range brings in the ideas of hope and a future for both of the characters. The vital role the changing images that surrounds the pair gives insight into the influence of settings on plot and character development.
Greene, Naomi(1999) Landscapes of loss: The national Past of Postwar French cinema (Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press)
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. His decisions were in part due to the producers asking that he shorten the film but also to his decision to create the sense of discontinuity present throughout the film. One such way that he breaks from away is through the use of nonprofessional actors and handheld cameras in order to achieve a more documentary style of storytelling while also allotting him a great deal of flexibility in deciding what and where to film the shots, allowing him to improvise regularly. Traditionally, filmmakers would attempt to make transitions and edits of scenes to be as seamless and unnoticible as possible, such is not the case with Godard, who insists on having jarring cuts even within a single conversation, often changing the angle and juxtapositioning between actors and objects in the scene. We first see these most prevalently when Michael first confronts and murders the police officer where there are continuous cuts between himself, the officer, and various objects such as the gun where the positioning of each are swapped between cuts, causing a sense of confusion for the audience. Scenes such as these become commonplace throughout the film and offer insights into both the characters and the themes of the film as a
The reclusive film director Terrence Malick has to date, only directed a small number of films. His twenty year hiatus between directing Days of Heaven (1978) and The Thin Red Line (1998), may provide the explanation for such a sparse back catalogue. Malick’s refusal to talk with the media, has led to hearsay, as to how he occupied his time during the hiatus. Malick’s directing debut Badlands (1973) is a collection of concepts, all carefully moulded together to create one iconic piece of film. This process draws in and also alienates the audience. Malick’s style is positively noted by critics to be influenced by European philosophy. This is clearly due to Malick’s study of philosophy at Harvard and Magdalen College Oxford. There is no given explanation to the mindless violence featured within the film, mainly due to the films resistance to the straight forward approach. The familiar and the unknown are carefully merged together. The only way of gaining an understanding into the hidden meanings within Badlands is by breaking down the film, by looking at the characters, the use of sound, the visual setting and the films genre. The illusionary effect of Malick’s style means that all is not as it seems.
During the course of this essay it is my intention to discuss the differences between Classical Hollywood and post-Classical Hollywood. Although these terms refer to theoretical movements of which they are not definitive it is my goal to show that they are applicable in a broad way to a cinema tradition that dominated Hollywood production between 1916 and 1960 and which also pervaded Western Mainstream Cinema (Classical Hollywood or Classic Narrative Cinema) and to the movement and changes that came about following this time period (Post-Classical or New Hollywood). I intend to do this by first analysing and defining aspects of Classical Hollywood and having done that, examining post classical at which time the relationship between them will become evident. It is my intention to reference films from both movements and also published texts relative to the subject matter. In order to illustrate the structures involved I will be writing about the subjects of genre and genre transformation, the representation of gender, postmodernism and the relationship between style, form and content.
... movie stars like royalty or mythical gods and goddesses, viewing the drama between great archetypal characters in a personal psychic realm. By considering the statements made and their societal impact from a Marxist perspective, Benjamin’s method is highly effective, as it does not simply consider art in terms of pure aesthetics anymore, but considers art’s place in a society capable of mechanically reproducing and endlessly duplicating film, photography, and digital art. His qualm with losing the aura and mystique of an original work is negated by the cult of movie stars, the adoration of fame, the incorporation of soundtracks which embody a particular time period, cinematographic allusions, and time-capsule-like qualities of a film such as Basquiat, a 90s tribute to the 80s, produced both as a part of and resulting from the art movements and trends it addresses.
...use of documentary style lighting and discontinuous editing that diverges from the Hollywood “invisible” editing. Through understanding the historical climates these two seemingly similar French cinematic movements were in, the psychology of a generation can be visualized in a way truly unique to the indexicality of the cinematic medium.
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. Jump cuts create “…discontinuities that the perceptual system will not ignore because the stimuli fall outside of the accommodation ranges for perceptual continuity, then spatial coherence breaks down” (Berliner). Even though jump cuts are not aesthetically pleasing, Godard uses them for the deeper meaning of the films.
The line of suspense shifts the audience due to narrative action being slowed down and has humor derived from audience knowing something the characters don’t know. During the film the relationship of the protagonist shift due to what Jefferies believes neighbors commit murder of wife. The character Lisa in the film has a representation of gender role of what a ‘’perfect women ‘’ is. In scene 1 the scene is one minute and 10 seconds long. The scene ‘’ I’m with you’’ lasted 1 min and 30 seconds. There was a major commotion created because 27 shots in one to seconds in length. The duration of the entire film is 1 hour and 55 minutes
Through most of the characters’ passion for filmmaking, this movie teaches the audience the great significance of film history. Many people in modern day tend to take film and its history for granted, but they do not realize the depth and effort that mankind has put into such a development. In Hugo, the theme of film history revolves around the entire production, and the audience sees flashbacks of Georges Méliès’ past that reveal his vital role in movie-making. By investing a deep meaning to the tale, viewers start to understand the great emotional and intellectual characteristics of movies. Additionally, Hugo himself delivers a message to his counterpart characters, which also serves as a lesson for the onlookers. He shows the audience that everyone has a part and purpose in this world. Protagonist Hugo Cabret says that “everything has a purpose, even machines. Clocks tell the time, trains take you places. They do what they’re meant to do.” Voicing through Hugo, the filmmakers illustrate how every individual has a reason to live and discover their calling. With a statement about the forgotten grandeur of film history and a valuable message to the crowd regarding one’s purpose, Hugo inspires and presents itself as a noteworthy and unforgettable
This "chaos" is also created through the use of frame- a story within a story. Towards the conclusion of the novel, the corners of the story are pulled together and readers are able to close the frame that encapsulated the inner story. The car ride is the result of Ondaatje's ability to transcend time and space- the story ends at the beginning of the novel and begins at the end, as if Patrick has told his story not only to the young girl Hana, but ultimately, to readers.
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
In 1959- early 1960 five directors released debut feature length films that are widely regarded as heralding the start of the French nouvelle vague or French New Wave. Claude Chabrols Le Beau Serge (The Good Serge, 1959) and Les Cousins (The Cousins, 1959) were released, along with Francois Truffauts Les Quatre cents coups (The 400 Blows, 1959), Jean-Luc Godards A bout de souffle (Breathless, 1960) and Alain Resnais Hiroshima mon amour (Hiroshima my love, 1959). These films were the beginning of a revolution in French cinema. In the following years these directors were to follow up their debuts, while other young directors made their first features, in fact between 1959-63 over 170 French directors made their debut films. These films were very different to anything French and American cinema had ever produced both in film style and film form and would change the shape of cinema to come for years. To understand how and why this nouvelle vague happened we must first look at the historical, social, economical and political aspects of France and the French film industry leading up to the onset of the nouvelle vague.
In this essay the following will be discussed; the change from the age of classical Hollywood film making to the new Hollywood era, the influence of European film making in American films from Martin Scorsese and how the film Taxi Driver shows the innovative and fresh techniques of this ‘New Hollywood Cinema’.
“Entertainment has to come hand in hand with a little bit of medicine, some people go to the movies to be reminded that everything’s okay. I don’t make those kinds of movies. That, to me, is a lie. Everything’s not okay.” - David Fincher. David Fincher is the director that I am choosing to homage for a number of reasons. I personally find his movies to be some of the deepest, most well made, and beautiful films in recent memory. However it is Fincher’s take on story telling and filmmaking in general that causes me to admire his films so much. This quote exemplifies that, and is something that I whole-heartedly agree with. I am and have always been extremely opinionated and open about my views on the world and I believe that artists have a responsibility to do what they can with their art to help improve the culture that they are helping to create. In this paper I will try to outline exactly how Fincher creates the masterpieces that he does and what I can take from that and apply to my films.