FRENCH NEW WAVE
Guest Editor: Armida Mucino-Pineda
FRENCH NEW WAVE
The French New Wave or La Nouvelle Vague, movement that emerged in 1950’s France, rejected traditional artistic norms in filmmaking. Led by young film directors and critics for Cahiers du Cinéma—such as Jean-Luc Godard, Agnès Varda, Jacques Rivette, Éric Rohmer, Francois Truffaut, Claude Chabrol, etc.—who created their own storytelling techniques, departing from established narrative norms. The influence of literature in French cinema is present throughout the body of work of the Nouvelle Vague pioneers and other, often overlooked, writer-directors like Marguerite Duras and Alain Robbe-Grillet. Readers will definitely appreciate the abundant literary and various art-form references in these films.
La Belle Noiseuse / The Beautiful Troublemaker, 1991, Jacques Rivette
Inspired by Le Chef-d'œuvre inconnu, short story by French novelist Honoré de Balzac, the film tells the story of an aging artist, played by Michel Piccoli, comes out of retirement, inspired by muse Marianne (Emmanuelle Béart) to complete an unfinished portrait.
Vivre Sa Vie / My Life to Live, 1962, Jean-Luc Godard
The film follows Nana, an aspiring actress turned prostitute, played by French New Wave icon Anna Karina. Divided into twelve chapters, similar to a novel, the film draws from various literary and philosophical writings.
Le Rayon Vert / The Green Ray, 1986, Éric Rohmer
The film opens with a Rimbaud quote: ”Ah, for the days that set our hearts ablaze”; it follows the story of Delphine, played by Marie Rivière. Her summer plans have been abruptly cancelled after a break-up, she stumbles through summer anxiously looking for meaning.
La Collectionneuse / The Collector, 1967, Éric Rohmer
Chapter four of the Six Moral Tales series and beautifully shot by Nestor Almendros, La Collectionneuse tells the story of Adrien (Patrick Bauchau) and Daniel (Daniel Pommereulle) who’s leisurely summer in a villa on the French Riviera is interrupted by guest Haydée (Haydée Politoff). The beautiful landscape hides an increasingly tense dynamic between the guests. Also not to miss, the rest of the Moral Tales and short films like Nadja à Paris, which follows writer Nadja Tesich while studying abroad in Paris.
L’Amour a la Mer / Love At Sea, 1964, Guy Gilles
First feature film of overlooked director Guy Gilles; an unrequited love story between a secretary (Geneviève Thénier) and a sailor (Daniel Moosmann) living in different cities, they write to each other regularly. With appearances by Alain Delon, Romy Schneider and Jean-Pierre Léaud.
