Characteristics and Film Example of French New Wave (Breathless)

In French New Wave, the directors reject montage aesthetics and favoring mise-en-scene and cinematography. These directors have the ideology of films should not just be intellectual or rational experiences but also should include emotional and psychological experiences. In other words, it means films should be more naturally and reality based with minimal design set and impromptu acting and dialogue. From here, director’s personal authorship has been developed. The ideology of personal authorship refers to “Policy of Authors” or Auteur Theory which states that film should be a medium of personal artistic expression which bears the filmmaker’s signature personality and themes.

Economically, French New Wave films are rather of low budget and independently done. Aesthetically, French New Wave rejects traditional ways of presenting the films. They use the term “self-reflexivity” or “meta-cinema” to describe their aesthetics of films. They want audiences to think about what the film is doing rather that just sit down and watch as films presented in Hollywood Cinema which serve as escapism from reality. This can be done by inserting aesthetic values such as jump cuts (sudden editing cuts which take place out of sequence or during an unexpected moment. Fast editing styles achieved and disturb narrative continuity), location shooting, direct sound (sound recorded at the scene, which are not common at that time) and available lighting, handheld camera movements, long takes, improvised plot and dialogue. These aesthetics are used to serve the purpose of self-reflexivity or to suggest the neutrality and reality of the films. 

In French New Wave, the characters are often marginalized, young anti-heroes and loners, with no family ties, who behave spontaneous, often act immorally and are frequently seen as anti-authoritarian. For example, Michael Poiccard in Breathless (1960). Women were given strong parts that didn’t conform to archetypal roles seen in Hollywood. For instance, Patricia Franchini in Breathless (1960). Also, there is a general cynicism concerning politics, often expressed as disillusionment with foreign policy in Algeria or Indo-China which both were France’s colonials at that time.

In story, plot and acting, directors often encourage the actors to improvise dialogue by themselves, even there is repetition of words or silence, it show naturality of life on the film. During this improvisation, to achieve a natural sense, actors were also encouraged to talk over each other. The narrative or story in new wave cinema was typically ends ambiguously. Their story lines are always open ended and not tidily wrapped up at the climax.

Michel Poiccard, an irresponsible sociopath and small-time thief, steals a car and 

impulsively murders the motorcycle policeman who pursues him and he is wanted by the authorities.  

Patricia Franchini, a hip American girl studying journalism at the Sorbonne

Patricia was portrayed as a strong woman who did not necessary follow the norms for women character in films. She had decision making power and she made her own choices. She made her own decision to study abroad and he choose who she want to be with (to have sex with). This can be referred to feminist theory in film which focuses on the development of women roles in films and how are they being portrayed in films. 

Jump cuts inside the car scene during the conversation of Michel and Patricia.

In the hotel scene, that was the most distinctive improvised dialogue presented in the film. the scene actually took up to 10 mins, just focusing on the conversation of the characters. it was presented in that way to show the naturality and reality of normal conversations. In this scene, long takes were used most of the time also to suggest the reality of the scene and the conversations.

The final scene was a typical French street and shot with limited props. Jump cuts, typical long tracking shots were incorporated to portray the reality, the imperfection, the messiness and the unpredictable of life.  

The existential themes of Breathless are presented in a style that facilitates their revelation. The Various shot lengths, multiple jump cuts and ambiguous plot progression characteristic of French New Wave emphasize the chaos and imperfections in life that are often ignored by Classical Hollywood.

A version of reality in Breathless that is unfamiliar and startling to people because of its honest, unapologetic depiction of life without much temporal manipulations.

In the end, we are somewhat encouraged to accept that most events that occur do not have straight forward explanations and people often do not have perfect understandings of themselves of each other.