How the French New Wave Influenced 90s American Indie Cinema
Film movements are defined as, “waves of films, usually following a particular trend in the cinema of the time”. A film movement is therefore a group of films that share similar ideas and aesthetics, and generally use the same methods to convey them. Their influences can come from many different sources; popular culture, social issues, or even art, as was the case with German Expressionism - heavily influenced by the Expressionist movement within art, driven by artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Edvard Munch, and El Greco. The influences which cinema movements have on each other go beyond time and space; it is well-known, for instance, that the British New Wave films, (inspired by the working classes of British society), highly influenced the French New Wave movement, which in turn impacted US cinema through the birth of the New Hollywood movement. However, one lesser-known parallel that I will explore today is the link between the French New Wave cinema of the 50s and 60s, and the American independent film movement of the 90s. To do this, I will compare two films, one from each movement; Francois Truffaut’s short film Antoine et Colette, which came out in 1962, and Richard Linklater’s 1995 film Before Sunrise.
First, let’s look at each of these film movements separately:
La Nouvelle Vague
The French New Wave - or Nouvelle Vague in French - was born during the late 1950s and lasted until the end of the 1960s. Well-known filmmakers that contributed to the movement include Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Éric Rohmer, Claude Chabrol, Agnès Varda, and Jacques Demy. The movement was inspired by other film movements elsewhere, such as Italian Neo-Realism and American noir from the 40s and 50s. One of the key characteristics of the French New Wave films was the rejection of film traditions. People began experimenting with different filmmaking techniques; lightweight cameras were often handheld, editing became increasingly non-linear and fragmented, and filmmakers started using jump cuts rather than continuous editing. Additionally, the plots became more de-emphasized, and dialogue was often improvised, long takes were recurrent, and direct sound and natural light were favored. The movement continues to inspire filmmakers around the world, from Tarantino, to Scorsese, and even Wong Kar Wai.
90s US Indie Cinema
In 1991, through the Sundance Film Festival, the Independent Cinema movement was launched. Famous filmmakers involved included Quentin Tarantino, David O. Russell, Paul Thomas Anderson, Sofia Coppola, Noah Baumbach, Richard Linklater, Nicole Holofcener, and Steven Soderbergh. During the 90s many independent films - that is to say, any film that is made without a major studio or big production company attached - gained critical success, as well as box office success. In the mid-2000s, about 15% of the U.S. domestic box office revenue came from independent studios. However, indie films are more than just small-budget movies; they tell unique and thought-provoking stories, driven by artistic vision - not box office sales. Very much like the French New Wave, the 90s American Independent film movement allowed filmmakers to express themselves freely, without having to follow the same demands that huge box office films must. However, unlike the 50s and 60s French films, which followed specific visual aesthetics and technical aspects, 90s Indie films varied greatly, in terms of style and genre. Often intended to invite viewers think about certain subjects or concepts, featuring challenging and realistic storylines, oftentimes about the human experience, they are also far less heavily censored and thus can be more honest, frequently dealing with sensitive issues.
The relation between the two movements
When we think of the French New Wave’s influence on US cinema, we immediately think of the New Hollywood movement. There are clear parallels between movies like Le Mépris, Claire’s Knee and Céline and Julie Go Boating, and movies like Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, or Badlands for example.
Le Mépris (1963)
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
A more interesting exploration, however, would be to examine the impact of the French New Wave across time and space; more specifically, what remains of the movement’s impact on another continent, 25 years after it ended.
The French New Wave films are often among the favorites of indie filmmakers, and there’s a reason for this. Other than sharing the freedom of not following traditional conventions imposed by big-budget companies, both movements allow for more artistic freedom, and the use of atypical, revolutionary methods.
Antoine et Colette (1962)
Antoine et Colette is a short black and white French film in François Truffaut's series about Antoine Doinel, a character that he follows from childhood to adulthood, through a total of five films. Antoine and Colette is part of the 1962 anthology collection ‘Love at Twenty’, featuring short films from renowned international directors such as Shintarô Ishihara, Marcel Ophüls, Renzo Rossellini, and Andrzej Wajda. Antoine Doinel, (played by Jean-Pierre Léaud, the actor who featured in all five films), began his career in Truffaut's first 1959 film The 400 Blows. The semi-autobiographical film portrays the young Antoine as he navigates through adolescence and eventually gets into a life of crime. This film introduced the world to the French New Wave.
In Antoine et Colette, Antoine loses his childish characteristics and becomes a romantic and awkward teenager. The film follows Antoine as he starts to work in a factory making records. He can finally live independently and enjoy the Parisian bohemian lifestyle. One night, as he goes to one of the recurrent concerts offered by the music lover club called “Les Jeunesses de musicales de France”, he meets Colette, a young woman who lives in his neighborhood. He soon falls in love with her and, unfortunately for him, she quickly becomes uninterested, therefore leaving him heartbroken.
Before Sunrise
Before Sunrise is a 1995 American film directed by Richard Linklater, and written by Linklater and Kim Krizan. It is part of the ‘Before’ trilogy; a group of three films, Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013), all directed by the same person, and starring Ethan Hawke (as Jesse), and Julie Delpy (as Céline), at three different parts of their lives. The films are set at nine-year intervals.
In Before Sunrise, Jesse, a young American man, and Céline, a young French woman, meet on a train and decide to get off in Vienna, where they spend the night wandering around the city, getting to know each other, and eventually falling in love. The film is mostly guided by conversations between the two characters as they navigate the city. Jesse is portrayed as a romantic, “disguised as a cynic”, while Céline seems like a romantic, but progressively reveals her doubts about love. Since they initially thought they would never see each other again, they decide to share a multitude of aspects of their lives with each other throughout the night.
I selected these two movies because they share a lot of qualities, while still being from different times and places, therefore, making it easier for an examination of the effects of the French movement. Throughout this comparative exploration, I hope to highlight the link between the two movies, as well as the larger, long-lasting impacts film movements have on each other.
Looking at the storyline, both movies have similar thematic elements. Long philosophical, (and sometimes existential), conversations about life, music, art, and culture, (and even romance), are all part of both plots. The rambling philosophical narration in both films is a recurrent theme of the French New Wave movement; the films often touched on existentialism and questioning life and its meanings. This is usually accompanied by lengthy single takes and improvised dialogue, although the latter is ironically only present in Linklater’s film.
Two scenes from each movie perfectly exemplify the use of long shots, which were so popular in the New Wave films:
Antoine looking Colette during the concert
Jesse and Céline in the record store
In Antoine et Colette, Antoine is depicted gazing at Colette for a long period during a concert. Shots of Antoine are intertwined with different shots of Colette’s body. In Before Sunrise, the scene is more intimate; shooting at a high angle and with the actors closer to the camera, Linklater captures the characters’ exchange of glances in one single take. In both cases, the effect the long takes have on the viewers is similar; we can’t help but feel the raw emotions of the scene. While in Before Sunrise, the awkwardness and intensity of feelings are heightened by the proximity of the camera and the closeness of the characters, the scene in Antoine et Colette conveys emotions in other ways; the crowded space highlights the interaction between the characters, while the distance between them is used to also explore Antoine’s implicit thoughts and reaction.
Parallels between the characters also exist. Both Jesse and Antoine are writers, and have a strong interest in music. They both find themselves chasing seemingly manic pixie dream girls, (although Celine is not exactly a mpdg). Both characters also exude awkwardness, and crave independence, freedom, and spontaneity.
Another similarity between the two films is that they are part of a series. Antoine et Colette is the second film of Truffaut’s series, released after his iconic film The 400 Blows and before Stolen Kisses, Bed and Board, and lastly Love on the Run. Before Sunrise is the first of the Before Trilogy. Both Truffaut and Linklater commonly explore the passing of time as a narrative element of their respective stories; they use the same biography and the same actors, taking advantage of the way they age and mature through time, potraying the characters as they grow in years and experience. The directors use this to bring “authenticity” in cinema to a new level; they show us that “real life” is reflected on the screen. While Truffaut was the first to dare to explore this concept, Linklater, as for many other indie filmmakers, was left more inspired than ever and took it further.
However, the films differ on various levels; notably in their style. Prominently, one is in black and white, while the other uses color. Moreover, while it is undeniable that Linklater took some of the techniques used by french filmmakers during the New Wave, (such as improvised dialogue, long takes, shaky shots, jump cuts, de-emphasized plots, or even location shooting), he created the movie through the lens of a more modern filmmaker, combining those techniques with more recent methods.
Truffaut’s singular vision, extending, “the borders of film to go beyond the screen and create a connection between movies and life itself” (Preminger, 2004), is representative of the entire New Wave movement. French films during the 50s and 60s were more than just “pretty” or “unusual” movies; they revolutionized cinema by giving filmmakers the possibility to freely explore their art, experiment, and most importantly, express their love for the truth. Immediate repercussions of the movement around the world triggered an avalanche of innovations and, as seen in this article, continue to influence filmmakers today. Independent filmmakers in particular, find comfort and inspiration in the movement, which keeps reminding them of the importance of fighting for artistic freedom.