tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post6857891420769650582..comments2024-03-19T13:42:20.937+13:00Comments on Cinematic Paradox: Dipping My Toes in French New Wave: Cleo from 5 to 7 and The 400 BlowsStevee Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-6498149065938544072022-03-13T07:57:14.011+13:002022-03-13T07:57:14.011+13:00Family oriented radio channel providing 24 hours o...Family oriented radio channel providing 24 hours of cultural programming with focus on history, language, habits and religion. <a href="https://123cima4u.net/" rel="nofollow">https://123cima4u.net/</a><br />entertainmenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11925698820079770376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-73553211704802795912012-06-11T12:15:13.029+12:002012-06-11T12:15:13.029+12:00I really loved Breathless. I'm trying to track...I really loved Breathless. I'm trying to track down Vivre sa Vie and Bande a Part.Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-50417730363265918472012-06-11T12:14:30.099+12:002012-06-11T12:14:30.099+12:00I might watch Last Year at Marienbad in the future...I might watch Last Year at Marienbad in the future, but I probably won't have much of a chance to fit it in. Must check out Jules and Jim, though.Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-86014951990136428992012-06-11T12:13:35.133+12:002012-06-11T12:13:35.133+12:00Louis Malle is another director I'd like to ch...Louis Malle is another director I'd like to check out. And I did love Breathless, so that's one Godard that I liked!Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-90429608449882772472012-06-11T12:12:32.942+12:002012-06-11T12:12:32.942+12:00I'm going to watch Hiroshima Mon Amour later i...I'm going to watch Hiroshima Mon Amour later in the week. And I'm getting into some Bresson some time soon with Au hasard Balthazar.Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-56094754141610407532012-06-08T10:27:22.933+12:002012-06-08T10:27:22.933+12:00And meant watch Hiroshima Mon Amour, not what - se...And meant watch Hiroshima Mon Amour, not what - seems like I am spamming your post today Stevee!Cherokeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14147334445332458371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-78981186308175959112012-06-08T10:26:49.226+12:002012-06-08T10:26:49.226+12:00Also surprised no one has mentioned Robert Bresson...Also surprised no one has mentioned Robert Bresson here. He's quality. It's quite hard to get into his films, though, but once you do, it's so worth it.Cherokeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14147334445332458371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-49618578774312970232012-06-08T10:19:10.652+12:002012-06-08T10:19:10.652+12:00What Hiroshima Mon Amour, that is an AMAZING film....What Hiroshima Mon Amour, that is an AMAZING film. One of my favourites. <br /><br />Also, really liking this feature, Stevee!Cherokeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14147334445332458371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-41807252933725638342012-06-07T21:19:23.301+12:002012-06-07T21:19:23.301+12:00Godard is ostensibly the biggest name in French Ne...Godard is ostensibly the biggest name in French New Wave, but a tricky director. Some of his films are easy to watch, others are insanely difficult. I love most of them, but there are certain ones you won't like. Vivre sa Vie is a fairly safe bet, as is Breathless, Bande a Part, Alphaville and maybe Masculin Feminin.Tylerhttp://magnoliaforever.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-49324331257463299182012-06-07T21:17:19.424+12:002012-06-07T21:17:19.424+12:00Stevee, you will like Breathless and Jules and Jim...Stevee, you will like Breathless and Jules and Jim. If you don't, I'll be surprised. Last Year at Marienbad is a film I was so close to recommending to you. The only reason I didn't was because there's not much of a plot in it, but it is truly one of the most beautiful, stunning movies ever made. The visuals are hauntingly poetic. I absolutely adored it. However, I did recommend another film by the same director Alain Resnais, called Hiroshima mon Amour. I think you'll like that one.Tylerhttp://magnoliaforever.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-37731801431432147462012-06-07T21:14:51.424+12:002012-06-07T21:14:51.424+12:00Rivette is excellent but many of his best movies a...Rivette is excellent but many of his best movies are really, really long. The only great one I think is left on YouTube is La Belle Noiseuse, which is four hours, and I don't think you'd love it. Celine and Julie Go Boating is a fantastic Rivette film you would enjoy, but sadly it was removed from YouTube. The only other Rivette film I've seen is Va Savoir, which is available via Fatso and which you will probably like.<br /><br />I haven't seen Le Beau Serge, but I thought Bob the Gambler by Jean-Pierre Melville was the first New Wave film.<br /><br />I haven't seen anything by Eric Rohmer.<br /><br />Anything by Truffaut is a pretty safe bet for you, Stevee.<br /><br />James mentions that Louis Malle stands out as not particularly noticeable in the New Wave haze. I disagree. He's one of my favourite French directors. I recommended two of his films earlier, Elevator to the Gallows and The Fire Within (the latter is on YouTube, the former on Fatso). What makes Malle more accessible is that he also made films in America as well as France. He's a mixed bag, but there are a lot of goodies if you know where to find them.<br /><br />Godard is a tricky director, but I'm almost certain Stevee will like Vivre sa Vie.Tylerhttp://magnoliaforever.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-7654731035662032102012-06-07T20:21:24.103+12:002012-06-07T20:21:24.103+12:00You will have to check out Cleo. So good.
That...You will have to check out Cleo. So good.<br /><br />That's fair enough - I found it was a tough film to really tap into, but now I've mulled it over I like it a little more. <br /><br />I'm gonna get into some Godard. Vivre Sa Vie seems like a good start!<br /><br />And I'll try watch that one, too.Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-69276063648702386162012-06-07T20:13:04.372+12:002012-06-07T20:13:04.372+12:00I do want to see Vagabond.
I'll probably chec...I do want to see Vagabond.<br /><br />I'll probably check out Last Year in Marienbad. I'm definitely checking out Breathless and Jules & Jim, though!Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-59175970684810243072012-06-07T20:10:23.673+12:002012-06-07T20:10:23.673+12:00That's the way most French New Wave films are,...That's the way most French New Wave films are, I hear :) I kinda like my films that way.Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-54592067523060187982012-06-07T20:03:07.580+12:002012-06-07T20:03:07.580+12:00Cleo from 5 to 7 is really good, isn't it? Lov...Cleo from 5 to 7 is really good, isn't it? Loved it.Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-27257488086678486582012-06-07T20:02:04.932+12:002012-06-07T20:02:04.932+12:00I had read about Varda and the left-bank directors...I had read about Varda and the left-bank directors. I'm just going from Wikipedia, though - so hopefully the movies I choose won't be too far from the French New Wave :)<br /><br />I will try and have a look for the works by those directors. Particularly Jacques Rivette. I've heard he's great.Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-13406161003766456642012-06-07T19:59:44.864+12:002012-06-07T19:59:44.864+12:00The Dreamers is one film I really want to see. One...The Dreamers is one film I really want to see. One day, one day.Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-45823081086446426682012-06-07T19:39:22.360+12:002012-06-07T19:39:22.360+12:00You sure can do that if you want. And I want to ch...You sure can do that if you want. And I want to check out Vivre sa Vie, so I might check that out next.Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-49791561658408152392012-06-07T12:49:56.105+12:002012-06-07T12:49:56.105+12:00I've not seen Cleo from 5 to 7 yet. I'll h...I've not seen Cleo from 5 to 7 yet. I'll have to check it out soon.<br /><br />As for The 400 Blows, I'm not a fan of Truffaut in general. I get its significance, I just don't connect with the character at all. Don't Shoot the Piano Player and Pocket Money/Small Change are two much better films. <br /><br />I'd recommend dipping your toes into Godard with either A Woman is a Woman if you want something fun or Vivre Sa Vie for a serious, dramatic story.<br /><br />I'll also second Last Year in Marienbad. A bizarre, brilliant film.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-71292065240388594742012-06-07T09:10:22.386+12:002012-06-07T09:10:22.386+12:00I've only seen The 400 Blows which I love and ...I've only seen <i>The 400 Blows</i> which I love and the only Varda film I saw so far is <i>Vagabond</i>. That I recommend.<br /><br />As for films of the French New Wave to see. Well, I can't really say as I've only seen a handful of these films. The ones that I've seen I will recommend. Truffaut's <i>Jules & Jim</i>, Jean Luc-Godard's <i>Breathless</i>, <i>Bande a Parte</i>, and <i>Made in U.S.A.</i>, and Alain Resnais' <i>Last Year in Marienbad</i>. The last of which is not an easy film to watch due to its lack of plot but truly one of the most beautiful films ever made.<br /><br />Oh, BTW... in case you haven't read my contributions to the <a href="http://thevoid99.blogspot.com/2012/06/10-best-directors-of-all-time-relay.html" rel="nofollow">10 Best Directors of All-Time Relay Race</a>... you're next.thevoid99https://www.blogger.com/profile/03055459287396592446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-82294406390306034212012-06-07T05:28:20.913+12:002012-06-07T05:28:20.913+12:00I was really frustrated the first time I saw The 4...I was really frustrated the first time I saw The 400 Blows. I think it's because it just ends and I wanted a little bit more. I guess I didn't hate it though since I do own it. You might have inspired me to give it another chance. Thanks, Stevee.Maxhttp://www.impassionedcinema.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-70083520211640901852012-06-07T02:27:49.102+12:002012-06-07T02:27:49.102+12:00Stevee, it's great that you got to see Cleo fr...Stevee, it's great that you got to see Cleo from 5 to 7. I caught up with it a few years ago (pre-blog) when I went through some classic French New Wave films. It was my favorite of the group and was a huge surprise. It's a gorgeous movie like you mention, and I was gripped throughout the story.Danhttp://ptsnob.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-14915625847870922362012-06-07T01:07:41.226+12:002012-06-07T01:07:41.226+12:00Interesting that you bring up Varda, cos she's...Interesting that you bring up Varda, cos she's one of these people who kind of complicates the whole idea of the "French New Wave". There was indeed this sudden eruption of new voices in French cinema in 1959/60, several of them connected with the magazine Cahiers du Cinema (Godard, Truffaut, Chabrol, Rohmer, Rivette, etc), but you also had the so-called "Left Bank" crowd (Varda, Resnais, Jacques Demy, Chris Marker) who were brought into the movement (such as it was) by the critics but most of them already had active careers and didn't feel part of the New Wave. And then you have people like Malle who came up around the same time as the New Wave, but it's still debated whether or not he was ever really "part" of it. It's a kind of vexed issue, like most movements whose existence is/was postulated by critics rather than any artists who may have been involved.<br /><br />Truffaut is an interesting case, too, having led the intellectual/theoretical charge in the pages of Cahiers against the then-current state of French cinema and its valorisation of writers over directors, which is what all the Cahiers mob really wanted to be. And yet, from what I gather, he kind of turned the fastest of any of them into the kind of "safe" conventional filmmaker he'd decried (which is not necessarily an argument against his films, and I haven't seen enough to judge). Plus I have seen it argued, with some justice, that there was a sort of politically conservative impulse behind Truffaut's thinking and the whole Cahiers "auteur" policy, so who can say.<br /><br />Claude Chabrol's "Le beau Serge" usually gets the nod as the first "New Wave" film. Tyler can probably point you towards a copy of it on Youtube. Eric Rohmer is apparently great if you like lots and lots of talking without much action, and Jacques Rivette is apparently also great if you can actually find anything by him at all. I continue to think that Jean-Luc Godard is one of the biggest tricks ever played on cinema.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-84296890078493567572012-06-07T01:02:01.375+12:002012-06-07T01:02:01.375+12:00I went through a huge French New Wave phase after ...I went through a huge French New Wave phase after watching The Dreamers, though I kept it more or less contained to Truffaut and Godard. I should really look at the other filmmakers too.<br /><br />I haven't seen Cleo, but 400 Blows is amazing. my favourite in the Antoine Doinel series is Stolen Kisses though. That one was kind of quirky and it really spoke to me personally.Nikhathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10379713171889712078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-63768843674417216292012-06-06T23:04:24.687+12:002012-06-06T23:04:24.687+12:00I don't have much time to list a whole bunch o...I don't have much time to list a whole bunch of films for you to watch (as much as I'd like to). I mentioned some on Twitter yesterday, but I'd be delighted to take the time to write out a list of 10-15 absolutely essential French New Wave films for you to watch if you'd like. I'd be cautious to take into account your film tastes as well as also giving you a few titles that might challenge you a bit. Off the top of my head, I'll list five:<br /><br />Vivre sa Vie (1962)<br />Jules and Jim (1962)<br />Hiroshima mon Amour (1959)<br />Elevator to the Gallows (1957)<br />The Fire Within (1963)<br /><br />They should give you a good taste of what French New Wave has to offer.Tylerhttp://magnoliaforever.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com