french new wave

FRENCH NEW WAVE

French New Wave first became a popular film genre in the 1950s and 60s, where it made its debut. The style involved lots of improvisation, realism, and jump cuts. One main factor was making sure the camera work/the films themselves looked very "home-made".
Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut were 2 of the most iconic directors during this time period, and they became considered the fathers of French New Wave.

A few examples of French New Wave films:

• Vivre sa vie (1962)
• Breathless (1960)
• Less Bonnes Femmes (1960)
• Lola (1961)

NEOREALISM IN FILM

The art of neorealism first started in the 1940s in Italy, and is mainly known for its' depiction of the working class. Most of these films deal with issues relating to the economical struggles people faced after World War II. Almost all neorealist movies were filmed on location, and are set up in a documentary-style fashion.
Simplicity is key for this art style. Little to no editing/lighting/camerawork is essential, leaving these films with a "style-less" style.
   Some examples of these films are:

• Ossessione (1943)
• Sciuscia (1946)
• Riso amaro (1949)
• Bellissima (1951)
• Umberto D. (1952)

Major Inciting Story Incident

REAR WINDOW

Just recently I watched the remarkably-made film Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock for the first time with my dad.
I thought it was an excellently made film, with lots of good moments that keep you on the edge of your seat. I believe that the major inciting incident in that movie is when the main character, JB, hears a woman scream the word "Don't!!", followed by the sound of glass breaking.
This sets the mood and conflict for the rest of the film, and it's what gets the action started.

"Chelsea Girls" Review

Although Andy Warhol's "Chelsea Girls" (1966) could easily come off as boring to the regular, everyday viewer, I thought the film was full of many creative and interesting visual concepts. The positioning of the opening shot is personally one of my favorites; I think it captures the watcher's eye right from the beginning and it made me want to keep watching.
I love the fact that there are constantly two different shots playing at the same time throughout the movie. It looks even more visually appealing to me when one side is in color and the other is in black and white.
I will admit, however, that the film is slow. Very slow. Most, or even all, of the dialogue in the movie is improvised and that is evident when watching. I don't think Warhol had a clear story or message he was trying to convey by making this film. Instead, it was more of just him making a film simply because he wanted to make a film.