The French New Wave

"Despite their differences, these films share connections, a common essence which is nothing less than their notion of mise-en-scène, or a filmic écriture, based on shared principles. Just as one recognizes the vintage of a great wine by its body, color, and scent, one recognizes a nouvelle vague film by its style."—Claire Clouzot, Le cinéma français

The French New Wave was a very significant era in the french cinematic world during the 50’s. Many directors argued that french cinema were just like literature which led to movies that express ideas based on novels or even paintings. This idea of the French New Wave influenced many new directors and created a new type of filming style. French New Wave still has as much impact today as it did 50+ years ago even if we don’t see it as often. The contemporary influence that came from French New Wave gave way to many new views of film and media, so movies like The 400 Blows and Breathless show how the French New Wave was full of new ideas and a new art of filming.