Emergence of The French New Wave

The French New Wave emerged out of a hungry post-war France. Salivating for culture and left only with mainstream media that felt trite and contrived, French critics and film lovers began experimenting with different filmmaking techniques. Their influences ranged from the Italian Neo-Realism and American noir from the 40s and 50s.

During WWII, films from outside France stopped being imported into the country. But after the war, those embargoes were lifted and these cinephiles and critics were inundated by a flood of "new" movies. All this work from Hollywood greats like Welles, Hitchcock and Ford energized the French critics and the rest is history.






For decades, mainstream filmmaking, especially from Hollywood, set the standards and "rules" on how to make a film. The French filmmakers understood those rules...and then threw them out the window. The smaller, lightweight cameras were often "freed" from the tripod and handheld, giving a new life and energy to their films.

Non-linear and fragmented editing became another major and exciting contribution. For decades, each Shot A led logically into Shot B, leaving no gaps in the information to keep the audience from being confused. Now, in these French films, logic became a secondary concern.

The video from The Discarded Image highlights the radical choices made by French director, Jean-Luc Godard. His film, Breathless, became one of the preeminent films in the movement and began one of the most exciting and artistic careers of any film director.

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