French Nouvelle Vague Cinema
‘The New Wave has influenced all filmmakers who have worked since, whether they saw the films or not. It submerged cinema like a tidal wave’ (Martin Scorsese). The ‘Nouvelle Vague’ remains one of the most influential cinema movements of all time. Its films, made by young, rebellious directors in the late 1950s and early 1960s, marked a radical change from French mainstream cinema. In this course we will be looking at the changes brought about in film by the New Wave and exploring some of the movement’s most famous films and directors.
Key Information
COURSE SYLLABUS
| Department | Arts |
| Course Length | 10 weeks |
| Live Lessons | One 45-minute lesson per week |
| Homework | Approximately half an hour a week |
| Examination | None |
| Entry Requirements | None. Films can be viewed with English subtitles if required. |
Course Syllabus
| Lesson 1 | What was the Nouvelle Vague? |
| Lesson 2 | Origins of the Nouvelle Vague |
| Lesson 3 | The 400 Blows, François Truffaut |
| Lesson 4 | The director as auteur |
| Lesson 5 | Breathless, Jean-Luc Godard |
| Lesson 6 | Innovative cinematographic techniques |
| Lesson 7 | Cléo from 5 to 7, Agnès Varda |
| Lesson 8 | Narrative and themes in Nouvelle Vague films |
| Lesson 9 | Hiroshima mon amour, Alain Resnais |
| Lesson 10 | The influence of the Nouvelle Vague today |