Truffaut, Fellini, Rohmer, Godard...

[rosncranz]

Who would you say is the most important and overall best filmmakers of the French New Wave?

I love Godard's films that I have seen, especially Bande A Part. I love his style and just the overall general feel of his films.

I also feel that Fellini and Bergman maybe should be included herein, though the height of Bergman's popularity and quality seems to come more from the seventies and they both are obviously very much not French.

Anyway this isn't strictly about the French New Wave, but about filmmakers whose heyday was around that time and contributed to this particular style of cinema.

What are your thoughts? Best film? Best director? Worst director? Favorite actors etc....

[rosncranz]

Hahaha ok...so most people on here don't know who these guys are I take it... lol

[Knerys]

Ooooooooh I know a few of them. And I can't stand New Wave lol. Sorry. It's never been a style I could get in to.

[Dracula]

Fellini and Bergman have NOTHING to do with the French New Wave, at all. The most important/influential of the New wave directors was Godard, the most talented was Truffaut.

[kel thuzad]

Agreed with Vlad, there is no way you can put French new wawe together with Fellini and Bergman who were very different even between themselves.
But If we are talking about the Wawe, I like Truffaut the best, I think he was the perfect blend between the ideals in which the whole movement/era started and a flawless technical filmmaking. But I also recognize Godard, out of the movies I saw I liked every one. And with Godard you just have to be in awe considering the amount of work he produced over the years.

[rosncranz]

Fellini and Bergman have NOTHING to do with the French New Wave, at all. The most important/influential of the New wave directors was Godard, the most talented was Truffaut.


"I also feel that Fellini and Bergman maybe should be included herein, though the height of Bergman's popularity and quality seems to come more from the seventies and they both are obviously very much not French.

Anyway this isn't strictly about the French New Wave, but about filmmakers whose heyday was around that time and contributed to this particular style of cinema."

[rosncranz]

Ooooooooh I know a few of them. And I can't stand New Wave lol. Sorry. It's never been a style I could get in to.

This is an interesting statement, because the New Wave paved the way for the way MANY movies are now. Many of the movies you like are probably what they are only because of the new wave.

[Dracula]

"I also feel that Fellini and Bergman maybe should be included herein, though the height of Bergman's popularity and quality seems to come more from the seventies and they both are obviously very much not French.

Anyway this isn't strictly about the French New Wave, but about filmmakers whose heyday was around that time and contributed to this particular style of cinema."

That's like comparing David Fincher to Gus Van Sant just because they rose to fame in the 90's, it doesn't make sense.

[rosncranz]

That's like comparing David Fincher to Gus Van Sant just because they rose to fame in the 90's, it doesn't make sense.

They contributed to the same style of cinema IMO, not only that but I put them in the same category (though never said Fellini and Bergman are of the French New Wave) because when I think of the filmmakers of FNW I think of these two directors as well, you see where I am saying they are not the same but are similar and I often speak of them all in the same conversation because I find them similar?

Personally I look at the works of Truffaut, Godard, and Bergman and I see a lot of the same themes and qualities.

I see Bergman contributing very much as well because like Godard, Truffaut etc. He made films about conflicted, real, and flawed characters. They all were pretty avante garde in their approaches and are also often spoken of in the same breath as the directors of the FNW.

Anyway as I stated in my original post, I just think of them as being very similar, though I will give you that Fellini doesn't really belong in this category.

Fincher and Van Sant? There works are not in the same realm, or even stylistically similar. Though Gus Van Sant was obviously influenced by the FNW.

[Knerys]

This is an interesting statement, because the New Wave paved the way for the way MANY movies are now. Many of the movies you like are probably what they are only because of the new wave.

Well, maybe "can't stand" is a too strong a term....Becasue yes there many movies that I grew up watching that have New Wave elements in them. Maybe I'm just not a fan of Godard himself.

I just remember watching My Live to Live and not getting into it. Then I watch another one by another director, it was made in 2001 (Maybe 2000).....both names escape me at the moment, and again, not liking it.

But I liked Memento and Enternal Sunshine and they drew upon New Wave use the elements. Plus Tarantino likes to use the techniques alot and I like most of his work (haven't seen all of Resivoir Dogs, I know, I know).

So I guess I can appreciate the influence and it's contribution. But Godard, still not my cup of tea.

[rosncranz]

Well, maybe "can't stand" is a too strong a term....Becasue yes there many movies that I grew up watching that have New Wave elements in them. Maybe I'm just not a fan of Godard himself.

I just remember watching My Live to Live and not getting into it. Then I watch another one by another director, it was made in 2001 (Maybe 2000).....both names escape me at the moment, and again, not liking it.

But I liked Memento and Enternal Sunshine and they drew upon New Wave use the elements. Plus Tarantino likes to use the techniques alot and I like most of his work (haven't seen all of Resivoir Dogs, I know, I know).

So I guess I can appreciate the influence and it's contribution. But Godard, still not my cup of tea.

That's understandable. I think Godard is my favorite from the new wave, but I certainly can understand why people don't like him.

[DeadFlagBlues]

I can understand how one may not like Godard himself. He is quite full of himself and is terribly pretentious (but perhaps for good reason). But many of the criticisms come from individuals who simply did not "understand" his films or any of the films by the directors mentioned before.

Godard's aim, like in many of his films, was to release the audience from fakery and manipulation. Also, he was exploring new styles of film making. He was never static in his approach. Which made his films that much more exciting and new. He is essentially the antithesis of Spielberg. I find Godard to be the most influential of all directors. Perhaps not the best, but indeed the most influential.

But we really shouldn't forget the other cinematic movements occurring: German Expressionism, Japanese New Wave, Italian Neorealism, Czechoslovak New Wave, etc.