CURRICULUM PLOT SUMMARY. THE 400 BLOWS LES QUATRE CENTS COUPS (François Truffaut, 1959) CONTENTS

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1 study guide 15 The History of Film - Independent Cinema and the French New Wave CONTENTS The French New Wave and Independent Film Origins of the French New Wave Characteristics of the French New Wave Old Stories for a New Cinema - François Truffaut s The 400 Blows (Les quatre cents coups) The Jump Cut and Jean-Luc Godard s Breathless New Filmmaking Technology The French New Wave and the Future of Filmmaking Activity Answer Key 23 CURRICULUM This teaching guide has three curriculum objectives: To help students and teachers using films and videos in the context of the following secondary school curriculum - English Language Arts, Film and Media Studies, Social Studies, and Visual Arts To assist educators who are planning to teach film studies for the first time To suggest ways in which traditional literary concepts may be taught using a medium other than printed text PLOT SUMMARY THE 400 BLOWS LES QUATRE CENTS COUPS (François Truffaut, 1959) Truffaut s debut feature is one of the most accessible and beloved films of the French New Wave. Set in post-war Paris, The 400 Blows is a deeply personal and autobiographical film that draws heavily from Truffaut s own experiences as a child. Because the movie touches on so many experiences in the director s life, he feared that it might come off as a whiny, selfindulgent confessional. Even from a distance of more than forty years, however, a more inappropriate description could not be made. It remains a powerful, moving portrait of adolescence, rebellion, and betrayal. Note: Classroom activities are provided after each section along with an answer key at the end of the guide. Answers are not provided for all activities as some questions depend on teachers to choose films they are already working with in their classes. The story follows a few weeks in the life of Antoine Doinel, a fourteen-year old whose bleak odyssey is traced through family life, reform school, and a final escape to the sea. Truffaut is never mawkish in telling Antoine s story, although he is clearly sympathetic to the life of a downtrodden, neglected, and rebellious youth. Among other stunning features, the film s images of Paris are remarkable in their documentary-like feel. As well, throughout, cinematographer Henry Decaë s camera is animated and nervous, creating an intimate bond between the audience and the characters on screen. Although not Truffaut s best picture, The 400 Blows is a powerful introduction to the films of the New Wave and a powerful reminder of how good films about youth can be. THE HISTORY OF FILM - STUDY GUIDE 15 Independent Cinema and the French New Wave 01

2 Prior to watching The 400 Blows, consider the following questions: 1. The 400 Blows is not like a Hollywood film. As you are watching the movie, consider how it is different from more mainstream Hollywood movies about youth like Dead Poets Society (Peter Weir, 1989), Rushmore (Wes Anderson, 1998), The Virgin Suicides (Sofia Coppola, 1999), or Ghost World (Terry Zwigoff, 2001). 2. As you are watching The 400 Blows, notice the black and white cinematography. Truffault shot the film in black and white because it was economical, however the photography is also ideally fit to the mood of the movie. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer. After watching The 400 Blows, discuss the following questions: 1. What was your reaction to the film? If you liked The 400 Blows, what stood out for you in the picture? If you disliked the film, why do you think it is considered one of the most important pictures in the history of film? 2. One of the important filmmaking techniques used by New Wave filmmakers was the long take that tracks actions through an entire street scene or a prolonged running escape shot. Pick out two scenes in The 400 Blows where this technique is used. How does it contribute to the effectiveness of the scene? If you choose a street scene (set in Paris, for instance), what role do the long takes play in creating a sense of what Paris was like in the late 1950s? 3. In 1959, the popular press seized on Antoine Doinel s life story to address the social issues of child neglect and the education of youth. Not surprisingly, The 400 Blows came to be used as a pretext for discussing the role of parents and society in the care of youth. After watching the film, discuss as a class what issues you think the film raises about child neglect and the responsibility of parents and society in the care of youth. Written with: Pendra Wilson Pendra Wilson is a USA and Canadian film curator, writer and filmmaker. She is currently a partner in a media arts company called Alternatives made Visual. 02 Independent Cinema and the French New Wave THE HISTORY OF FILM - STUDY GUIDE 15

3 THE FRENCH NEW WAVE AND INDEPENDENT FILM Filmmakers have been making independent movies since the earliest days of cinema. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, however, a major new movement appeared on the international scene that would change filmmaking forever. The origins of France s nouvelle vague or New Wave (a term coined by the French critic François Giroud) are many, but if one were to narrow down what drove this massive transition in narrative cinema, it s possible to suggest two sources. First, the major artists involved in the New Wave all shared a common assumption about film. In that old divide separating those who understand film to be a business versus an art form, the New Wave argued that the cinema is an artistic medium capable of allowing for a kind of personal expression as rich and profound as any other art form. In practice, this belief would lead the New Wave to focus on the personal authority and ability of the writer-director to author his or her work. Historically, this notion would become known as the auteur theory, which was given its earliest clarification in a famous article (Une certaine tendance du cinema français - A Certain Tendency in French Cinema ) written by François Truffaut. In the article, Truffaut argued that the best films show the signatures or marks of their creators personalities, obsessions, and key themes. The auteur theory would go on to suggest that film directors are like writers of novels, only in the cinema, the auteur (or author-director) doesn t just work with words; he or she works in the audiovisual language of film. Second, the major artists of the French New Wave also assumed that while the first fifty years of cinema had included a number of remarkable achievements, the conventions and narrative techniques of earlier filmmakers were believed to limit the storytelling potential of the medium. As a result, beginning in 1959, the New Wave would reject many of the older conventions of filmmaking in order to produce a new style of cinema, a cinema that would fully exploit audiovisual language to create a sustained, all-engrossing, mind- and sense-altering experience. However one assesses the origins of the New Wave, there is little doubt about its impact on world cinema. For many, the New Wave revitalized cinema with a series of passionate, intelligent, provocative, and successful movies. It s not too far from the truth to suggest that the New Wave turned around the stagnant French film industry of the late 1950s, and that its impact and influence would help to ignite a wave of creativity among artists working in Britain, America, Italy, Germany, and Eastern Europe. Much of this new creative energy would focus on the development of independent film and the efforts of artists working outside of a studio system. For this reason alone, the New Wave is recognized for changing the way many filmmakers and audiences perceive the world of independent cinema. After the early 1960s, indie film would for a time throw off the assumption that it is the world of small-time artists trying to make it to the big leagues; rather, in the midst of the New Wave, indie cinema would become the heart and soul of creativity and success in world cinema. THE HISTORY OF FILM - STUDY GUIDE 15 Independent Cinema and the French New Wave 03

4 Independent Film and the Indie Experience The term independent film is a grab bag of sorts. It is both a kind of cinema and an experience of cinema. Of course certain movies are made independently, which means that they are produced largely without the financial backing of a major film studio (either in Hollywood or in another major national film industry). Other definitions of independent film include: Student films Movies made by filmmakers who are just beginning to establish their careers (e.g., Spike Lee s early movies, including She s Gotta Have It [1986] and Do the Right Thing [1989]) Films that deal with controversial topics (i.e., John Sayles s Matewan [1987], which looks at unions in a West Virginia coal mining town) Films that approach topics in a controversial way and that major Hollywood studios are afraid to fund (such as John Cassavetes s Woman Under the Influence [1974], which addresses the crushing pressure exerted on a woman by her family and friends) Some documentary films (i.e., Velcrow Ripper s and Heather Frise s Bones of the Forest [1997], about logging in British Columbia) Films that are non-narrative or experimental (e.g., Richard Hancox s Moosejaw: There s a Future in our Past [1990], which uses images rather than narrative to explore the role of history in small-town Canada) Short films (i.e., those lasting less than 45 minutes) No matter the example, all independent films tend to share certain characteristics. For instance, indie productions are less glossy (than Hollywood movies); they do not include big name stars; the storylines tend to be unpredictable and/or controversial; and, their marketing campaigns are often small as compared with any Hollywood production. Besides being a type of film, independent movies are also a kind of experience. Tom DiCillo s Living in Oblivion (1995) is a compelling portrait of this experience in its spot-on observations about the intimacies that develop when artists and performers struggle endlessly, all for the sake of getting a story onscreen. But the experience of independent films is not only rich for filmmakers. Audiences have also long sought out movies that challenge their expectations and make them think in ways that the usual Hollywood films do not. In this sense, independent films are, in part, defined by the expectations audiences bring to them. 04 Independent Cinema and the French New Wave THE HISTORY OF FILM - STUDY GUIDE 15

5 activity 01 One of the central ideas underlying the development of the New Wave had to do with the purpose of narrative film. Defined as the auteur theory, essentially, New Wave directors argued that the best films show the signatures or marks of their creators personalities, obsessions, and themes. Good movies don t simply follow the same styles of older films but create a distinct look and develop around themes specific to the author-director. Working together in small groups and using the chart below, select two contemporary directors that you would consider to be auteurs in the New Wave sense of this term. Identify at least two films made by each of your chosen directors, and describe what about the work of each director is unique. For instance, what visual style or characteristics, or themes make their work unique? Director Movies Unique Characteristics activity 02 As a necessity, independent filmmakers usually make their films financially independent of the film industry. While it s possible to imagine how working outside of the film industry might make life more difficult for a filmmaker, what would you imagine the advantages or benefits of working independently to be? Determine three positive reasons why you would want to be an independent filmmaker? activity 03 For various reasons, many of the Canadian movies annually nominated for Genie Awards (the Canadian version of the Oscars) are independent productions. Log onto the Website for the Genie Awards at where you will find a list of the award winners from last year as well as information on how one can submit films for competition next year. Imagine that you are part of the publicity team for the Genie Awards, and that part of your job is to write a press release one page in length that makes clear why Canadians might want to pay attention to the new independent productions in competition. Produce this press release keeping in mind the need to make independent film sound exciting for the specific target audience (let s say other teenagers) you want to reach. As a reminder, a good press release includes just enough hype to draw the attention of the media and your target audience. THE HISTORY OF FILM - STUDY GUIDE 15 Independent Cinema and the French New Wave 05