New Wave Cinema in the US American Reemergence

Transcription

1 New Wave Cinema in the US American Reemergence

2 American Reemergence 1 Recession in the film industry in the late 60s Costly flops of blockbuster films: Doctor Do Little (1967) and Star! (1968) Competition from TV networks ABC and CBS (stopped bidding for pictures and production of their own films) Movie attendance reduced to 1 billion a year Annual loss of $200 million by 1969

3 2 Abandonment of the Hayes Code ( ) Three pillars 1) Moral standard - no sympathy to crime and sin 2) Only correct standard of life must be shown. 3) Law should not be ridiculed.

4 - Nudity, ridicule of religion, illegal drug use, detailed criminal methods, foul language, realistic murdering scenes, matrimonial unsanctity (adultery and illicit sex), homosexuality, miscegenation, lustful kissing - Introduction of a new MPAA rating system; M (Mature), R (Restricted), and X (No one under 16 admitted)

5 NEW LATITUDE leads to: - Expressive freedom (in low budget films) - Pursuit of more realistic and formalistic possibility * Film realism - location shooting, narrative with more reality effects, more faithful reflection of the society * Film formalism - more experimental filmmaking without restrain of conventional film realism

6 Arthur Penn s Bonnie and Clyde (1967) They are young they are in love. Pushing the standards of acceptability as far as possible

7 Challenge movie taboos - sexuality and violence Direct and indirect influence of Nouvelle Vague films: Truffaut s contribution to the script; rapid, sudden shifts of tone; choppy editing

8 The Graduate (1967) - Mike Nichols low budget film on a university graduate, who has no definite aim, is seduced by an older woman and falls in love with her daughter.

9 Self-conscious use of film techniques - foregrounding aesthetic elements Location shooting (USC, UC Berkeley, Ambassador Hotel, United Methodist Church LaVerne and Beverly Hills)

10 Deep focus composition; subliminal effects; running-in-place ; the new use of music - folkrock music by Simon and Garfunkel Mrs. Robinson and the ending scene

11 Youth Film Phenomenal successes of The Graduate (Mike Nichols, 1967) and Bonnie and Clyde (Arthur Penn, 1967) Studios launched a serious of youthpic, youth rebellion and counter-culture: campus rebellion and unorthodox lifestyles

12 Dennis Hopper s Easy Rider (1969) - Ultimate youth film reflecting the cultural and social situation and the mood of the 60s -

13 The disillusionment with the government; hippie and the Beat movement - alternative culture, religion and values; motorbike, and drug subculture; youth culture - rock music

14 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - a revisionist Western film by George Roy Hill loosely based on the Robin Hood - like outlaws and about their friendship and camaraderie. Casual filming style (Nouvelle vague); use of Bert Bacharach s music

15 Wild Bunch (1969) - Sam Pekinpah s Western film about an aging outlaw trying to survive the modern world in the Texas-Mexican borders

16 Controversial in the representation of violence and the portrayal of cruel and violent men. Technical expertise in multi-angle editing, rapid cutting and slow-motion photography Shoot-out scene

17 New Hollywood and Independent Directors Arthur Penn ( ) Mike Nichols ( ) Heavily influenced by German Jew, who moved to Nouvelle vague, the movies from the stage, the maker the maker of The maker of The Graduate of Bonnie and Clyde

18 New Hollywood and Independent Directors John Schlesinger ( ) Peter Bogdanovich British filmmaker from ( ), Serbian television, Midnight Cow- Jew, nouvelle vague boy (1969) Paper Moon (1973)

19 New Hollywood and Independent Directors Francis Ford Coppola Martin Scorsese ( ) ( ) Italian American, Italian American, graduate graduate of UCLA film of UNY film school, Taxi school, The Conversation Driver (1975) (1975)

20 New Hollywood and Independent Directors George Lucas ( ) USC Steven Spielberg ( ) film school graduate, film Attended CSU, Long Beach buff, American Graffiti after failing to enter UCLA (1973) three times, The Sugarland Express (1974)

21 The success of Star Wars (1977) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) revived Hollywood blockbuster films The success of Superman (1978) revived the Hollywood tradition of sequels and remakes

22 High concept cinema With concentration on tie-in merchandise (toys) With spin-offs into other media (books, magazines, television and later video) With the use of sequels Cinema is commercialized again Reflecting economy rather than personal visions of filmmakers

23 More freedom in filmmaking Renovation of genres DIVERSE STYLES: more formalist and more experimental Self-conscious stylists Personal films