French new wave is a film movement from France in the 1950-1970 rejecting traditional filmmaking with more creative freedom for individual directors making more experimental films with different editing and visual styles.

French new wave films experiment with editing using long shots and discontinuous editing. Realism and commentary was also played around with within French new wave films.

Many French directors like Jean-Luc Goadard and Francois Truffaut inspired Arthur Penn to create Bonne and Clyde inspired by the style and sense of freedom from French filmmaking.