What is meant by the cinematic term French New Wave?

The French New Wave is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s, characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favour of experimentation and a spirit of iconoclasm. The term ‘nouvelle vague’ (new wave) first appeared in a 1957 article by Francoise Giroud, journalist for L’Express magazine. To describe the style of the French New Wave cinema, it uses experimental storytelling techniques and distinct aesthetics, this due mainly to budget constraints and/or directors individual styles. Classic French cinema adhered to the principles of strong narrative, creating what Godard described as an oppressive and deterministic aesthetic of plot.

What specific stylistic and structural elements are present in French New Wave Films?

Filming techniques included fragmented, discontinuous editing, and long takes (camera following an action in a continuous shot that allowed actors to explore a scene). The combination of realism, subjectivity, and authorial commentary created a narrative ambiguity in the sense that questions that arise in a film are not answered in the end. They allowed these movies to have ambiguous characters, motives and even endings that were not so clear-cut. They often have unconventional storylines and force audiences to question established cinematic norms.

Which directors and films from the French New Wave influenced Arthur Penn as he was making Bonnie and Clyde? Why do you think this was the case?

The tone of Bonnie and Clyde utilised French New Wave techniques of characterisation of the protagonists, fast cuts, and spontaneous music to shift tone abruptly. The film Bonnie and Clyde echoed one of the most well-known French Wave movies, Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘Breathless’ (1960), in which Penn took style and attitude tips from Godard’s noir-influenced romance, openly citing its debt in a number of scenes, most notably in Clyde’s wearing of sunglasses with one lens missing a la Belmondo. Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut show Penn’s Film School background and influenced him the most when making Bonnie and Clyde. The way that Bonnie and Clyde’s narrative’s put together is heavily influenced by the New Wave .