& lt& lt epoch-making author films: the whole story of French new wave films >>
Source: Author: Jean-Pierre Jean Claes
"One thing we haven't emphasized enough: The' New Wave' is neither a movement, nor a school, nor a group. Just a certain amount, a general term created by the press to unify more than 50 novices who have risen in this industry in the past two years. In the past, only three or four newcomers appeared every year. "
—— Fran? ois Truffaut, observer for France, 196 1 10, 10, 19.
"... however, this is indeed a good time. Now that this set has been eaten up, the producers certainly hope to attract young people to make' New Wave' movies for themselves.
-Michelle de Ville's feature film, No.58, 1964 February.
1958 is the transition point between French history and French film history.
1958 The political situation was turbulent from May to September, and the fourth country of France was about to perish. -Translation ... A loving father will personally come out and save the French from the quagmire of the Algerian war and from great humiliation. The French are really lucky.
Generally speaking, at the same time, the film showed signs of renewal, which caused repercussions in the literary salon. Subsequently, major newspapers dubbed this new trend "new wave".
New France wants new movies. Slogans came into being. Of course, neither France nor French film has changed as obviously as advertised at that time ... It's okay, 1958 is a turning point after all.
The word "new wave" has always been a blessing, and people are still talking about "new wave" movies and "new wave" periods, either hostility or nostalgia. A limited but imaginative producer even held the "Next Wave Day" one day in 1966, in order to show and show Buel Delanyak's Looking for a Gun, although the film soon became notorious. "New Wave"-this is the film.
However, the emergence of the "new wave" has a broader background. To understand its origin, it can be traced back to the first issue of Express published on10.3, 1957. On this day, a close-up of a young girl's face was printed on the cover of the weekly magazine, with the title "A new wave is coming". The following quotation is from French poet and political critic Charles Bei Jing (1873- 19 14). He once upheld justice and defended Dreyfus in the sensational Dreyfus case. His works include the play Joan of Arc and the long poem Eve. 1905 and published My Motherland to promote chauvinism. Translator's motto: "We are the center and heart, and the central axis passes through us. We should use our watches to set the time. " At that time, extensive national consultation activities were being carried out and 2 1 questions were raised. From June 10 to February 12, Express magazine published articles of answer and analysis continuously, which aroused strong repercussions from the national youth reports. At that time, the word "new wave" was always associated with express delivery. Even from1June 26th, 958 to1February 6th, 2008, subtitles were printed on the cover of each express delivery. New Wave magazine lasted for half a year. ..... At that time, movies had not been involved.
The word "new wave" appears in newspapers, mostly Fran? ois Giraud (1916 I); French woman writer, one of the founders of Express. Later, she served as the vice-chairman of the Radical Socialist Party and held an important position in the women's department of the Giscard d'Estaing government. His works include New Wave, Little Elephant, If I'm Lying, Power Comedy, etc. -the product of the translator's interest in writing. It was several months before the film became interesting. Express1October 30th issue1958 10 published the film "We are all murderers" (the film was shot in 1952 and directed by Kaya. The director signed a notice titled "Would you like to contribute to Kaya's film? The notice reads: "After watching' New Wave', I decided to make a film on this theme. I'm in front of the curtain and you're behind the curtain. I have a plan in my heart. You want someone to speak for you ... Please tell Mr. Andrei Kaya at No.81Elysee Pastoral Street in Express Weekly. "Sure enough, the newspaper received some replies, published in1958165438+1October 20th. Many replies emphasize the Algerian war and are eager to show it on the screen. (In the survey conducted in the spring of 1957, there was a question: "What is the number one problem of the French? "In the answer of the' new wave' youth, Algeria's question ranked first (28%), followed by' looking for a stable government '(24%). These two issues are also the center of French political life in the next four years, and the so-called "new wave" movies have little response to them. -the original note) this matter has not been seen below. If Andre Kaya's film is made, the "new wave" now known to the world will not be like this. ...
Later, history reserved a specific meaning for the word "new wave", and the first person who used "new wave" in this meaning was probably Pierre Bigdell. He published an investigation report in the February issue of the film 1958, entitled "Youth Academy of French Film". He made a list of young directors, which was complicated and confusing. Directors born 20 years later (19 18) are all regarded as "young people": Vinay, Boadle and Rekame meet by chance. "It is really puzzling why this' new wave' is still following its predecessors."
However, it was not until the spring of 1959 that the film "New Wave" really became famous before and after the Kina Film Festival and the Ranapur Young Directors' Party, and it became famous for a while.
flashback
We can find the root of the "new wave" along two parallel roads.
First of all, when the wave has passed and the prospect is clear, some prestigious predecessors demand recognition of their position in the "new wave". Film historians have acknowledged the pioneering role of Agnes Valda (1954 who filmed Short Point Village) or Alexander Astrucci (1955 who filmed Meet the Narrow Road), and perhaps even admitted that Jean-Bill Melville was a pioneer, and he even arrogantly called it a "new wave". Unfortunately, it was not until 1947 filmed Silence of the Sea that my long-cherished wish was realized. "
Another way is also worth noting, that is, to review the changes of French films in the first few months of the "new wave" and people's feelings about these changes with their peers.
We must also mention the weekly express. In those years, this weekly magazine timely and sensitively reflected the ideological changes of young people. 1958 65438+1October 30th, the cover of Express published the stills of Morilis Rone, the hero of the film Elevator to the gallows, and quoted an inscription by Louis Delluc: "In the future, only children who follow the rules will fiddle with images." On March 13 of the same year, Deneys Wensang wrote an article analyzing Edward Maurines's film Back against the High Wall: "For many years, no matter which French studio made a film, it was like old garbage and rough, but this film was different. The younger generation of directors are driving that hard-working and touching old guy away from the camera. They wanted to do it themselves, and took Crouzeau or Baker as an example to make many movies. How clever these young people are and how strong their memories are! Even a little too much ... "
On1October 6th this year, 165438+, Franois Ledri talked about the scene of shooting lovers not long ago. "... only when a film crew feels a firm belief in new movies and at least has a strong will not to copy old-fashioned movies can it exert such great enthusiasm. In short, such a large group of people (nearly 30 people) should adapt to the material conditions of making a short film. ..... However, the effect should be judged by the audience. This method shows that some changes are taking place in French films. Chabrol also adopted this method, and his film crew is roughly the same. "
A week later, on the same page, Danny Vinson confidently divided the camp: "For the benefit of the enterprise, the most profitable film made according to the production prescription is Doom (filmed at 1958, directed by Udang Laha and starring Buffon). One by one), the worst will be a film like Maxim, and parallel films are also being born, because some people think that the innovation of films is not the widescreen, color or any technological progress of deformable lenses, but from the' inside'; Most of these people are young people ... Yes, this departure from the traditional road can appear, mostly motivated by the quality award set by 1955 65438+ February. " The French Ministry of Culture set up this award to encourage creative directors. -translator)
At the end of 1958, the French changed their government (they were used to it) and their president, even the Republic of China changed its name, and more than half of them agreed (79.25% agreed with Charles de Gaulle's new constitution, and only/kloc-0.5% abstained); In addition, they were told; French movies will also change!
abstract
"New Wave" came out during 1958- 1959 Film Year, and its symbol was that claude Chabrol's first two films were released on the commercial network (1959 February 2nd, beautiful serge was released, 1959 March 65439). France's "New Wave" and "Left Shore School" were published in 1 and 2 NI's film art translation series 1980. A penny. -Translator) Showed at Cannes Film Festival in May 1959. Since 196 1, it has been claimed that the "new wave" is going downhill. Louis Malcorrier even wrote in the French Observer (196 1, 17): "Now we can say that the' new wave' has ended ..." We believe that the' new wave' has lasted for four years as a social and economic phenomenon. 1958 rose, and weakened by itself during 1962.
If we limit ourselves to summing up the facts and summarize the phenomenon of "new wave" without comment, we should include two situations. On the one hand, it involves movies, on the other hand, it involves newspapers, news and reviews that make great articles about movies.
The first is the movie. In the above four years, at least 97 directors filmed and released their first feature film. This is enough to shock professionals and public opinion. Newspapers and periodicals will follow up and report big events. Serious publications focus on raising the significance of this phenomenon and analyzing it. Newspapers with a large circulation just want to keep the appropriate trademark "New Wave" and then generously seal it everywhere: from movies to directors, from big stars to movie rookies. There is a market for "trendy", and everyone is engaged in "trendy" domestic sales and export. The film was mixed with the hype surrounding it, and it was soon difficult to distinguish them. At that time, the war in Algeria was tight, and dancing and writing "poisoned the air" became fashionable. Then, around the "new wave", people began to poison the air.
It is purely accidental that the "new wave" occurred at the same time as the political changes in France. Even if the Fourth Republic continues, there will still be a "new wave". As we will see below, this phenomenon has its inevitability, and even in another political background, a series of specific reasons will promote the emergence of a "new wave." But the turmoil in France (perhaps this is just an illusion of turmoil) has played a role in fueling the situation. Need new people, new forms and new vocabulary. Newspapers are naturally hungry for this turbulent situation. "Sales are booming" is the news of new financial giants, Charles de Gaulle's speech, long skirts and new waves. In order to be good at it, the "new wave" is simply called N.V. (the first letter of the word "new wave" in French. -translator)
The "new wave" is a common phenomenon. Now we should try to distinguish the different branches merged into a "new wave".
It seems necessary to re-examine the films that have become rigid during the four years of the Republic of China. At that time, there were relatively few film creators, and many of them were older, because the renewal of talents was very limited since World War II. Specifically, in 1958, Max Luer died, and Jacques Baker and Jean Grameen were only a few months apart. Jean renoir, rene claire, Abel Towns, Sasha guthrie and Marcel Panyr (the directors mentioned in this paper are all masters of French films since the 1920s. They are old people, at the end of their creative career. 1957 to 1959 are relatively minor, but the twelve most prolific directors in the past ten years have finished their last films, namely Raymond bernal, Andrei Bedomio, Marcel Brisdano, Maurice de Kairi, Henry Diamand-Belges and George Lagoon. In a word, it is imperative to be succeeded by someone with a trained background.
Among the first kind of newly rising directors, Edward Maurines Rowe is a typical one. He was born in 1928. First, he worked as an assistant for Maurice de Carey and Andrea Bedouio, and then he made a documentary. After ten years of professional work, he tried to shoot a feature film with his back against a high wall. 1959 in may 10, he gave a speech at the Ranapur seminar, pointing out his position in the "new wave" and was quite self-aware. He said: "In my opinion, the so-called' new wave' seems to be divided into two parts. On the one hand, young directors who enter the film industry through formal channels are integrated into the formal production system; On the other hand, it is a group of people who finally win the trust of young producers or outsiders. I think that without Truffaut or Chabrol, those of us who entered the film industry through formal channels would still be orthodox "officials". Now, since their movie has come out and I am lucky, my next movie won't be too lame. Of course, in the past ten years, out of desperation, I had to make a film of that style. I had no other choice at that time. And next year, I want to change the way I shoot. "
Edward Maurines Rowe hasn't changed his shooting method. Once the upsurge of the "new wave" cooled down, he became an out-and-out film "orthodox official" in the five years of the Republic of China, and his film chronology listed 24 films (this statistic ended at 1978. 1980, Maurines Luo made another film. Crazy woman's cage part two. Translator) is one of the longest film chronicles in the past twenty years. ...
In the "new wave", there are twenty or thirty well-trained directors who started making feature films at the same time as Maurines Luo, for example, Buel grani El-Defert, who is Jean-Paul Le Sharnova, Andre Bedomio or Marcel carn. George Rottney, a journalist, editor, photographer and assistant director of Nobel Capone; Jacques Delaney was an assistant to Jean Baoyu, Gilles Granci, Louis bunuel, Jules and Dasen. In this list, it seems that people who are different from others should be added, such as Claude Sotai, Jean Girol or louis malle. For all these people, getting involved in feature films is their destination after the expiration of their studies. Although they have suffered for many years, they are also essential.
Some people are surprised to find that they are also endowed with such a fashionable reputation. A few years later, Michel Deville revealed this feeling: "I am following the traditional old road step by step, which is what distinguishes me from the' new wave'. First as a trainee director, then as the second assistant director, then as the first assistant director of Deguan, and then as a technical consultant. After filming "Don't Come Tonight" (the film was shot on 1960. Later, someone said that I belonged to the' trendy', and I was greatly surprised. When writing the script, Nina Combanez and I both firmly believed that we were against the' new wave'. " (See feature film, No.58, February 1964. -The short film begins.
(Short films include documentaries, science and education films, experimental films, etc. -translator)
They may not be trained, but they are undoubtedly popular: Akura Rennai, George Franco, Bull Caster, Henry fabiani, Robert Mengoz, Jean Dowell, etc ... In the late 1950s, the film club reached its heyday, and these short film producers were introduced and recognized. Famous movies include The Veterans Hospital of Paris and Animal Blood (George Franco), War and the Cursed Architect (Bill Caster), The Great Crime, My Janet and My Partner, The Housing Crisis (Jean Dovi) ... and, of course, Aaron. This article has no intention of writing a 30-member group (30-member group refers to a group of people who make documentaries headed by Aaron Reynet. By1958 65438+February, the number of members in this group has reached 123. (Translator) History, but it needs to be emphasized that in the past ten years, short films have won glory for French aspiring films, which is also their place.
The short films made by these people have never been widely shown or are just "extra films" of a commercial film. When they have the opportunity to be widely shown, the audience's reaction is indifference and impatience. The film Night and Fog is the only exception. This film is famous from 1957 to 1958. Audiences from other provinces rushed to see the Italian film Bigamy by Luciano Emanuel, because they knew that it was a good time to show Night and Fog by Aaron Reynet!
Especially through film clubs, newspapers, magazines, film festivals and other cultural network channels, people have learned that in France, there are not only Delanoy, but also Deni De La Bartrier (192 1 1), whose main work is Taxi to Dubruk. -Translator) to replace Delanova. People have high hopes for Aaron Reynet. He and other film directors are expected to make a left-leaning film. Because, it goes without saying that from several short films, Aaron Ren 'ai and several other directors are leftists; The fourth director and most directors in China are now "betraying", hiding in anecdotes or costume films to drag out an ignoble existence. Only through those short films can we see contemporary French life, housing crisis and miners' strike on the screen. ...
It is also in these short films that a new style is gradually formed, which avoids the overly elaborate narrative style that Truffaut once denounced. These short films can be experimental works, bold and expose the disadvantages of the times. It is these characteristics that 1957' s "successful" film lacks.
Of course, it's not certain that the top executives of the 38-member group will switch to making feature films. Even Buel Caster used to cross the road with trepidation (among these people, Buel Caster was the first person to make a feature film, and he filmed "Love in the Bag" in 1957-translator). However, due to the progress of the audience and the establishment of specialized cinemas in big cities, new demands have emerged. The state also provides financial support through prepaid income, which is the initial driving force. Since May 1957, various newspapers and periodicals have responded overwhelmingly, and reported that Aaron Renai will shoot a large documentary about the atomic bomb in France and Japan ...
A new force suddenly appeared.
What is historical facts and what is the legend of rendering is the most difficult to distinguish here. The editors of "Movie Handbook" have long planned to do it themselves, and they never hide it. Several of them have already settled in the so-called film Professionalism, because the boundaries here are not clear. Claude Chabrol, for example, served as the press commissioner of 20th Century Flowserve Company (at that time, Chabrol was responsible for writing a new title for the French version of American films. (Translator), and later introduced Jean-Luc Godard and Paul Siegfried (Siegfried wrote a script for Chabrol for a while, and later made the film "The Tide Out", just like many movies in the "New Wave" period. Some people tried to make documentaries, but they achieved different results (for example, Jacques Levitt's The Shepherd's Luck and Fran?ois Truffaut's The Stubborn Child). The inheritance and marriage of oil and water-these accidental opportunities also provided them with the necessary funds to "plan" their first feature film at once. Before the film came out, they began to make a big fuss, so that the meaning of the word "new wave" narrowed with everyone's acquiescence. As a result, these fake amateurs took the banner of "trendy" as their own. One movie after another, they made some money and set up a production company (such as Claude. Chabrol founded Agim Production Company, which later provided all or part of the investment for the previous feature films of Philippe de Broca, Eric Rommel and Jacques Levitt. Soon, even the more conservative producers sniffed out the way to make money, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the political climate (claude Chabrol said: "We must not be fooled; Newspapers talk about us endlessly because they intend to impose an equation: Charles de Gaulle = innovation. The general has come, the country has changed, France has been reborn, and movies are the same as other fields. Look, genius rises, and intellectuals display their talents in the shadow of the double cross. Young people have a place to use! " ,-the original note), so, also began to invest in low-cost movies.
Within two years, almost all the yellow book editors were behind the camera: claude Chabrol and Fran?ois Truffaut, then Jean-Luc Gaudaire, Jacques Dogniaux-Walker Rhodes, Eric Rommel, Jacques Levitt and Claude Draver. With their support, some relatives and friends also came, such as Philippe de Brooks, Jean Aurel, Fran? ois Morey, Lionel Kaigl or Jean-Louis Richard.
But Bull Custer is another matter. He doesn't completely belong to the "New Wave" generation (except for 12 famous short films, in 1957, he directed "Love in a Bag" starring Jean Marais, which was still an out-and-out traditional film at that time), but he was related to all branches of the "New Wave": he completed the traditional as Grameen's assistant. He is also a member of the 30-member group, the left wing that people are waiting for; Finally, he is a freelance journalist, selling articles for a living. He wrote many articles for the film handbook. As a result, the film Manual School shamelessly dragged him into his own name, just like when they filmed Love in Hiroshima.
From 1959 to 1960, it's all a mess and I can't figure it out. This may be intentional or unintentional. Every producer wants to have his own "New Wave" film and his own new director. In this uncontrollable whirlpool, there are dozens of first films, but many of them have never been shown. At that time, whether an expert was the final criterion for selecting directors.
This vague and chaotic situation was soon associated with the word "new wave". Those who flatter the "new wave" movement are often the leaders of the movement. They brag about the unruly style in film manuals or art weekly, the chic style in the play, and the break with the rigid tradition of producers or trade unions ... they are proud of being able to get on the horse with less investment and have endless fantasies. During the Ranapur seminar, producer Henry Doschmeister also took the opportunity to follow suit. He wrote in Art Weekly: "Every producer is happy with the achievements of the young people of the' New Wave' because they have liberated the film from all kinds of bondage. They liberated the film from the minimum number of filmmakers imposed by the union. They freed the film from the dilemma of management and funds, and went directly to the street, the real scene in the house, the real house and the natural scenery to shoot. They liberated the film from layers of censorship. This censor's views on art, life, morality, how to influence young people and safeguarding national dignity are really absurd. They violated the rules and regulations of the "old-timer" when shooting. They broke the star worship and abandoned the practice of simply pursuing technical perfection. "
Be proud of not knowing business. Chabrol said: "In order to deal with the first shot of Beautiful Serge, I had to ask which viewfinder I should stare at. I don't even know where to look! " This anecdote told by Chabrol in Ranapur is either true or a joke. It doesn't matter. After all, it shows how comfortable and even proud it is to pretend to be a foreigner in 1959!
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