A Newcomer’s Guide to La Nouvelle Vague: Issue #5
Voilà, welcome to issue number five of A Newcomer’s Guide to La Nouvelle Vague! As we move towards the end of this series on the French New Wave cinema, we will discuss films from directors Truffaut, Luc-Godard, and Resnais, with each film vastly different from the others.
Jules and Jim
Francois Truffaut’s 1962 film, Jules and Jim, centers around a pair of best friends named – you guessed it – Jules (Oskar Werner) and Jim (Henri Serre). The pair both fall for a woman named Catherine, but their relationship proves far more complicated than it appears. With a heartbreaking ending, this film presents life and love realistically; not everything is sunshine and rainbows, not even love.
Muriel, or The Time of Return
Muriel, or The Time of Return, directed by Alain Resnais in 1963, is the follow up to Last Year at Marienbad (1961). Both films discuss the nature of time and how memories can truly haunt you forever. Near the end of this review, we also dive into Resnais’ past and personal style in filmmaking, including very specific editing and shooting styles.
Weekend
Jean Luc-Godard’s 1967 film, Weekend, presents destruction, politics, hatred, and separation combined with strange experiences throughout the film that constantly tear apart the film’s reality. The film continuously leads us to believe one thing through the use of intertitles, fast cuts, and setting up our expectations, but ultimately proves there is no guarantee of what’s to come next.
Trigger warning: The film contains disturbing images and utilizes a decent amount of fake blood and profanity that may be offensive.
Playtime
Jacques Tati’s 1967 film Playtime is a vibrant, visual masterpiece, portraying how it feels to fall behind in a once-familiar city that now feels foreign due to advancing modernity. In our current modern world full of constant technological “upgrades” and advances, this film provides an interesting take on technological advancement affecting daily life. Tati also manages to kill two birds with one stone by directing and acting in Playtime, playing a character named Monsieur Hulot.
Little Women (2019): An Adaptation Done Right
Director Greta Gerwig’s 2019 Little Women film adaptation is an example of reimagined classic stories done justice – plus, a truly rockstar cast, including Timothée Chalamet, Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, and many more familiar faces. Here on POV, we dive into what Gerwig’s Little Women got so right.
Brooklyn (2015): Home is Where Your Heart is
Brooklyn (2015), based on a novel by Colm Tóibín also titled Brooklyn, is about an Irish girl named Eilis, played by Saoirse Ronan. Ronan’s character travels from Ireland to New York during the 1950s, a time where Irish migration to New York was blooming. Director John Crowley’s take on the film captures the author’s delicate conversations and the actress’ and actors’ performances, creating a rich, romantic period drama that follows not only Eilis’ story, but her heart.
The Social Dilemma (2020): How Do These Social Media Sites Keep You Sucked In?
Oh, the dangers of using social media. The Social Dilemma, a 2020 documentary directed by Jeff Orlowski, shows how social media sites suck you in, only to feed what you want to hear, and prioritizes money over quality content.
Midsommar (2019): A Psychological Thriller Filled with Ritualistic Twists and Mind-Bending Turns
Midsommar is a baffling thriller focused on a distraught twenty-something (played by Florence Pugh) who decides to travel across the country with her boyfriend and his friends in hopes of experiencing a fun trip brimming with culture and history. Instead, the group struggles to survive the psychological terror of living within a cult-like society.
Enola Holmes (2020)
A look at Netflix’s latest play at a “mystery” movie, Enola Holmes (2020) stars Millie Bobby Brown as it’s lead with other notable cast members, but that may be its most memorable takeaway.
The Devil All the Time (2020): A Star-Studded Psychological Crime Melodrama
Based on a novel of the same title by Donald Ray Pollock, The Devil All the Time (2020) directed by Antonio Campus, is the thriller film we have been waiting for this year. Based in rural America, starting from the end of World War II, the film touches on many difficult topics such as suicide, gender oppression, cancer, sexual assault, and toxic religion, starring Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson.
Plein Soleil/Purple Noon
In the 1960’s film Plein Soleil, or in English Purple Noon, directed by René Clément, there is scandal, love, jealousy, and an elaborate murder plan, all presented beautifully in vibrant color. You won’t want to miss a single second, between the close calls and Alain Delon’s stand-out features, there’s so much that the film has to offer.
2020: One Week on Campus
Pandemics. Protests. Politics. What’s it like to be back on campus in 2020? We want to tell the story–and for you to contribute!
Working with the Pros in Film 490
Film Studies majors Joe Eichele and Brynn Artley start off the Fall 2020 semester with a report from their documentary production class where students are working with Ambient House Productions.
The Mark of Zorro (1940): Renouncing Economic Inequality
Like the earlier Adventures of Robin Hood, Rouben Mamoulian’s 1940 The Mark of Zorro’s elaborate production, narrative tropes, cultural politics, and action sequences similarly work to renounce economic inequality.
Mulan (2020): A Reimagined Legend
The premiere of the highly anticipated Disney live-action, Mulan (2020), is now in the midst of major controversy after falling flat on several different aspects in the eyes of both the public and critics.
The Professor: A Parody of the Bachelor
In this episode of The Professor, emotions run high as students compete for attention and cope with that most dreaded of tasks: the group project. Who will get the “final A”?
From the Oscars: 1917 (2019, dir. Sam Mendes)
1917 is one of the most talked-about films of the year. But besides for the masterful technical work, how does the war film measure up?
From the Oscars: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
An unpredictable film covering the struggle that aging actors faced in the 1960’s, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood employs many of the era’s techniques and invites its viewers to reminisce while foreshadowing the violence that lurks in Hollywood’s shadows.
At the Movies with Noah and Harrison: Dolemite is My Name
Paying homage to the classic Siskel and Ebert review show: At the Movies, Noah Mruz and Harrison McCormick discuss the latest and greatest Eddie Murphy Film.
Review: Hustlers (Lorene Scafaria, 2019)
Lorene Scafaria’s Hustlers (2019) brings together a great team of A-List talents, but ultimately, leaves a lot to be desired both its ideological message and its cinematography. In the end, the only thing Hustlers will be hustling is your time and money.
Review: Tall Girl (Nzingha Stewart, 2019)
This cheesy love story will bring viewers back to their high school days with its awkward relationships and confrontation of bullying.
Child’s Play (2019) Review: The New Creepy Chucky for the Younger Generation
Chucky gets his very own remake 31 years later, one with cool effects and creepy surprises, with talents from Mark Hamill and Aubrey Plaza.
Review of Between Two Ferns: The Movie–Concentrated Comedy and Minimal Character Investment
Between Two Ferns: The Movie is Zach Galfianakis’s latest attempt of translating his online comedy series into a full feature film, doing so with minimal character development but enough jokes to leave any viewer with tears in their eyes.
Ascending Afghanistan (2016, dir. Erik Osterholm): Mountainfilm Review
The Mountainfilm festival’s theme for the 41st year is equity, meaning equal opportunities for everyone. Erik Osterholm’s Ascending Afghanistan focuses on thirteen Afghani women mountaineers pushing through the setbacks women in their country face.
Latest posts by (see all)
- A Newcomer’s Guide to La Nouvelle Vague: Issue #5 - November 23, 2020
- Jules and Jim - November 23, 2020
- Muriel, or The Time of Return - November 23, 2020