This course introduces students to one of the most creative and influential moments in cinema history: the French New Wave (Nouvelle Vague). Flourishing in the post-World War II period between the 1950s and 1960s, this new generation of film critics and filmmakers sought to redefine what François Truffaut calls a certain qualité française through cinematic experimentation, while using their works to comment on global geopolitical conflicts. The course situates the Nouvelle Vague within its local production context while also studying its contribution to cinema as a global artform. The filmmakers studied include core members of the Cahiers du Cinéma, such as François Truffaut, Claude Chabrol, and Jean-Luc Godard, as well as extended members of the Left Bank Group, including Alain Resnais, Chris Marker, and Agnès Varda. The final week will focus on the international legacy of the French New Wave, with East Asian New Wave movements as key examples. This course will be conducted entirely in French except for a few readings in English. |