If you’d like to try out more artsy films that are both visually and intellectually stimulating, you’ve absolutely got to check out movies from the French New Wave movement. These movies, which first came out in the 1950s, completely disrupted the social and cultural norms of their time and were even considered scandalous and sacrilegious. No wonder they’ve inspired endless other directors as well and are regarded as one of the most influential movements in the history of cinema.
Because these movies aren’t exactly mainstream in nature, it can be intimidating for someone new to this movement to decide where to start. In this article, we’ll be looking at five of the most influential ones to help you narrow down your options.
Because these movies aren’t exactly mainstream in nature, it can be intimidating for someone new to this movement to decide where to start. In this article, we’ll be looking at five of the most influential ones to help you narrow down your options.
Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)
Hiroshima Mon Amour was directed by Alain Resnais and is widely regarded as the most influential new-wave movie of all time. It’s set after World War II and revolves around a French woman (Emmanuelle Rive) and a Japanese man (Eiji Okada), who’re lovers in Hiroshima. Their affair is ruined by events rooted both in history and their personal lives. The central theme of this movie is exploring whether we can really ever truly break free from our pasts. It’s currently rated 7.9/10 on IMDB.
Breathless (1960)
It’s impossible to talk about French New-Wave films without mentioning Jean-Luc Godard. This was Godard’s first film and it completely destroyed all existing conceptions about how a film could be made. This one’s an absolute must-watch if you’re a movie geek and want to see just how radical cinema can be. It stars Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg, two lovers who end up getting more than they bargained for. It’s a rollercoaster from start to finish and will make you fall in love with Godard’s unique approach to filmmaking. It is rated 7.8/10 on IMDB.
Les Bonnes Femmes (1960)
If there’s one director who can go head-to-head with Jean-Luc Godard, it’s Claude Chabrol. Widely regarded as a nouvelle vague filmmaker, Chabrol would go on to shoot sixteen films in the 1960s and Les Bonnes Femmes was the fourth movie in that series. While it might appear like a spy film or a thriller film at first glance, it’s actually a black comedy. It revolves around four single women in Paris who fend off lecherous men at work while searching for their own Mr. Right. While it was rejected by the audiences when it came out, it’s reputation has only grown over the years. It’s currently rated 7.4/10 on IMDB.
Shoot the Piano Player (1960)
Shoot the Piano Player revolves around a washed-up classical pianist, portrayed brilliantly by Charles Aznavour, who gets mixed up with some gangsters after taking the job as a pianist at a Parisian dive bar. While this movie is often neglected in favor of director Francois Truffaut’s other masterpieces, it’s very much worth watching. The movie effortlessly blends American cinema with noir and silent comedy. Best of all, it’s a movie about movies. It is currently rated 7.5/10 on IMDB.
Lola (1961)
Lola is groundbreaking in more than one way and you have to watch the movie to understand why. It was directed by Jacques Demy and revolves around a cabaret dancer, played by Anouk Aimee, whose life is controlled by the various men in and out of her life. Demy was, by far, one of the most experimental of all French New Wave directors and this movie helped him nail that reputation. What’s more, the real magic happens not during any grand moments but rather the banal, everyday moments that make up our lives. It is currently rated 7.6/10 on IMDB.
