The importance of the tracking shot in The 400 Blows
Just as Bonnie and Clyde was the defining film of Post Classical Hollywood cinema in the late 1960’s, The 400 Blows is considered the film which truly marked the beginning of the French New Wave. Thematically, the French New Wave can best be defined as one which emphasized existential themes—sometimes stressing the individual, as was the case in The 400 Blows. The stylistic details, such as filming techniques and innovative use of the camera are what most obviously distinguished the works of the French Nouvelle Vague from previous works.
One widely consistent characteristic of films produced during this time was the idea of the very long tracking shots. The tracking shots, primarily created by cameras moving along a rail or on wheels following characters, had a mesmerizing effect when viewed on a large screen. It added a sense of realism to the movies which they were previously missing. For example, the very long and continuous tracking shot following Antoine running down the beach toward the water added a sense of realism and allowed the audience to realize the scope of Antoine’s wonder at viewing the ocean for the first time.
Furthermore, the conclusive zooming in on Antoine’s face which signaled the end of the film left the audience to contemplate what Antoine felt through his facial expression. Notice, also, that all of these events are occurring within the same long take.
The French Nouvelle Vague—the “Post Classical Hollywood effect”
After reading Jill Forbes’ essay on The French Nouvelle Vague of the 1950’s—one cannot help but notice the similarities between this new era in French film and the successive (and even parallel at a point in the late 1960’s) Post Classical Hollywood era in the United States. In the same way that Post Classical Hollywood came about from the creations of young “movie brats”, the Nouvelle Vague also featured a new wave of young French directors with distinct filmic tastes. Forbes writes, “ …and the Nouvelle Vague quickly became a marketing slogan in the pro-Gaullist press to promote the idea that with the change in the regime in 1958 France had been regenerated and rejuvenated.” [Forbes, 463] Essentially, the French press saw the “fresh” new takes offered by these directors in the form of films such as The 400 Blows(1959) and used them as propaganda for saying that France had undergone a tremendous amount of change. The idea of Post Classical Hollywood also had a similar effect on the American people in terms of “fresh” new ideas and the notion of the rebirth of good American film. Forbes then goes on to mention how the characteristics associated with French films in this era, such as the emphasis on the young heterosexual couples etc. and furthermore, chronicles the historical events in May 1968 which led to the “fall” of the Nouvelle Vague as quickly as it had risen. In this discussion, one can clearly see the parallels and differences which brought about new standards in French and American films.
A Cranky Response to "Unforgiven"
"Unforgiven" has been held as one of the greatest Western movies of all time. This is certainly a true statement. From the excellent and emotional plot, to, of course, gunfights, this flick has all of the western genre elements. Take the scenery for example. Towards the beginning of the film, the kid rides towards Clint Eastwood's isolated farm. These scenes feature the classic barnyard life, with hogs, mud, tall green grass, and a log cabin. You really get a feel of the isolation and peacefulness. This also compliments Eastwood's character, William Munny's new attitude. He was once a ruthless killer, but now he has just settled down with his kids in an isolated grassland. However, the film quickly turns towards the cowboy life. This features violence, drinking, guns, and cursing. For example, the encounter between Little Bill and English Bob features some brutal violence and excessive profanity. It definitely adds to the tension and the atmosphere between the two men as they despise each other. The brutality even at the beginning of the film also adds to the overall theme of disorder in the town. The women are pushed around and hurt; however, the cowboys do not do anything to properly punish the criminals. These elements all sum together to classify this film in the western genre. This film is definitely a must see for anybody that wants to get a true sense of the western genre.
The Searcher's Define A Genre
The western film is an iconic part of the the history of film, and John Wayne is one of the most iconic of it's stars. It seems fitting that a look at what defines the "western" as a genre can be glimpsed in the 1956 film The Searchers starring John Wayne and directed by the legendary John Ford. The Searcher's might be categorized as one of Bazin's 'superwesterns', a category of western films that came out of 1950's with new concepts that challenged the old stereotypes while maintaining the setting and basic framework. The Searchers' sprawling tale of a kidnapping that turns into an epic chase across the West lays the standard visual setting that audiences expect from a Western. But Searchers does differ in that it's emotional message is different. While many of the "classical" westerns feature an unambiguous battle between good versus evil, usually featuring a damsel in distress or some other plot driver, The Searchers is more complex about it's issues. The main character Ethan Edwards is an ambiguous antihero character, who's morality is loosely defined. Early on, Ethan's hatred for the Native American's is evident, fueled by the native-perpetrated kidnapping that serves as the major plot point of the story. Ethan's character undergoes a radical change over the course of the movie, wrestling with his hatred and the consequences that it brings. Eventually the story concludes with a "happy" ending, but Ethan is shut out of the world he sought to come back to, and is alienated. A western where the hero doesn't get the girl is certainly a different sort of western, and the genre "superwestern" is reinforced in this aspect. The Searcher's serves as a good jumping off point to determine an audience's expectations for the classical "western" and the post classical "superwestern" as it portrays the essential elements of a western while deviating enough to challenge the baseline in the style of "similarity and difference".
Interracial ideas in film
One of the major pre-1960s cinema trends was role segregation, where the film industry considered non-white actors somehow unfit for a particular role solely because of race. Roles non-white actors could, however, manage to land were often confined to minor, static characters having little to no complexity or development. Often, a white actor even played a non-white character in a film. For example, white actor Walter Long, in blackface, played as Gus in Birth of a Nation. This practice allowed filmmakers to circumvent the "Hays Code," which was the early version of the MPAA's movie ratings system, that banned miscegenation. Role segregation and use of makeup for blackface, redface, yellowface, etc. allowed filmmakers to be more at ease with filming such a scene.
The horrific depiction of racism via role segregation and the practices as a result of it was acceptable at the time and continued through the twentieth century and was a major contributor to the demonization of miscegenation in society and, frankly, still is.
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