French New Wave

Between the years 1958 and 1964, a group of French film-makers created a body of work referred to as French New Wave. These film-makers were François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard,Claude Chabrol, Jacques Rivette and Eric Rohmer, who were once all film critics for a magazine calledCahiers di Cinéma. They were driven by the notion forge a new cinema, and went on to influence how a film could be made.

Jean Luc Gordard

The movies featured unprecedented methods of expression, such as long tracking shots (like the famous traffic jam sequence in Godard's 1967 filmWeek End). Also, these movies featured existential themes, such as stressing the individual and the acceptance of the absurdity of human existence.

Many of the French New Wave films were produced on tight budgets; often shot in a friend's apartment or yard, using the director's friends as the cast and crew. Directors were also forced to improvise with equipment (for example, using a shopping cart for tracking shots).

In Jean Luc-Godard's À bout de souffle, after being told the film was too long and he must cut it down to one hour and a half, he decided to remove several scenes from the feature using jump cuts, as they were filmed in one long take. 

The cinematic stylings of French New Wave brought a fresh look to cinema with improvised dialogue, rapid changes of scene, and shots that go beyond the common 180º axis.

But there is no better way of explaining this than by showing it. Here we have a clip of a scene from Godard's À bout de souffle. 

Effects that now seem either trite or commonplace, such as a character stepping out of their role in order to address the audience directly, were radically innovative at the time. A clear example of this technique in a modern film was used by David Fincher in Fight Club (1999).

Modern examples of films that have been influenced by French New Wave are, among others,Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004) and Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994).

Here we can see a direct homage to French New Wave by Quentin Tarantino in Pulp Fiction

John Travolta (left) and Samuel L. Jackson (right) play two mob hitmen
in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994).

Two hitmen on the job.

Another clear-cut example, this time with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey kiss in Michel Gondry's highly
French New Wave influenced film Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind (2004).

Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg in Godard's masterpiece,
A bout de souffle (1960).

Our own interpretation of a French New Wave picture:

Outdoors and spontaneous, a typical feature of French New Wave pictures.

A very natural looking picture, similar to the
one below:

A real French New Wave picture.

French New Wave has significantly influenced the way cinema has progressed. We owe a lot to these smart and idealistic group of talented film-makers, who have helped shape what a film can accomplish.

 Sources:

French New Wave (Wikipedia)

Hitchcok's The Birds

1.Note the details of each attack: who is attacked, and why. When is the first attack? What happens? When do the audience first know an attack is coming? How is this moment foreshadowed?

The first attack of the birds is during Melanie's journey with the boat back from Mitch's home at Bodega Bay, after leaving the love birds. A  seagull attacks Melanie and leaves her injured. Melanie finds out that Annie a school teacher has feelings for Mitch and she moved to the town to be near Mitch. Tension builds up and a second bird attacks.

3. Write one sentence description of the protagonists
Mitch is a lawyer  he goes to Bodega Bay on the weekends. As Melanie arrives he falls in love with her.
Melanie is the daughter of a celebrity, daughter of an important man. Falls in love with Mitch but this relationship is hard to deal with because the desaproval of Mitch´s mother.
Lydia the mother of Mitch and Cothy. She is very protective about Mitch and has hard feelings about letting him go with any women. Has bad relationship with the woman which have an affaire with Mitch. Has lost her husband and misses him, she is not strong without a man.
Annie is a school teacher. Goes to live to Bodega Bay to be near Mitch. She is jelous about the relationship of Melanie and Mitch. Mysterious.

4.How does Hitchcook builds up tension trough editing in the school yard scene?
Hitchcook builds up tension with Melanie goes to watch out for Cathy and while she is smoking, a mass of birds start to group together. Everyone start to run away from that place and birds attack the children while running.

7. What triggers the attacks?
I think that everytime there is something different that triggers the attack. That is why the movie was so good as still is good dispite that the movie was made long time ago and with no technology at all. Hitchcook creats a great tension throughout the movie as there is no reason or there is but everytime different, why the birds attack. We can think that it is because of Lydia´s and Annie´s jelousy but later on we can suggest other ideas as the birds attacking because humans mistreat nature.