New Hollywood Research

-

 See the source image         

New Hollywood

  • New Hollywood sometimes referred to as the American New Wave refers to a movement in American film history from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s
  • Occurred when a new generation of young filmmakers such as Woody Allen and Robert Altman came to prominence in the USA
  • These filmmakers influenced the type of films that were being produced, their production, marketing and the way major studios approached film making.
  • It was the director rather than the studio that took on a key authorial role.
  • The films made in this movement are stylistically characterised in that their narrative often strongly deviated from classical norms.
  • A significant film of the New Hollywood generation was Bonnie and Clyde in 1967.
  • After the demise of the Studio System and the introduction of television, the commercial success of films was diminished.
  • The 1950s and early 1960s saw the generation of New Hollywood being dominated by musicals, historical epics (and other films that benefitted from larger screens) with wider framing and improved sound. The attention of audiences started to decrease, therefore "Old Hollywood" started to lose money in the 60s.

 Francis Ford Coppola

  • Remarkable films: The Rain People (1969), The Outsiders (1983), The Cotton Club (1984), The Godfather (1972), The Conversation (1974), Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), as well as other including Apocalypse Now (1979).
  • Coppola's first major hit film was 'The Godfather' (1972).
  • His style is very distinguishing.
  • In his works, he utilises method acting, chiaroscuro lighting and the reuse of cast from previous films.
  • He uses cinematography that uses wide-ranging shots and continual takes.
  • His use of continual takes engages the audience and dish out a sense of reality and credibility.
  • There is an extreme use of lighting and shadow which can be symbolic and prominent in a scene.
  • Narrative themes of power and corruption 
  • Creative and extended uses of sound effects as well as the use of montage editing and downbeat endings. 

 

The Vietnam War

  • Conflict in Vietnam that began in the 1950s
  • It ended in 1975
  • Due to the natures of the war, the high death rates, its failure and its high profile in the media it had a huge impact on the American psyche and eventually its film output.
  • The films influenced by the Vietnam War included: The Fog Of War (2003), Rescue Dawn (2006), Coming Home (1978), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Platoon (1986) and many more. 

 

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why is the short film "Wallace & Gromit" engaging?

-
Image
      Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers How is it engaging?  The director of Wallace and Gromit successfully makes the film engaging to the audience by using several different filmmaking techniques. For instance, he uses the stages of Todorov's Narrative Theory which assists the audience in understanding the story and the plot of the film in an organized and structural manner. According to this theory, the film will start with an equilibrium which in this case is Wallace and Gromit peacefully living together and having breakfast in the morning. This is greatly highlighted through the soft chill music in the background of the scene.    Next is an action or character disrupting the equilibrium which is the penguin's arrival and him taking over Gromit's role in the home. This disruption is shown through the way the music changes upon his arrival and becomes eerie, immediately emphasising how the penguin is a threat; essentially acting as a warning to the ...
Read more

No Country For Old Men: Opening Scene

-
Image
 NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN In the opening sequence, we are introduced with a voiceover of a mysterious character who we don’t know yet, however, it is evident that he’s going to be a significant character in the movie. Diegetic sounds are clearly used such as the sounds of the police officer and the closing of the police car door, as well as the sound of the protagonist placing an object on the front seat of the car. The non-diegetic sounds of the wind blowing softly emphasize the isolation of the setting and atmosphere, which as a result, makes the placement of the characters strange. The lack of soundtrack during the killing of the policeman illustrates the lack of importance of the character’s death, mirroring the lack of empathy the main character has. Moreover, Chigurh's first dialogue is threatening along with his expression. His voice is monotone and he slightly smiles as he shoots the police officer. This gives the audience the impression that he also may be a psychopath....
Read more

The Grandmother: Analysis

-
Image
 THE GRANDMOTHER  DAVID LYNCH How does David Lynch turn these ordinary aspects of life into surreal nightmares? Being born: - Jittery and twitchy movements in a stop motion manner - The parents come in straight up while the child comes in sideways, which could symbolise him being born in the wrong place and may not fit in - Aggressive and violent movements may be foreshadowing how the boy's parents will treat him during the film - We only hear animal noises, which makes the film seem animalistic. It may also be a representation of how newborn children perceive the world and are still unable to comprehend words - Barking and crawling, which is inhumane Growing up: - The boy is mostly been neglected by his parents - Sorrowful and isolating atmosphere - Grey undertones with an overall dark ambience, which makes the environment seem cold - Pasty white colour that consumes their faces made vivid by the high contrast film making the boy seem sickly. Also, the red lipstick suggests t...
Read more