Take Three: New Hollywood

Soon after the classic Hollywood era, in the 1960s, directors moved always from the traditional style of making films and decided to explore more creative means. These new ideas sprang from different countries that newly degreed directors and filmmakers, here in America, adopted. Europe was one of the main countries were these techniques came from, especially France because of their new wave era.

So before we divulge into specific examples of the American New Wave let us first look upon the La Nouvelle Vague or also known as the French New Wave. The French New Wave occurred during the 1950s and 1960s. And basically during this time directors looked at themselves as artists instead of technicians. By this I mean they experimented with new styles of filmmaking. Some new techniques that these directors and filmmakers adopted were shooting on location versus just in the studio, having a more realistic and raw appeal, new technology (such as lighter cameras that made shooting on location easier), confronted taboo subjects and storylines, gave women more dominant roles that stood from their norms (i.g. independent, self-reliant, manipulative).

So, now that we got a simple yet broader sense of the Hollywood New Wave foundation let’s analyze a specific New Hollywood film. Bonnie and Clyde was a 1967 film directed by Arthur Penn. It is a crime film, not hard to guess, about the infamous robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. This film was one of the first films that basically marked the transition from Classical Hollywood to New Hollywood. Bonnie and Clyde broke many of the traditional American taboos by suggesting sexual content and actually showing very graphic violence. I have seen this film and compared to a film like Casablanca you can definitely see the new context and techniques these filmmakers adapted when making this film. The last scene of Bonnie and Clyde is particularly remembered for its graphic and violence. Regardless of this, it appealed to many types of audience especially the young adults category. Young adults were the primary audience most affected by these films. They viewed Bonnie and Clyde, two outlaws, as heroes. Which some critics found unseemly but regardless this film got praise and is now one of America’s most noteworthy films.

Faye Dunaway & Warren Beatty as Bonnie and Clyde

Another film that brought attention during this era was The Graduate. This film is about a young man fresh out of college who is confused as to what he is going to do with his life. In his bewilderment state he falls into an affair with his father’s business partner’s wife, Mrs. Robinson. In the film you can see how a female had a more dominant role of being manipulative in seducing a younger man. It is a scandalous film that has been called “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

This era in Hollywood marked the new wave in American cinema. The films made in this noteworthy moment are all a big part of pop culture. Some films that I recommend you should watch if you’re interested in seeing films from the New Hollywood era:

·      Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

·      The Graduate (1967)

·      Easy Rider (1969)

·      Chinatown(1974)