American New Wave
Most film directors worked for one of the major studios between 1930-1960(Golden Age of Hollywood). Some, like Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles were the authors of their own films(auteurs) which was picked up by the french critics. American New Wave was started in NY by independent film makers. Little Fugitive(1953) by Morris Engel, Ray Ashley and Ruth Orkin is credited as the inspiration for French new Wave.
Some NY New Wave
- 1956 On the Bowery - Lionel Rogosin
- 1959 Pull My Daisy - Robert Frank
- 1959 Shadows - John Cassavetes
- 1961 The Connection - Shirley Clarke
New Hollywood was the emergence of the new generation of filmmakers in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was around this time that the studios were prevented from owning their own studios anymore (Paramount Antitrust case in 1948). British films started gaining traction in america in 1966, showing that the audiences were open more explicit content and different narrative structured films.
MPAA got a new head in 1966 in Jack Valenti who updated an old restriction on film content, to allow filmmakers more freedom with their films.
Bonnie and Clyde(1967) was written in 1963 by Robert Benton and David Newman, based on a couple of american criminals in the great depression. After losing Francois Truffaut and then Jean-Luc Goddard as directors, it took actor Warren Beatty reading the script and producing it himself to get created. Warner Bros was the financial sponsor, but were not happy with the rough cut so did not release it fully. Thanks to England loving it, it was re-released properly and got nominated for Academy Awards.
Dustin Hoffman got his start in the 1967 film The Graduate. the director Mike Nichols won an Oscar and the soundtrack was done by Simon and Garfunkel.
The first x-rated american cartoon was published in 1971 called Fritz the Cat. Fritz lives an alternative lifestyle in NY filled with sex drugs and rocknroll. Ralph Bakshi adapted Robert Crumbs comic strip character to the animation scene.
British New Wave
The British Free Cinema movement was created in 1956 by film makers and critics.They created the Free Cinema Manifesto which states belief in freedom, the importance of ppl and the significance of everyday life. Karel Reisz, Lindsay Anderson, John Fletcher and Tony Richardson were struggling to get their films shown, so they created their own mini screening at the National Film Theatre(due to Karel being the programme manager there)
This Free Cinema is what led to the British New Wave during 1959-1965. They got the nickname "kitchen Sink" films because of how ordinary and everyday life is depicted. The films were based on plays and novels, that focused on white working class men that rebelled against their circumstances, coining the term "Angry young men". Known for being shot in black and white, and using unknown actors with regional accents and shot on location.
If it wasnt for British New Wave's acceptance as groundbreaking new style of cinema, American would not have jumped on the bandwagon. These angry young men films opened the way for modern day films that are commentaries on the downtrodden, and communities that arent accepted by the general population.
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