British New Wave

Useful Information:
british cinema book
intro to film studies (french wave)
best of british
films and national identity (swinging 60's)
Susan Sontag 'on photography'



Realism:

Is realism 'real' or is it all a set up made to appear 'realistic', I feel that it is only 'realistic' as many times in films and art it is a glamorized version of real life, it does not show the brutality or horrors that are in life but shows the positives which people want to be reminded of, 'real life' does not choose to be glamorized and does not hide its negative features.



Challenges to realism:

Americanisation - Hollywood and the creation of the 'Star System' where actors were idolized and became celebrities, they were used to draw the audience in and allow the audience to connect more with the scenes within the movies.

Commercialisation - Which led to the decline of traditional values.

Anxieties - The current youth was all 'post war babies' which meant they were worried about another war happening yet they were celebrating the end of the war and freedom of life.
                     cold war / Hbomb / spies / communists are a few things that the people were afraid of
                     The youth would grow into the peace movement in 60's because they were reacting to the horrific events they had lived through and did not want to witness again.


Social problem films
(kitchen sink dramas)
Having lived through the war the youth were not watching escapism films, but were interested in the realism films that showed how life could be for them, even if it was a glamorized version of life.

'Look back in anger'
filmed in natural recognisable locations that the audience could easily associate with.
The audience were able to identify with characters as unknown people were cast as actors, this meant that without the celebrity status the audience connected to the characters.


New wave:

almost punk like, rebelling, stereotypical 'angry young man'

1950's
birth of the generation gap, before this children stayed children until they were expected to grow up and become adults, there was no middle ground where the children explored different avenues
youth culture - music / fashion, these became more readily available and luxurious after the war, there was a target audience for teenagers as they changed their style into their own
teenagers were 18/19/early 20's years old instead of the younger teens that are becoming teenager in this society
TV - teens went to cinemas instead of sitting with the family to watch TV


New Wavers
underage sex - pill has just come out
adultery - mixed race r'ships, homosexuality
change from lower to higher classes (look back in anger)


John hill 'sex class and realism'
book


Documentary Movement

• grainy
• handheld
• Black and White

John Grierson
documentary is creative / poetic / beautiful / real

woodfall studio - new wave studio

Alan Lovell
criticised movement:
" how can you be creative if you have to be real? "
" does having an education affect your ability to be a director? "

French New Wave
revolution of cinema / anti hollywood

Italian New Wave
neo realist