The French New Wave: Critical Landmarks

by Peter Graham, Ginette Vincendeau (Editor)

The French New Critical Landmarks is a new and expanded edition of a classic anthology of writings by critics and film-makers associated with the Nouvelle Vague. The new edition, published to mark the 50th anniversary of the New Wave, features all the articles from the first edition, including Bazin's seminal 'La Politique des Auteurs' and a brand new translation of Truffaut's 'Une certaine tendance du cinema francais' (A Certain Tendency in French Cinema). In addition, the collection includes articles by and interviews with Bazin, Godard, Chabrol and others that helped to shape contemporary debates about the history, aesthetics and practice of cinema, as well as a case study offering three different perspectives on Godard's A bout de souffle. The new edition features a preface by Peter Graham alongside his preface to the 1968 edition, and an introduction by Ginette Vincendeau that contextualises the Nouvelle Vague in the light of recent developments in film theory and history and its influence on subsequent French film-making. There is also a new and substantial bibliography of works on the New Wave in English and French, making this an indispensable point of reference for anyone interested in the movement and its long-lasting effects on the theory and practice of cinema. Contributions Alexandre Astruc, Andre Bazin, Robert Benayoun, Raymond Borde, Claude Chabrol, Jean-Luc Godard, Gerard Gozlan, Luc Moullet, Georges Sadoul and Francois Truffaut.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Srikanth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthology of post-war French film criticism, superbly selected even by today's standard.

We don't get Truffaut's Une Certaine Tendance, but his lovely 1962 interview with Cahiers ("I don't think the world needs my films, I don't think the world needs me. I must get accepted by it, and the way to do this is by my work)". Not Godard's review of Nicholas Ray or Ingmar Bergman, but his review of Astruc's Une Vie. The three pieces from Positif are a robust riposte to the rest of the selection, all drawn from Cahiers. Gérard Gozlan's "In Praise of Bazin" powerfully locates and criticizes Bazin's theory historically, while Benayoun's provocative "The King is Naked" is a sobering experience.

[Prisoner 071053 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ruined by feminist nonsense.

[Jason Roseleth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good choice of essays. The best are the pamflet by and the interview with Truffaut, although those by Bazin are enjoyable too. Other essays by the Cahiers-people can be a bit self-contradictory and confusing at times. The rest is made up of highly critical ones and those try to bash Bazin and the Nouvelle Vague movement. This last group is a bit overrepresented i feel like, since I bought this book mainly because I have enjoyed a lot of Nouvelle Vague movies.