Independent Cinema: Crash Course Film History #12

Summary

This script explores the evolution of film, focusing on movements that defied classical Hollywood cinema. It discusses Italian Neo-Realism's raw depiction of post-WWII life and the French New Wave's innovative storytelling, both influencing the 1970s' New Hollywood Cinema. The rise of blockbusters in the 80s and the 90s' independent cinema are also highlighted, showing a continuous struggle between art and commerce in filmmaking.

Takeaways

• 🎬 Hollywood's reliance on trends often leads to an oversaturation of similar content, such as sequels and superhero movies.
• 🌟 Post-WWII audiences sought a shift from the artificial and formulaic nature of classical Hollywood cinema.
• 🇮🇹 Italian Neo-Realism emerged as a response to Hollywood's dominance, with films like 'Rome: Open City' showcasing raw authenticity.
• 🎥 The scarcity of resources post-war in Italy led to a unique style that reflected the harsh realities of the time, using non-actors and real locations.
• 🇫🇷 The French New Wave movement in the late 1950s challenged the mainstream with innovative techniques and a focus on spontaneous storytelling.
• 📰 French critics from 'Cahiers du cinema' criticized the imitation of Hollywood styles and advocated for a more intelligent cinema experience.
• 🏆 The success of films like 'The 400 Blows' at Cannes Film Festival helped to establish the French New Wave on the global stage.
• 📽️ Technological advancements allowed for a more mobile and spontaneous shooting style, embracing natural lighting and on-location filming.
• 🌍 The influence of Italian Neo-Realism and French New Wave spread worldwide, inspiring 'New Waves' in various countries and post-colonial cinemas.
• 📉 The 1948 antitrust lawsuit against Hollywood studios led to a more open market for diverse films, paving the way for independent cinema.
• 💸 The 1960s-70s saw a rise in American independent films like 'Bonnie and Clyde' and 'Easy Rider', which challenged the studio system and found commercial success.

Q & A

What was the common perception of Hollywood films post-World War II?

Post-World War II, audiences around the globe were getting tired of Hollywood films, calling them artificial, self-important, and inauthentic.

What is Italian Neo-Realism and how did it differ from classical Hollywood cinema?

Italian Neo-Realism was a film movement characterized by a raw and authentic style, often using non-actors, real locations, and a rough look. It differed from classical Hollywood cinema, which was known for its formulaic, upbeat stories, and polished, studio-shot productions.

Who were some of the key filmmakers of Italian Neo-Realism?

Key filmmakers of Italian Neo-Realism included Roberto Rossellini and Vittorio de Sica, who started shooting films as soon as the fighting of World War II ended.

What was the significance of 'Rome: Open City' in the context of Italian Neo-Realism?

'Rome: Open City' was the first Italian Neo-Realist film, directed by Roberto Rossellini, and it set the tone for the movement with its raw depiction of life under Nazi occupation, using non-actors and real locations.

How did the French New Wave challenge the classical Hollywood style?

The French New Wave challenged the classical Hollywood style by making films with minimal crews, lightweight equipment, and natural lighting. They also used techniques like jump-cuts and characters addressing the camera directly to break the fourth wall and create a more spontaneous and authentic feel.

Who were some of the prominent figures of the French New Wave?

Prominent figures of the French New Wave included Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Jacques Rivette, and Claude Chabrol, who were initially film critics before becoming filmmakers.

What was the impact of the 1948 antitrust lawsuit on Hollywood studios?

The 1948 antitrust lawsuit, United States versus Paramount Pictures, Inc., forced major studios to give up their theater chains, theoretically opening the marketplace to a wider variety of films.

How did the films 'Bonnie and Clyde' and 'Easy Rider' influence American cinema?

The films 'Bonnie and Clyde' and 'Easy Rider' were influential in American cinema as they challenged the studio system, introduced a new style of filmmaking, and demonstrated that independent films could be both critically acclaimed and financially successful.

What is meant by 'New Hollywood Cinema' and when did it occur?

'New Hollywood Cinema' refers to a period from about 1967 to 1980 when major Hollywood studios began to finance and produce films made by filmmakers with original visions, leading to a wave of creative and experimental films.

Why did the era of New Hollywood Cinema come to an end?

The era of New Hollywood Cinema ended due to several factors: increasing budgets and box office pressures, the rise of blockbuster films that offered escapism, and the studios being purchased by multinational corporations that changed the filmmaking process to focus more on marketability and less on artistic risk.

How did the 1990s see a resurgence of independent filmmaking?

The 1990s saw a resurgence of independent filmmaking with the emergence of new directors like Spike Lee, Steven Soderbergh, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Quentin Tarantino, who made films for independent companies and continued the tradition of creating original and risky American films.

Outlines

00:00

🎬 The Evolution of Filmmaking: Challenging Hollywood Norms

This paragraph discusses the repetitive nature of Hollywood films and how global filmmakers, starting with Italian Neo-Realism and the French New Wave, began to challenge the classical Hollywood cinema style. Post-World War II audiences sought authenticity, leading to movements that produced raw and original films. Italian Neo-Realism, with films like 'Rome: Open City', and the French New Wave, criticized for its formulaic and artificial style, are highlighted as significant influences on future cinema.

05:02

🌐 Global Impact and the Rise of New Hollywood Cinema

The paragraph explores the global impact of Italian Neo-Realism and French New Wave on various 'New Waves' and post-colonial cinema movements. It then shifts focus to the United States, discussing the 1948 antitrust lawsuit's effect on Hollywood and the subsequent rise of independent American films like 'Bonnie and Clyde' and 'Easy Rider'. These films, along with others, led to the New Hollywood Cinema era, characterized by risk-taking and original storytelling, which was eventually overshadowed by the blockbuster era of the 1980s.

10:02

📺 The Transformation of Hollywood and the Future of Film

This final paragraph discusses the changes in the film industry during the 1980s and 1990s. It covers the rise of blockbusters and the influence of multinational corporations on Hollywood's filmmaking approach. The paragraph also highlights the resurgence of independent filmmaking in the 1990s with directors like Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino, and looks forward to the impact of home video and streaming services on film history.

Keywords

💡Classical Hollywood Cinema

Classical Hollywood Cinema refers to the style of filmmaking that was perfected by major American studios between the 1930s and 1950s. It is characterized by formulaic storytelling, chaste and upbeat themes, and a reliance on constructed sets and high-key lighting. This style was dominant and produced a large volume of films, but by the mid-1940s, audiences were seeking a change, leading to the rise of movements like Italian Neo-Realism and the French New Wave. The video discusses how this style was seen as artificial and inauthentic, prompting a search for more realistic and raw cinematic expressions.

💡Italian Neo-Realism

Italian Neo-Realism was a post-World War II film movement in Italy that sought to depict the harsh realities of life through a raw and authentic style. Filmmakers like Roberto Rossellini and Vittorio de Sica used non-professional actors, real locations, and available resources to create films that contrasted sharply with the polished look of classical Hollywood Cinema. The video highlights 'Rome: Open City' as a prime example of this movement, showcasing its rough look, meandering plot, and ambiguous ending as a departure from Hollywood norms.

💡French New Wave

The French New Wave, or 'La Nouvelle Vague', emerged in the late 1950s as a reaction against the conventional filmmaking practices of both Hollywood and the French film industry. This movement was spearheaded by young critics turned filmmakers, such as Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut, who advocated for a more personal and spontaneous approach to cinema. They used lightweight equipment, natural lighting, and innovative editing techniques to create films that felt fresh and modern. The video mentions 'Breathless' and 'The 400 Blows' as notable examples, emphasizing the movement's influence on global cinema.

💡Independent Cinema

Independent Cinema refers to films made outside the major studio system, often with lower budgets and greater creative freedom. The video discusses how independent filmmakers have historically challenged the dominant Hollywood model by creating original and authentic films. Examples from the script include the post-war movements in Italy and France, as well as the rise of independent American films in the 1960s and 1970s, which were characterized by their personal and idiosyncratic storytelling.

💡Hollywood Blockbusters

Hollywood Blockbusters are high-budget films designed to appeal to a wide audience and generate significant box office revenue. The video explains how the success of films like 'Jaws', 'Star Wars', and 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' in the 1970s marked the beginning of the blockbuster era. These films offered escapism and entertainment, contrasting with the riskier, more personal films of the New Hollywood Cinema. The rise of blockbusters signaled a shift in the film industry's focus towards mass appeal and commercial success.

💡New Hollywood Cinema

New Hollywood Cinema describes a period from the late 1960s to the early 1980s when a new generation of filmmakers gained creative control and experimented with narrative and stylistic conventions. Supported by major studios, directors like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola made films that were both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. The video notes that this era was characterized by a balance between artistic innovation and commercial viability, which was eventually disrupted by the rise of blockbusters and corporate influence.

💡Post-War European Cinema

Post-War European Cinema encompasses the films made in Europe after World War II, which often reflected the social, political, and cultural changes of the time. The video discusses how movements like Italian Neo-Realism and the French New Wave were part of this broader shift, aiming to capture the authentic experiences of everyday life in a post-war context. These films were marked by their use of real locations, non-professional actors, and a departure from the escapism of classical Hollywood Cinema.

💡Cahiers du Cinema

Cahiers du Cinema was a French film magazine that played a significant role in the development of the French New Wave. The video mentions how young film critics writing for the magazine, including future directors like Jean-Luc Godard, critiqued the mainstream French film industry and advocated for a new approach to filmmaking. Their writings and subsequent films helped to shape the aesthetic and thematic concerns of the French New Wave.

💡Antitrust Lawsuit (United States versus Paramount Pictures, Inc.)

The antitrust lawsuit mentioned in the video, United States versus Paramount Pictures, Inc., was a legal case in 1948 that forced major Hollywood studios to divest their theater chains. This decision theoretically opened the marketplace to a wider variety of films, not just those produced by the studios. The video suggests that this event contributed to the rise of independent and foreign films in the American market, challenging the dominance of classical Hollywood Cinema.

💡Counterculture

The Counterculture of the 1960s refers to the social and cultural movements that challenged the status quo and traditional norms in the United States. The video connects the rise of New Hollywood Cinema to the counterculture, suggesting that the societal changes and political upheaval of the era influenced the themes and styles of films made during this period. The counterculture's emphasis on personal freedom and social critique found expression in the films of directors like Dennis Hopper and Arthur Penn.

Highlights

Hollywood's trend-driven nature leads to a prevalence of sequels and similar genres.

Post-WWII audiences sought a more authentic cinema experience than what Hollywood was offering.

Italian Neo-Realism emerged as a reaction to classical Hollywood cinema, focusing on raw authenticity.

Roberto Rossellini's 'Rome: Open City' exemplified Italian Neo-Realism with its use of real locations and non-actors.

The French New Wave in the late 1950s challenged Hollywood norms with a focus on spontaneous storytelling.

Jean-Luc Godard and other critics-turned-filmmakers led the French New Wave, creating a new cinematic language.

The French New Wave utilized lightweight equipment and natural lighting for a more realistic film style.

Global movements like Brazil's Cinema Novo and Japan's post-war cinema challenged classical Hollywood cinema.

The 1948 antitrust lawsuit against Hollywood studios led to a more open film market.

The late 1960s saw a rise in American independent films like 'Bonnie and Clyde' and 'Easy Rider'.

New Hollywood Cinema of the 1970s allowed for creative freedom and experimentation in filmmaking.

The 1980s marked a shift towards blockbuster films and the influence of multinational corporations on Hollywood.

The 1990s resurgence of independent filmmaking was characterized by directors like Quentin Tarantino and Spike Lee.

The rise of home video and streaming services has been a significant force in recent film history.

Crash Course Film History is produced in association with PBS Digital Studios, offering a variety of educational content.

Transcripts

What’s playing at the multiplex today?

Another big-budget sequel?

The same old romantic comedy?

Yet another superhero movie? ...probably that last one.

A lot of the time, Hollywood is driven by trends.

The success of one film or genre inspires others to jump on the bandwagon.

And that’s how we end up with nothing but reboots and dystopian fantasies.

The same thing happened after World War II.

Audiences around the globe were getting tired of the films coming out of Hollywood… calling

them artificial, self-important, and inauthentic.

From the Italians in the 1940s to the French in the 1960s, and even independent directors

at work today, filmmakers have found ways to challenge the classical Hollywood model

by creating their own vibrant and original films.

So let’s talk about Italian Neo-Realism, the French New Wave, and all kinds of independent cinema.

Are we going to talk about Sharknado? Nick: No. Craig: Okay good!

[Opening Music Plays]

Between the 1930s and 1950s, the major American

film studios perfected a particular style of filmmaking we call classical Hollywood cinema.

Their stories were chaste, formulaic, and mostly upbeat.

The good guys almost always won, and husbands and wives couldn’t even share a bed.

Many of the films were shot on constructed sets or the studio’s backlot.

And most used a flat, generic form of lighting called high key lighting that ensured the

entire image was clearly visible.

A lot of great films came out of the studio system, but Hollywood was churning out between

six- and eight-hundred films a year and dominating the global film market.

By the mid-1940s, audiences were ready for something new.

The first post-World War II movement to find its voice was Italian Neo-Realism.

Many of its filmmakers, like Roberto Rossellini and Vittorio de Sica, were working directors

before the war and started shooting again as soon as the fighting ended.

After living through that violent time, they craved a more raw and authentic style than

classical Hollywood cinema could provide.

Filmmaking tools for these guys ran thin: Cinecittà, the film studio in Rome, was nearly

destroyed during the war, equipment was often damaged or missing, and film stock was hard

to come by.

But these resourceful Italian filmmakers found a way to turn these disadvantages into a style

that reflected the harsh reality they saw around them.

The first Italian Neo-Realist film was Roberto Rossellini’s 1945 masterpiece Rome: Open City.

Set and shot in the Italian capital just after the end of the war, the film tells the tragic

story of a handful of characters living under Nazi occupation.

Rossellini mixed non-actors with movie stars and filmed in and around buildings that had

actually been bombed.

The film has an extremely rough look, a plot that meanders from character to character,

unexpected and shocking deaths, and an ambiguous ending.

Nothing about it screams “classical Hollywood,” and that’s what helped turned it into a hit.

Other Italian Neo-Realists followed Rossellini’s example, focusing on stories that tried to

reveal the authentic suffering of everyday people.

Then, nearly two decades later, another film movement would take a different approach to

the same problem: how do you make more authentic, irreverent movies than Hollywood?

In the late 1950s in France, a group of opinionated young film lovers started writing for a movie

magazine called Cahiers du cinema.

At the time, the mainstream French film industry

was making a lot of unimaginative literary adaptations that mimicked the classical Hollywood style.

Films like Jean Delannoy’s The Little Rebels and Rene Clement’s war drama Forbidden Games.

And these young film critics hated them.

In 1959, one of their most prominent writers, Jean-Luc Godard, wrote a scathing attack on

21 major French directors.

Here’s just part of what he said: “Your camera movements are ugly because

your subjects are bad, your casts act badly because your dialogue is worthless; in a word,

you don’t know how to create cinema, because you no longer know what it is.”

Ouch.

The main argument of these critics was that the studio systems – in both the United

States and France – were spoon-feeding their audiences rather than respecting their intelligence.

Interestingly, some of the filmmakers these critics admired had worked in Hollywood

during the height of this studio system: directors like John Ford, Howard Hawks, Orson Welles,

and Alfred Hitchcock.

And this was even before Hitchcock was Hitchcock.

At the time, he was considered a reliable maker of commercial thrillers.

Successful, sure, but not a genius.

These young French film critics, however, saw a filmmaker entirely in command of his

medium – from story to cinematography to editing.

They also admired a few contemporary French filmmakers, people like Alain Resnais

and Agnès Varda.

Varda’s work, particularly her use of non-professional actors, documentary realism, and real-life

locations, demonstrated that a vital, refreshing French cinema was possible.

By the end of the 1950s, they had analyzed a boatload of contemporary cinema, and were

ready to start making films of their own.

In 1959, four of them made their feature film directing debuts: Jean-Luc Godard shot Breathless,

Jacques Rivette made Paris Belongs to Us, Claude Chabrol made his second film Les Cousins,

and François Truffaut directed The 400 Blows.

Truffaut’s film was selected to screen at the hugely prestigious Cannes Film Festival,

where Truffaut won Best Director.

Suddenly, these scrappy young critics were being recognized as major international film

stars, and it put French New Wave on the map.

This style involved making films swiftly with minimal crews and lightweight equipment.

Like WheezyWaiter... actually no crew for Wheezy Waiter.

Advances in camera technology, along with faster film stocks, allowed them to shoot

with available or natural lighting, instead of hauling around lights.

The films’ plots often felt spontaneous and absurd, featuring tangents, casual and

irreverent humor, a frank approach to sexuality, and sometimes obscure cinematic references

and in-jokes.

French the Llama, that’s neat!

They used a lot of tricks to remind audiences they were watching a movie, to really play

with that illusion of reality – things like jump-cuts or characters talking directly to the camera.

Like WheezyWaiter.

But their goal was to capture something really authentic about life in post-war Europe.

And even though the Italian Neo-Realism and French New Wave styles got fancy names, this

shift wasn’t just happening in two countries.

New generations of filmmakers began challenging the classical Hollywood style all over the

world, from similar “New Waves” in Brazil, England, and Spain, to post-War Japanese Cinema,

and the rise of post-colonial Third Cinema movements in Africa and South America.

In a couple episodes, we’ll spend some time examining world cinema in more detail.

Meanwhile, in the United States, that 1948 antitrust lawsuit we mentioned last time – United

States versus Paramount Pictures, Inc. – forced the major studios to give up their theater chains.

Suddenly, the marketplace was theoretically open to all kinds of films, not just whatever

the biggest studios wanted to show in theaters.

The Hollywood studios were stubborn, though, and didn’t want to give up their money and

control to the tidal wave of brash, young filmmakers that was sweeping the rest of the world.

But as the 1950s rolled into the 1960s, the studios found themselves in real trouble.

Boy howdy!

After losing their theater chains, they began facing stiff competition from television.

As 1970 approached, the Baby Boom generation was coming of age, the war in Vietnam was

in full swing, American politics was at its most violent since the Civil War, and studio

films seemed increasingly out of touch.

Ticket sales were falling, and studio executives were in an outright panic.

Studio Executives like money, you guys.

So in the late 1960s, a set of films seized

the opportunity to challenge the studio system from both inside and outside.

Two New York based magazine writers; David Newman and Robert Benton

wrote a script called "Bonnie and Clyde" about a pair of charismatic depression era bank robbers

on a crime spree.

Their goal was to create an American film

in the style of the French New Wave, and in fact they almost got François Truffaut

to direct it.

Arthur Penn directed the film instead, starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, and after

winning over some influential critics, it became a sensation.

With its unapologetic sexuality, casual humor, and surprisingly brutal violence, Bonnie and

Clyde was a watershed moment in the history of American film.

It was made by Warner Brothers, but the film’s success led to a cascade of independent films

– films made outside the major studio system.

In 1969 Dennis Hopper partnered with Peter Fonda to make a motorcycle road movie set

to a contemporary rock-and-roll soundtrack.

Produced on a shoestring budget, Easy Rider became a massive financial and cultural success.

In many ways, these two films – along with movies like The Graduate in 1967 and Midnight

Cowboy in 1969 – ushered in an era of surprisingly personal, idiosyncratic American filmmaking…

and proved that unique, original films could also make money.

And so could Dustin Hoffman.

At the same time, the older generation of studio executives began to retire.

They probably were okay though. They probably retired on a beach somewhere very nice.

In their place came a new crop of Hollywood decision makers who were shaped by the same

societal forces as the younger filmmakers – like the rise of the counterculture, and

Watergate-era politics.

Suddenly, filmmakers with original visions who wanted to tell risky stories could get

financed by major Hollywood studios.

And that's the way it stayed until this day. NOPE!

Directors like Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Brian de Palma, and Robert Altman

were supported by big studios, and made films that reached an audience hungry for

something new and fresh on screen.

This window of creative control and experimentation came to be called New Hollywood Cinema and

lasted from about 1967 to 1980.

And it came to an end for a few major reasons.

Many of these New Hollywood filmmakers began working with larger and larger budgets, which

put more pressure on them to succeed at the box office.

For every Apocalypse Now – a film that seemed like a disaster that turned out to be a success

– there was a Heaven’s Gate – a film that appeared to be a sure bet that flopped

so hard it ruined a studio.

And at the same time, filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were creating movies

like Jaws, Star Wars, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Heard of 'em?

Instead of overtly wrestling with the socio-political upheaval of the ‘60s and ‘70s, these films

offered a chance to escape, a more pure form of entertainment that appealed to a wider audience.

These were the first summer blockbusters, and their unexpected success signaled a swing

away from the more risky, personal films of the previous decade.

Plus, as all this was happening, the studios were being purchased by large, multinational

corporations, which changed the way the studios worked.

...no multi-national corporation ever purchases me.

Gone were the days when a cigar-chomping studio boss decided which films got made based on

his gut instinct.

Instead, there were stockholders to satisfy, marketing departments to consult, and risk

assessments to consider.

Very corporate. Oooo, I love me some risk assessment.

Film had always been a mix of art and commerce, but this period of blockbusters and corporate

culture forever changed that balance.

The major studios spent much of the 1980s making big movies that appealed to as many

people as possible – films like E.T., Back to the Future, Die Hard, and Dirty Dancing.

And, once again, the more unusual American films had to find other funding.

The 1990s saw the arrival of a new set of independent filmmakers and mini-studios.

Directors like Spike Lee, Steven Soderbergh, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Quentin Tarantino

made films for independent companies like Miramax and New Line Cinema.

It’s not a coincidence that many of these filmmakers came of age admiring the films

of the New Hollywood Cinema.

And while they didn’t have the resources of the major film studios, the success of

films like Do the Right Thing; sex, lies, and videotape; and Pulp Fiction showed there

was still a hunger for risky, original American films that continues to today.

Today we talked about the rise of post-war film movements that reacted against the classical

Hollywood filmmaking style.

We saw the influence of Italian Neo-Realism and the French New Wave on the New Hollywood

Cinema filmmakers of the 1970s.

And we discussed the rise of the blockbuster of the 1980s and the resurgence of independent

filmmaking in the 1990s.

Next time, we’ll look at home video and how streaming services like Netflix and Hulu

are a major force in recent film history.

Crash Course Film History is produced in association with PBS Digital Studios.

You can head over to their channel to check out a playlist of their latest amazing shows,

like PBS Infinite Series, It’s Okay to be Smart, and Gross Science.

This episode of Crash Course was filmed in the Doctor Cheryl C. Kinney Crash Course Studio

with the help of these risk assessments and our amazing graphics team, is Thought Cafe.