French New Wave

Breathless is a 1960 French New Wave crime film.  It is one of the most influential examples of French New Wave Cinema.  This film is filled with unconventional jump cuts and has a very bold visual style.  This film set a new president for French New Wave films moving forward. We watched this film in class and while watching it I saw many resemblances between it and the film "The Tree of Life."  It's clear that this film has had a major impact on cinema.

Neorealism

Neorealism is a film movement characterized by often taking place in poverty-stricken cities and centering around blue collar workers. It was a product of the cynicism that came with the war and the increasingly malleable technology for shooting movies. It began around the mid-40s and its influence is indescribably huge.  All these characteristics can be seen in the movie “the bicycle thief”.  The main character is a low-class citizen desperately searching for his stolen bicycle in order to keep his job.  I loved how this film used its title and its opening scenes to tease the audience and make then eager to see when the bicycle would be stolen.