French New Wave Cinema

Explore the relationship between visual style and subject matter in two of the films you have studied

In both A Bout de Soufflé and Les Quatre Cents Coups there are many similarities, some of which are more visible to the spectator than others. In both films, there is the element of rebellion in both male characters. Antoine and Michel both rebel against some sort of pressure or strain which is holding them back. For example, the audience see Antoine constantly trying to get away from his dysfunctional family and the arguments which always seen to revolve around his actions, until his rebellion eventually catches up with him. Much like Antoine, Michel is constantly on the run from either the police or from his generally rebellious nature until like Antoine his actions catch up with him which leads to his unfortunate death.

Another element which is similar in both films is the improvisation which is used to ‘break the 4th wall’ and detour the spectator from feeling as if they are watching a film and more like watching real life. Using this technique allows the audience to feel connected to both film and the characters in the films. In comparison to both A Bout de Soufflé and Les Quatre Cents Coups, Une Femme est Une Femme feels overly staged with the characters acting as if they are on a stage instead a set for a film. In A Bout de Soufflé and Les Quatre Cents Coups, the improvisation is seen rarely and when speech or actions are improvised, they aren’t necessarily overly visible unlike Une Femme est Une Femme.