Ten Significant Film Movements – Research

The 400 Blows (1959, dir. François Truffaut) – Trailer

Relevance to Comparative Essay

Unfortunately, as interesting as I find the French New Wave, I’m unable to use it in my comparative project due to the fact that I’ve already drawn on it heavily in my Extended Essay, as the notion of auteur is intrinsically linked to the theories of vision and innovation formed during La Nouvelle Vague. To quote from that essay: ‘ (Wes) Anderson clearly draws influence from the directors of the French New Wave, citing them as inspirations in press and even referencing them on screen which raises debates about: firstly, Anderson’s originality; and secondly, whether the director has achieved the status of auteur, a role inspired by the French pioneers and detailed by American film critic Andrew Sarris.’ Ideally, I would have liked to compare a film like ‘The 400 Blows’, one of the most significant coming of age films of all time, to Richard Ayoade’s ‘Submarine’, which he has cited as the first English coming of age film since the 1960’s, and which also prominently features struggles with maternal affection.