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Older French cinema vs. Modern Hollywood influences

posted 18 years ago by zygimantas
3 replies | jump to latest

WATCH OUT FOR SPOILERS DON'T READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE!!!!!!!!

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Seems to me that this is the source material for Amelie, only with a tragic finale instead of an uplifting one.

I'm no expert on French cinema, but I've heard many times the argument (and the films I have seen, especially older ones, seem to bear this out) that French movies are typically tragic or neutral in their denouments, especially when contrasted with Hollywood's usual "happy ending" formula.

I wonder if French cinema is changing to reflect the more commercial Hollywood tastes? If Les Bonnes Femmes is the original Amelie, with a few socially telling modifications, I think this argument might stand up.

If anyone else ever comes to this board and knows more about French cinema than I do, I'd appreciate any comments that might support or undermine the theory, as well as any good comparisons between French movies from the 40s-60s and their modern descendents.

Also any recommendations for critical analyses of French contribution to cinema arts.
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[–] fallingblack 16 years ago

I don't feel you can base a theory off of one example, so here's some "important" french new waves to get you started:

The 400 Blows
Paris is Ours
Weekend
Vivre sa Vie
The Good Girls (Les Bonnes Femmes mentioned here)
La Jetee
Contempt
Masculin Feminin
Breathless

et cetera

It should give you a "feel" for what was going on in french cinema starting at the late fifties/early sixties. I would say that only then, after viewing at least a few of these movies, can you begin to make a valid comparison.

Just an opinion though.

[–] Sinephile2010 15 years ago

In what ways do you think Amélie echoes Les Bonnes Femmes? I couldn't see any similarities myself, but maybe I'm missing something. Les Bonnes Femmes is about 3 main women, not one, and the only one who thinks she is in love, dies. Or are you thinking about the potentially creepy stalking theme in Amélie?

[–] Kurtz9791 10 years ago

It's more like Irreversible than Amelie.