The French New Wave

The French New Wave is an essential anthology of writings by and about the critics and filmmakers of this revolutionary cinematic movement, which has had a radical impact on film practice and the way we think and write about film. The volume includes foundational writings such as Francois Truffaut's A Certain Tendency in French Cinema and Andre Bazin's La Politique des auteurs, as well writings by Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol and Alexandre Astruc.
This new edition now represents writings by and about women critics and film-makers, including important articles by the critics Evelyne Sullerot, Michele Firk and Françoise Aude, addressing issues of gender and representation, as well as considering New Wave films in the context of contemporary political events, notably France's colonialist war on the Algerian independence movement. To accompany the case study of Godard's À bout de souffle, the new edition includes a case study of the critical reception of two films by Agnès Varda: La Pointe Courte and Cléo de 5 à 7 .
The articles have been specially translated for the volume by Peter Graham, and some are published for the first time in English. These classic writings are accompanied by contextualising introductions by Ginette Vincendeau, updated for this new edition, to form a unique resource on this key cinematic movement and its practitioners.

Peter Graham (1939-2020) enjoyed a varied career as a film critic, food writer, translator and film-maker. His publications include A Dictionary of the Cinema (1964 and 1968), Classic Cheese Cookery (1988 and 2004) and Mourjou: The Life and Food of an Auvergne Village (1998 and 2004).
Ginette Vincendeau is Professor of Film Studies and Director of the Film Studies Department at King's College London, UK. Her recent publications include Paris in the Cinema (co-edited with Alastair Phillips, BFI Publishing, 2018), La Haine (2005) and Jean-Pierre Melville: An American in Paris (BFI Publishing, 2003). She is a regular film reviewer and contributor to Sight & Sound, BBC Radio 3 and 4 and the BBC World Service.

Preface to the 2022 edition
Preface to the 2009 Edition
Preface to the 1968 Edition
Introduction (updated): Sixty Years of the French New Wave
1. The politique des auteurs: foundational texts
The Birth of a New Avant-Garde: La Caméra-Stylo ALEXANDRE ASTRUC
A Certain Tendency in French Cinema FRANÇOIS TRUFFAUT
The Evolution of Film Language ANDRÉ BAZIN
La Politique des auteurs ANDRÉ BAZIN
2. Critical debates: authorship and mise-en-scène
The Delights of Ambiguity: In Praise of André Bazin GÉRARD GOZLAN
Little Themes CLAUDE CHABROL.
Review of Alexandre Astruc's Une vie JEAN-LUC GODARD.
The Emperor Has No Clothes ROBERT BENAYOUN.
Interview with François Truffaut CAHIERS DU CINÉMA.
3. Authorship-mise-en-scène Case Study: the reception of A bout de souffle
Contrasting Views of A bout de souffle: Jean-Luc Godard LUC MOULLET . A bout de souffle RAYMONDE BORDE . Le Quai des brumes 1960: A bout de souffle by Jean-Luc Godard GEORGES SADOUL.
4. Critical debates: The Missing Perspective, gender and politics
Identikit of the 'New Wave' heroine EVELYNE SULLEROT
Goodnight, Doctor Kinsey PIERRE KAST
Three texts by MICHÈLE FIRK
Hiroshima mon amour, the heart and the mind FRANÇOISE AUDÉ
5. Gender Case study: the reception of Agnès Varda
MONOD: La Pointe courte; SADOUL: Cleo de 5 a 7; BORY: Cleo de 5 a 7
Bibliography (updated)
Index (updated)