American New Wave Work

• 1.  When did the "New Hollywood" start?  What are some of the first famous films that embraced this "New Wave" in America?

"New Hollywood" began in the mid-1960s and continued through the 70s when the baby boom generation was growing up and going to movies on their own. Some of the first films to define the "New Hollywood" are Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, Night of the Living Dead, The Wild Bunch, and Easy Rider. 

2.  WHY did this American New Wave occur?  Why at this time?  What was going on that spurred it on? 

This American New Wave occurred because studios saw that, as their traditionally older and main film-going audience was losing interest in favor of television, the baby boomers were growing up, getting a college education, and seeing movies, taking interest in the European "art films" from Italy and France. These movies were becoming very popular in their own countries as well as in the US. To try and capture the attention of this younger audience, studios hired young filmmakers (actors, writers, and directors) who could transform the movie industry by really appealing to the younger generation. 

3.  What are some KEY CHARACTERISTICS of American "New Wave" films?  What were these films known for?  

They leave some things open-ended and irresolute, whereas previously the filmmakers would tie up all the loose ends for that token "Hollywood ending." Films were shot on location, adding to the realistic and natural effect. They used editing to reflect the emotion of the characters, so they really focused on using stylistic elements in the movie to tell the story. These new movies especially capitalized on the counter-culture that appealed to the youth in the 60's/early-mid 70's; they used rock music and integrated themes of sexual freedom and antiestablishmentism. 

4.  Explain a few of the "characteristics of New Hollywood films" that you listed in question 2 that you saw present in these two clips.  BE SPECIFIC.  How/Where are you seeing these characteristics in these two short clips from Easy Rider?  

In the first clip, the first song talks about a lot of drugs ("smoked a lotta grass"). The man just seems cool, which I think is how a lot of the leading men of the "New Hollywood" were portrayed so as to appeal to the younger population; he's wearing a leather jacket and riding his bike freely down an empty road. There's a rock and roll song playing as him and the other guy ride their bikes, and they're biking on location with actual, natural scenery behind them. In the second clip, the editing goes haywire when the acid kicks in, with the camera chopping between different shots, spinning around, getting distorted and bulgy, and blurring sounds over one another; the editing reflects the mental states of the characters. 

5.  How did you see the video reinforce concepts from the google slides about the fall of the "New Hollywood?"  Be specific and quote or paraphrase what was said in the video.  Why did the "New Hollywood" fall/end?  

People were looking for escapism, especially after Vietnam. Like that one guy said right after seeing Star Wars, escapism is his favorite type of movie. The woman at the beginning said that she was getting pretty burnt out from all the rougher movies about social criticisms and just wanted a fantasy movie. This is a lot like what was said in the google slides because people want to see a fight of good versus evil, not just a loner or outcast who avoids the fight altogether. There was also a lot of merchandising and capitalizing on movies as much as possible, like with Star Wars. Like the slides say, it's all about the box office and how much publicity and success a movie can have. 

6.  In your own words, what do you feel is a major reason why the "New Hollywood" ended in the late '70s, based on what you read and watched?  

I think the biggest reason that the "New Hollywood" ended because of the Vietnam War. I think people were just so discouraged and exhausted by the state of the world and of the country that they needed a break from the cold realities of life that the movies of the 60s/70s seemed to love to emphasize; people just couldn't deal with any more cynicism because, during the war, cynicism pretty much ran rampant throughout the country. I think movie goers were sick of reality and didn't want to be reminded of it every time they went to a movie, and turned to more inspirational, exciting, escapist films instead.