Film: The New Hollywood

‘The New Hollywood’ was the period of cinema after World War Two which marked the end of the Classical Era in film. (Schatz, 1993. pp 8) It was facilitated as cultural developments altered cinema attendance prompting a renaissance in film techniques and the themes that were explored. Families were migrating to the suburbs in response to housing and ‘baby boom’ and the introduction of the television meant ‘watching TV replaced going to the movies.’ (Schatz, 1993. pp 8-9) These ‘fragmented situations’ pushed for transformations in exhibition and the introduction of ‘globalized markets’ to increase profit margins. (Schatz, 1993. pp 9) Filmmakers were also pushed to create films that would attract audiences. Directors such as Martin Scorsese and …show more content…
The economic war boom ended in 1947 and more couples married and moved out of urban areas. (Schatz, 1993. pp 11) Film therefore had to find new traditions to attract profits and consumers. ‘To differentiate from television there was an increase in historical spectacles, westerns and biblical epics.’ (Schatz, 1993. pp 12) New technologies were developed to further differentiate film from television. (Schatz, 1993. pp 12) “Art cinema” and other foreign film movements also became popular in the late 1950s and this empowered American directors with new film techniques. (Schatz, 1993. pp 13) These developments can be seen in the films of Scorsese and Coppola. The shot sequences used in film moved from a focus on cutting between scenes to an emphasis on the long shot as a unique tool for character development. In a scene at the climax of Taxi Driver, Travis rehearses a violent confrontation in his mirror. He points his gun at his reflection whilst repeating the intrusive dialogue “you talking to me?” towards the audience. This long and distorted shot continues as a voiceover narration enters which explores Travis’ mental state in this moment. This narration allows the audience to enter Travis’ mind. ‘These filmmakers would discard plot in favor of character development and improvisation.’ (Rausch, 2004. pp 172) This new focus highlights a transition from the Classical …show more content…
The introduction of television and the suburbanization of America forced a decline in movie going. Filmmakers were forced to expand the boundaries of film to attract consumers. This was facilitated in the demise of the Production Code. Scorsese and Coppola were two prominent directors of the time who pushed the boundaries of the Classical Era to create postmodernist films. Their films used new shot techniques and sound distortion to encourage discussion and explore character. Overall, these new techniques and themes seen in these discussed films highlight that ‘New Hollywood’ was a