Movies about making movies are always a tricky proposition. Making a movie about an entire cinematic movement is damn near impossible – which is why we so rarely see them. However, in one of two films released this year from director Richard Linklater, the attempt to capture the entire essence of the French New Wave moment is front and center.
The core issue that such an undertaking presents is the philosophical disconnect between the film’s subject matter and the manner in which the film itself is presented to us. Godard’s approach to filmmaking, particularly in regards to Breathless, was full of such a bold revolutionary spirit. Linklater, on the other hand, approaches his films, including here in Nouvelle Vague, with a more straightforward approach.
Not to say that Linklater doesn’t succeed here because he chooses not to mimic the radical reinvention of cinematic language that defines the French New Wave, or create his own new language. It simply begs the question of what a film like this owes in the name of authenticity to its subject matter. Furthermore, we must ask if that attempted “authenticity” is actually in service of the film we’re actually watching.
Once we shed the preconception that Nouvelle Vague is itself a New Wave film rather than a film about the French New Wave, its effectiveness becomes apparent. Linklater’s filmography is full of examples of his ability to competently work within the confines of conventional cinematic storytelling to efficiently present a compelling narrative.
Nouvelle Vague is no different from something like Hit Man, School of Rock, or even Boyhood in that regard. The film follows a young Jean-Luc Godard (Guillaume Marbeck) has struggles both internally and externally to make his first film.
We first meet Godard as a brash film critic at Cahiers du Cinema feeling left behind by peers like Francois Truffaut (Adrien Rouyard), who have already made the transition from critic to filmmaker. He quickly musters up the courage to finally dip his toes in the directorial waters.
Along the way, the trials and tribulations of the filmmaking process are hilariously chronicled. All exacerbated by Godard’s extremely unconventional approach to directing. Of course with the hindsight of knowing that Breathless went on to become one of the most influential films ever made, and Godard’s career celebrated as among the best any director has put together.
However, what Nouvelle Vague makes incredibly apparent is that this truth was not self-evident at the time. Everyone around Godard, including the movie’s leads Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg (Aubrey Dullin and Zoey Deutch), and producer Georges du Beauregard (Bruno Dreyfürst), finds his methods to be counterintuitive to making a quality film.
Godard himself seems unsure that he is creating something worthwhile. Marbeck’s performance brilliantly communicates that while Godard is outwardly a fearless visionary, he’s inwardly terrified. His insecurity around never directing a worthwhile film (or any film at all) is masked by his posturing bravado. It all works out for him at the end, but it’s not always clear for him or others that will be the case.
The characters of Nouvelle Vague never express any awareness of the possibility that they’re creating cinematic history. However, as we see them proceed with the production, their joy is apparent in the simple act of creating. The film is ultimately about taking that most vulnerable leap into the creative pond.
It’s one thing for Godard to yearn to be a filmmaker and create other films from afar. It becomes an entirely different thing to fully participate in the act of filmmaking. Early in the film, the Godard character recites one of real life Godard’s most famous quotes – “the best way to criticize a film is to make another one.” He ends up learning the truth of that sentiment the hard way.
What we as audience members, alongside Godard, Seberg, Belmondo, and the rest of the Breathless’ cast and crew, learn along the way is that the simple act of flexing one’s creative muscle is itself a revolutionary act.
Like other films about aspiring filmmakers – everything from Bowfinger to The Disaster Artist – Nouvelle Vague highlights the bravery of expressing oneself through film. However, Godard, unlike Steve Martin’s Bobby Bowfinger or James Franco’s Tommy Wiseau, was able to create something that resonated with audiences.
As has Linklater. Nouvelle Vague serves as a heartfelt celebration of the medium. The film is one looking back on a movement that pushed film forward. Linklater understands that celebration is more than enough to make this film work.
There are brief moments of flourish – a quirky edit here, some brilliant blocking there. But Nouvelle Vague is dedicated to allowing itself to capture the spirit of the movement, rather than recreate it. Even if some images or moments from Breathless are mimicked or cheekily nodded to, Nouvelle Vague is undeniably its own film.
First premiering at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, Nouvelle Vague had its Canadian Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and will be shown in select theaters this fall before becoming available to stream on Netflix on November 14.
