There are studios that are still putting out arthouse films, A24 is the big one that comes to mind. I appreciate French arthouse films are in decline, but it's ironic that the Guardian is rolling...
There are studios that are still putting out arthouse films, A24 is the big one that comes to mind. I appreciate French arthouse films are in decline, but it's ironic that the Guardian is rolling out this article just 6 months after this one. Folks are still hungry for these kinds of films, but as it's always been, it's not the mainstream.
I think it would be fair to say that much of Europe has been experiencing an increasing level of "Americanization" over the last few decades. Both traditional media and social media have really shrunk the world. We're shifting towards a ubiquitous global culture, so it's not surprising that European tastes are reflecting it.
All that said, I'm still optimistic for film. The last decade has seen some incredible contributions, including breakout stars like Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. As franchises like Marvel start to decay, let's hope the global indie scene gets a rebound!
A24 is reportedly* also changing their strategy to concentrate more on mainstream films. But maybe this will create a new opportunity for another studio to take its place in the indie space. *...
There are studios that are still putting out arthouse films, A24 is the big one that comes to mind.
A24 is reportedly* also changing their strategy to concentrate more on mainstream films. But maybe this will create a new opportunity for another studio to take its place in the indie space.
The seemingly seismic shift in the academy alone is enough to inspire confidence in me. Surprise wins in the last few years like Parasite and Everything Everywehre All At Once signal to me that...
The seemingly seismic shift in the academy alone is enough to inspire confidence in me. Surprise wins in the last few years like Parasite and Everything Everywehre All At Once signal to me that the boomers are no longer in charge.
It's sad that streaming services don't want to take risks any more, depsite the fact that some of their most popular productions became so popular because they pushed the boat out and delivered...
It's sad that streaming services don't want to take risks any more, depsite the fact that some of their most popular productions became so popular because they pushed the boat out and delivered new and exciting content to our screens.
I think the author ignores another reason why French cinema is dying – it is (for lack of a better word) weird and seeks rather gratuitously to violate societal norms around sex.
Oh, and it's in French which limits its appeal somewhat to French-speaking audiences.
I have to disagree. I have watched several French films because I learned French and wanted to immerse myself. If we disregard La jetée, I found that almost every French movie I watched (I mostly...
seeks rather gratuitously to violate societal norms around sex.
I have to disagree. I have watched several French films because I learned French and wanted to immerse myself. If we disregard La jetée, I found that almost every French movie I watched (I mostly just watched movies that I heard of or which were recommended, without seeking out any given theme) depicted the same general thing, which isn't in violation of French societal norms--the French cultural elites in recent years have demonstrated that the themes of these films are paramount within French society, in contrast with the themes of American society.
Oh yeah, by the way, in case it's not clear, that theme is the sexual awakening of (specifically) a young girl.
Although, to be fair, there was also one movie that was about sensual awakening of a young woman... although they also encouraged her sister to cheat on her husband. And though I haven't seen it, it seems Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles is about the sexual awakening of a middle aged widow, so it's not quite always about the sex life of teenage girls.
Well there are other countries than France putting out interesting experimental movies. A name like Hlynur Pálmason is a new Icelandic director I am very excited about. Godland from 2022 was one...
Well there are other countries than France putting out interesting experimental movies. A name like Hlynur Pálmason is a new Icelandic director I am very excited about. Godland from 2022 was one of the most beautiful films I have seen.
But really, cinema has been dying countless times in the last century. Peoples perception of French movies might change over time, but maybe a new countrys film industry will take its place.
The French have been giving up on arthouse films since like the 90s, half the time communicating that idea through their arthouse films (Irma Vep and Holy Motors come to mind as very pessimistic...
The French have been giving up on arthouse films since like the 90s, half the time communicating that idea through their arthouse films (Irma Vep and Holy Motors come to mind as very pessimistic French meta-movies)
I think this is a little apocalyptic — there are absolutely fantastic young French filmmakers doing great work. Last year, I loved Rodeo and Athena, and — despite already being a huge deal — it feels like Julia Ducournau is just getting started. At least artistically, there's still a very very strong industry over there, especially if you're including the more established people who are still doing great work (Denis, Assayas, etc)
I broadly agree with the Schrader quote at the beginning of the article — the problem isn't with filmmakers. Now that most people mostly watch movies at home, and more movies are available than ever, I think a lot of people only ever seek comfort and never really take risks with what they watch.
I think going to rep theaters is a great way to avoid that trap. Knowing I can't pause or rewind helps me actually pay attention to the movie. Needing to go somewhere helps me care enough about something to give it a fair chance. And I know the person who picks what plays is even more movie obsessed than I am — of course their choices will be more interesting than what you'd get from a streaming service recommendation algorithm or a studio release calendar.
Streaming services like Criterion and Mubi are giving a similar feel with their curated selections and recommendations. My film experiences with those are massively more interesting than whatever...
Streaming services like Criterion and Mubi are giving a similar feel with their curated selections and recommendations. My film experiences with those are massively more interesting than whatever Netflixs algorithm spews out.
There are studios that are still putting out arthouse films, A24 is the big one that comes to mind. I appreciate French arthouse films are in decline, but it's ironic that the Guardian is rolling out this article just 6 months after this one. Folks are still hungry for these kinds of films, but as it's always been, it's not the mainstream.
I think it would be fair to say that much of Europe has been experiencing an increasing level of "Americanization" over the last few decades. Both traditional media and social media have really shrunk the world. We're shifting towards a ubiquitous global culture, so it's not surprising that European tastes are reflecting it.
All that said, I'm still optimistic for film. The last decade has seen some incredible contributions, including breakout stars like Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. As franchises like Marvel start to decay, let's hope the global indie scene gets a rebound!
A24 is reportedly* also changing their strategy to concentrate more on mainstream films. But maybe this will create a new opportunity for another studio to take its place in the indie space.
* Paywall link, here's a Variety article discussing the same thing.
The seemingly seismic shift in the academy alone is enough to inspire confidence in me. Surprise wins in the last few years like Parasite and Everything Everywehre All At Once signal to me that the boomers are no longer in charge.
It's sad that streaming services don't want to take risks any more, depsite the fact that some of their most popular productions became so popular because they pushed the boat out and delivered new and exciting content to our screens.
I think the author ignores another reason why French cinema is dying – it is (for lack of a better word) weird and seeks rather gratuitously to violate societal norms around sex.
Oh, and it's in French which limits its appeal somewhat to French-speaking audiences.
I have to disagree. I have watched several French films because I learned French and wanted to immerse myself. If we disregard La jetée, I found that almost every French movie I watched (I mostly just watched movies that I heard of or which were recommended, without seeking out any given theme) depicted the same general thing, which isn't in violation of French societal norms--the French cultural elites in recent years have demonstrated that the themes of these films are paramount within French society, in contrast with the themes of American society.
Oh yeah, by the way, in case it's not clear, that theme is the sexual awakening of (specifically) a young girl.
Although, to be fair, there was also one movie that was about sensual awakening of a young woman... although they also encouraged her sister to cheat on her husband. And though I haven't seen it, it seems Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles is about the sexual awakening of a middle aged widow, so it's not quite always about the sex life of teenage girls.
Well there are other countries than France putting out interesting experimental movies. A name like Hlynur Pálmason is a new Icelandic director I am very excited about. Godland from 2022 was one of the most beautiful films I have seen.
But really, cinema has been dying countless times in the last century. Peoples perception of French movies might change over time, but maybe a new countrys film industry will take its place.
The French have been giving up on arthouse films since like the 90s, half the time communicating that idea through their arthouse films (Irma Vep and Holy Motors come to mind as very pessimistic French meta-movies)
I think this is a little apocalyptic — there are absolutely fantastic young French filmmakers doing great work. Last year, I loved Rodeo and Athena, and — despite already being a huge deal — it feels like Julia Ducournau is just getting started. At least artistically, there's still a very very strong industry over there, especially if you're including the more established people who are still doing great work (Denis, Assayas, etc)
I broadly agree with the Schrader quote at the beginning of the article — the problem isn't with filmmakers. Now that most people mostly watch movies at home, and more movies are available than ever, I think a lot of people only ever seek comfort and never really take risks with what they watch.
I think going to rep theaters is a great way to avoid that trap. Knowing I can't pause or rewind helps me actually pay attention to the movie. Needing to go somewhere helps me care enough about something to give it a fair chance. And I know the person who picks what plays is even more movie obsessed than I am — of course their choices will be more interesting than what you'd get from a streaming service recommendation algorithm or a studio release calendar.
Streaming services like Criterion and Mubi are giving a similar feel with their curated selections and recommendations. My film experiences with those are massively more interesting than whatever Netflixs algorithm spews out.