10 Best French New Wave Films

10 Best French New Wave Films

French New Wave cinema just may have made me fall in love with France and Paris before I ever moved here! There’s just something so dreamy about the style of New Wave cinema. It may be the vintage clothing, the beautiful actors and actresses, or the slight accent that the foreign actors speak French in…but most likely it’s a combination of all three!

Whether you’ve already watched a bit of New Wave or it’s completely unknown to you, read on for my list of the 10 best French New Wave films!

1. Les quatre cents coups (The 400 Blows) (1959)

Not only is Les quatre cents coups (The 400 Blows) an excellent example of New Wave cinema, it’s a must-see French movie in more general terms. This is one of those classic movies that nearly every French person I’ve ever spoken to on the subject has seen!

The movie was directed by one of the New Wave cinema masters, François Truffaut. If you like cinema, you’ve definitely heard of him. In fact, The 400 Blows was the first movie Truffaut ever directed. It’s centered around the main character Antoine (played by Jean-Pierre Léaud), who is a neglected boy who turns to a life of crime.

The movie was nominated for and won several awards the year it was released, making Truffaut a major player on the French cinema scene.

2. Hiroshima mon amour (Hiroshima, My Love) (1959)

The next film on my list features a screenplay written by the French author Marguerite Dumas, one of my favorites! Hiroshima mon amour (Hiroshima, My Love) was directed by another famous French director, Alain Resnais. Along with The 400 Blows, this movie brought the New Wave movement into the international spotlight.

The film follows a man and a woman over the course of 36-hours. The man is a Japanese architect and is referred to only as “Lui,” which means “Him” in French. The woman is a French actress and is referred to only as “Elle,” which means “Her” in French. The bombing of Hiroshima is obviously a topic of their conversation.

3. À bout de souffle (Breathless) (1960)

Next up is one of the most well-known New Wave films on my list, À bout de souffle (Breathless). This film was directed by Jean-Luc Goddard, another world-famous French director, known for his involvement in the New Wave movement.

Like The 400 Blows and Hiroshima, My Love, Breathless is a defining film in New Wave cinema. The movie tells the story of a French criminal who meets and pursues a relationship with an American girl living in Paris. Watch to see what happens next!

4. Paris nous appartient (Paris Belongs to Us) (1961)

https://youtu.be/1LQB8f0EZUw

If you like mysteries, you’ll love Paris nous appartient (Paris Belongs to Us) from the French New Wave director Jacques Rivette. The movie follows a group of Parisians as they try to make sense of their lives and the world.

Critics sometimes refer to the film as a version of William Shakespeare’s Pericles. This one isn’t for the faint of heart as there are a lot of questions surrounding death and life, and several of the main characters die in the end. But, if you’re feeling the whole existentialist thing, watch it!

5. Cléo de 5 à 7 (Cléo from 5 to 7) (1962)

Cléo de 5 à 7 (Cléo from 5 to 7) is a movie from one of my favorite French female directors, Agnès Varda! Not only did she direct the film, but she also wrote it. The New Wave movement was split into two groups in Paris: the Right Bank and the Left Bank. Varda was a part of the “Left Bank” directors. For reference, Truffaut and Goddard were a part of the Right bank or the critics-who-turned-filmmakers group. The Left Bank was made up of straight-up directors who were never critics.

I digress! Cléo from 5 to 7 tells the story of a woman named Cléo who is waiting to receive test results from her doctor which will tell her if she has cancer or not. We meet Cléo at 5 pm, and she is supposed to hear from the doctor at 6:30 pm. What can happen in two hours?! Watch the movie to find out.

6. Adieu Philippine (Farewell, Philippine) (1962)

Although relatively unknown to those uninterested in New Wave, Adieu Philippine (Farewell, Philippine) is considered a classic of the French cinema movement! It was directed by Jacques Rozier.

The movie is focused on the way that the war in Algeria (which took place when the then colony demanded independence from France from 1954-1962) was affecting life for French people at home in France. The film follows the main character just days before he’s shipped off to war.

7. Jules et Jim (Jules and Jim) (1962)

https://youtu.be/x5IAYIUKTaI

Another film by François Truffaut! Jules et Jim (Jules and Jim) is the epitome of a New Wave film in that not much seems to happen, yet by the end, you’ll be blown away by just how much did happen. Not sure what I mean? You will once you start watching more from this genre!

Jules and Jim is about two friends (Jules and Jim) who are in love with the same woman, Catherine. Want to know what happens next? You’ll have to watch it yourself to find out.

8. Bande à part (Band of Outsiders) (1964)

Here’s another from Jean-Luc Goddard! This time around, you’ll get to see another important figure from the movement in action, Goddard’s wife at the time and movie star in her own right, the amazing Anna Karina. She’s one of my favorite French actresses, and I love her in this movie!

Bande à part (Band of Outsiders) was a success both in France and North America. It follows a group of three criminals who commit a robbery together. If you want to discover Anna Karina – add this one to your watch-list!

9. Pierrot Le Fou (Pierrot the Madman) (1965)

This one is another one of my personal favorites as it stars Anna Karina and Jean-Paul Belmondo. Both played such important roles in French cinema at the time and for years to come, and I love watching them in action together!

Pierrot Le Fou (Pierrot the Madman) was also directed by Goddard, as he was a major player in the New Wave movement. The movie is based on the novel Obsession by Lionel White and tells the story of an unhappily married man who runs away with his ex-girlfriend. Then, he finds out that the woman is being chased by a group of gangsters. Watch what unfolds!

10. Le Genou de Claire (Claire’s Knee) (1970)

https://youtu.be/KLGpWN1elJ0

Watch this one for the beautiful images alone! I find the cinematography simply breathtaking in Le Genou de Claire (Claire’s Knee). It’s the fifth movie in French director Éric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales series, and like the other movies in the series, it is focused on what happens when a man’s moral compass is tested.

Conclusion

There are many other New Wave films that I didn’t mention that are also worth the watch. Titles include Lola, Les Cousins, and Tirez sur le Pianiste. It was so difficult to narrow down my list to just 10 films! If you can’t get enough of the Nouvelle Vague genre, I suggest you add those titles to your must-watch list as well!

And, if you want to learn even more about French cinema and you’re in Paris, check out our walking tours with our expert local guides! They are sure to know a thing or two about French movies – don’t be afraid to ask! Click here to learn more about our tours and to make your booking.