FINAL PAPER - NEW WAVE CINEMA. Visual & Performing Arts Movie Review

New Wave Cinema
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New Wave is based on French art film movement which came into existence in the 1950s. The move was formed based on opposition to the then traditional filmmaking conventions which favoured the spirit of iconoclasm and empirical or experimentation. New Wave Cinema came up with new ways of editing, the visual style and narration, and methods of engaging the political and social class upheavals during that era. The new wave became one of the most influential and known movements in the history of film. New Cinema term was initially associated with French film critics for the magazine that promoted tradition quality of mainstream in French cinema in the 1950s. The magazine emphasized on craft over innovation and old works over new empirical works.[Forbes, Jill, and Sarah Street. European cinema: An introduction. Macmillan International Higher Education, 2017.]
Using a portable apparatus which required no setup or just a little set up of time, the New wave way of cinema making made a documentary style. The movies have direct sounds on film stock which call for less light. Some of the filming strategies included discontinuous editing, fragmented and long takes. The movement involved a significant number of directors including François Truffaut, Jacques Demy and Agnes Varda, among others. In rejection of the traditional way of filming, the films of these directors emphasized on-location shooting, handheld cameras, deemphasized plot and improvised dialogue, long takes, direct sound and live recordings. This piece of work shall explore how Wim Wenders films, the "Paris, Texas" and "Alice in the cities" compare and contrast about the New Wave Cinema era.[Ibid]
Wim Wenders Experience in Movie Directing
Wim Wenders is a German film director, an author, playwright and an icon photographer. He is significant personnel in the New German Cinema. Due to his experience, his documentaries have scooped him Academy Awards notably the Buena Vista Social Club (1999), the Cuban culture, Pinna (2011), the salt of the earth (2014) and Pina Bausch on contemporary dance choreographer.[Saye, Nadja. 2018. "Wim Wenders Thinks The American Dream Is A European Export, And MAGA, A Maddening Spectacle". Garage. https://garage.vice.com/en_us/article/a3qzgb/wim-wenders-on-the-american-dream-and-politics.]
The Road Movie Depicted in “Alice in the Cities.”
One of the characteristics depicted in most Wim Wenders films is road movie including in the “Alice in the Cities.” Other movies which fall into this category include the wrong move produced in 1975 and the Kings of the Road built-in 1976. All these films were shot by Robby Muller, a cinematographer in West German. Alice in the cities was shot in black and white 16mm. Director Wim Wenders is aware of the three films as a shot in the road and attracted several criticisms by various directors including Richard Rous based in U.S. most critiques come from the fact that most of Wenders movies are based on aimless journeys. Still, the film, “Alice in the Cities,” was a distinct one since the travel does not only fuel the story but also shapes the story again. Also, most of these road films by Wim Wander were very economical in their making, with small budgets but excellent mobility.[Dixon, Wheeler, Stuart Richards, Jeremy Carr, John Hughes, Si Mitchell, Daniel Fairfax, and Bérénice Reynaud et al. 2020. "The End Is A Transition: Wim Wenders’ Alice In Den Städten". Senses Of Cinema. http://sensesofcinema.com/2014/cteq/the-end-is-a-transition-wim-wenders-alice-in-den-stadten/.]
Alice in the city captures a particular mood of self-distance of a German west coming of age with American rock music and American Movies. A protagonist is in the United States who is doing reports on the real America of the road, but he insists on doing images rather than writing getting him fired. While stranded in New York wait for a German flight, he meets and woman and a young daughter. The woman plans for a road trip which she goes alone, leaving behind her daughter to be brought to West German, which is under the influence of America pop culture. Basically, "Alice in the Cities scores a legacy of being produced at a meagre budget which is a style also resurrected in more significant budget films like the Paris Texas. This style of aimless wandering in the Road movie trilogy has become influential among other directors who allied Wim Wenders. However, the movies produced on roads have issues including soundtracks of the films, making it hard to find on Vide on the U.S.[Ibid] [Ibid]
The 1970s marked a transition in most western Europe countries. This was apparent in West Germany as it was a country still recovering from WWII wounds, socioeconomic challenges and traumas. Also, the country was suffering geographical partition, and it is the centre of Wim Wenders movie "Alice in the Cities." Wim Wenders describes Alice in the Cities as the first movie where he discovered his voice, the “Individual Cinematic Voice.” The making of “Alice in the cities,” is a depiction of Wenders own scripts, drawn from is experience when he visited the United States. Wenders through the production of the trilogy road films became a crucial figure in the New German Cinema movements.
Basically, “Alice in the Cities," follows a relative path of New Wave Cinema in that Wenders uses Empirical means in the setup. Again, the individual voice of Wenders is felt all through the film. Alice in the Cities is a fil on personal identity and is fixated on disconnection from space. The protagonist is also a wander in the United States as a stranger. After the end of World War II, west Germany was arguably one of the country’s most susceptible to suffer the culture of America after the fall of National socialism. It was the country left with a significant void. Given this void, Wenders has it that it was to be filled with Americanization or America culture[Ibid]
Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas is a movie produced in 1984 directed by Wim Wenders featuring Harry Dean among other characters. In “Paris, Texas” (1984) Wim Wenders features a story of a loss upon a loss. It is based on a man, Travis, who once was married and had a child after which everything broke loose losing his wife and child. He is left to wander from one place to another. He finds he is family and loses it again but now via sacrifice other than madness. In the overall score, the movie does not have any gimmick to drive the emotion and make it more interesting since it does not need them due to the sadness of the truth. The movie also follows Wender’s themes more so the road movie and the American dream among other Wender’s movies.
Travis asks for water at the backroads gas station. He collapses after which he is taken to hospital for care. He is found by his brother who fetches him to home, but on the road, he decides to walk away. Travis would not speak, and finally, when he does, it is as if he is lost himself. A couple living in Los Angeles, Walt and his wife Ann live with Hunter Carson. Hunter Carson is son to Travis after he was left by Travis’ wife Jane after failing to provide adequate care for him. In the movie, Travis is not acting like he's lost or out of alienation but a person filled with grief, trying to reminisce on his lost marriage. Finally, Travis meets his son Hunter, and they travel from Los Angeles to Houston, where they trek long walks with long talks between the two Tr...