When I attended film school at USC often times in classes professors would ask the class whether or not they had seen a particular film. Sometimes these films were classics and often times not. Other than being pertinent to what the professor might be lecturing on at that moment, classic or not all the films were worth watching and had intrinsic value to them. They were the culmination of hard work and effort by a multitude of people and when complete were a form or art to be analyzed and deconstructed for years after. This is where the beauty of film lies. Yet these films had something else in common. For the most part, no one had ever seen them. And this was in film classes, full of film students. The very people who should be watching these films, religiously, often had never heard of them. Eventually this struck me as sad.
So I decided to do something about this, personally. I couldn't talk to others and make them have the passion for films that I had. I couldn't talk people into watching films from the studio era, or silent films or even anything before they were born (which sadly was around 1988). What I could do though was watch everything myself. I mean, wasn't this what Tarantino and Scorsese had done? Guys like Lucas, Spielberg, Coppola, hadn't they all spent their childhood years consumed by the cinema? Well if it worked for those masters then surely I could do the same.
But where to begin? I did what most would do, start with a readily recognizable list. About around 2000-1, I had started making sure that I had viewed every film nominated for best picture by the Academy that year, particularly prior to the awards. It had been my small way of being able to make a somewhat informed decision on what I thought was the best film. To me my first list appeared easily. I would watch every best picture winner, from Wings (William Wellman, 1927) through Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle, 2008) and beyond. It was a daunting task but one worth undertaking, especially to me.
After finishing that list I moved onto the AFI films lists from 1998 and 2007.
I'm still working on various lists and compilations but now I want to become more focused. Now I want to move into the area of directors and analyze their work as a complete body. At USC I was able to take the great Hitchcock class and was utterly blown away by the quality of work of the best director that ever has worked.
Which brings me to my new and current project. At USC I was particularly drawn to certain aspects of film and it's history, different genres, styles, periods of filmmaking. One of these was the French New Wave. Tied down by a national cinema that was lacking in creativity and desperately broke, the New Wave and it's artists had a spirit and creativity that dazzles to this day. They made films cheaply yet made films that were groundbreaking and heartfelt. Led by Godard and Truffaut, they were the first directors to take the direction that would later be emulated by Tarantino and Spielberg. They were voluminous in their approach to watching films and this helped them to become better filmmakers. I cannot help but to make parallels to filmmaking in Hollywood today.
Inside this affinity to the FNW was an attraction to Francois Truffaut. My first viewing of The 400 Blows (1959) left me stunned. Here was a film that was real. It dealt with a simple story, was shot and made simply yet beautifully. It was autobiographical as well as easily relatable for any audience. Obviously I made some personal connection with the film as well. And there was Truffaut himself. I felt connected to him in ways that I am not with other directors. He absolutely loved films, he watched everything, loved Hitchcock, had issues that he dealt with through film (remarkable to be so frank about oneself). It seemed his autobiographical work could be mine in some form. I was impressed. Here was a man to emulate.
Over the next year (hopefully it doesn't take me that long) I am going to watch everything Truffaut related. I have been lucky enough to purchase the amazing Truffaut at Work by Carole Le Berre. This tome contains letters and notes and details about Truffaut and his work. I plan to read and re-read this book, watch and re-watch his films. If I only learn that he was a great filmmaker and enjoy only some of his films, I consider myself richer. If I can somehow become a great filmmaker myself, and entrench myself with a deep knowledge of the man and his work then I would be ecstatic.
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