New Hollywood, sometimes referred to as the American New Wave or the
Hollywood Renaissance, refers to a movement in American film history
from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, when a new generation of young
filmmakers came to prominence in the United States. They influenced
the types of film produced, their production and marketing, and the
way major studios approached film-making. In New Hollywood films, the
film director, rather than the studio, took on a key authorial role.
The definition of New Hollywood varies, depending on the author, with
some defining it as a movement and others as a period. The span of the
period is also a subject of debate, as well as its integrity, as some
authors, such as Thomas Schatz, argue that the New Hollywood consists
of several different movements. The films made in this movement are
stylistically characterized in that their narrative often strongly
deviated from classical norms. After the demise of the studio system
and the rise of television, the commercial success of films was
diminished.Successful films of the early New Hollywood era include
Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, Night of the Living Dead, The Wild
Bunch, and Easy Rider, while films that failed at the box office
including Heaven's Gate and One from the Heart marked the end of the
era (despite the two maintaining a cult following years
later).Following the Paramount Case (which ended block booking and
ownership of theater chains by film studios) and the advent of
television, both of which severely weakened the traditional studio
system, Hollywood studios initially used spectacle to retain
profitability. Technicolor developed a far more widespread use, while
widescreen processes and technical improvements, such as CinemaScope,
stereo sound and others, such as 3-D, were invented in order to retain
the dwindling audience and compete with television. However, these
were generally unsuccessful in increasing profits. By 1957, Life
magazine called the 1950s "the horrible decade" for Hollywood.The
1950s and early 1960s saw a Hollywood dominated by musicals,
historical epics, and other films that benefited from the larger
screens, wider framing and improved sound. Hence, as early as 1957,
the era was dubbed a "New Hollywood". However, audience shares
continued to dwindle, and had reached alarmingly low levels by the
mid-1960s. Several costly flops, including Tora! Tora! Tora! and
Hello, Dolly!, and failed attempts to replicate the success of The
Sound of Music, put great strain on the studios.
Hollywood Renaissance, refers to a movement in American film history
from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, when a new generation of young
filmmakers came to prominence in the United States. They influenced
the types of film produced, their production and marketing, and the
way major studios approached film-making. In New Hollywood films, the
film director, rather than the studio, took on a key authorial role.
The definition of New Hollywood varies, depending on the author, with
some defining it as a movement and others as a period. The span of the
period is also a subject of debate, as well as its integrity, as some
authors, such as Thomas Schatz, argue that the New Hollywood consists
of several different movements. The films made in this movement are
stylistically characterized in that their narrative often strongly
deviated from classical norms. After the demise of the studio system
and the rise of television, the commercial success of films was
diminished.Successful films of the early New Hollywood era include
Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, Night of the Living Dead, The Wild
Bunch, and Easy Rider, while films that failed at the box office
including Heaven's Gate and One from the Heart marked the end of the
era (despite the two maintaining a cult following years
later).Following the Paramount Case (which ended block booking and
ownership of theater chains by film studios) and the advent of
television, both of which severely weakened the traditional studio
system, Hollywood studios initially used spectacle to retain
profitability. Technicolor developed a far more widespread use, while
widescreen processes and technical improvements, such as CinemaScope,
stereo sound and others, such as 3-D, were invented in order to retain
the dwindling audience and compete with television. However, these
were generally unsuccessful in increasing profits. By 1957, Life
magazine called the 1950s "the horrible decade" for Hollywood.The
1950s and early 1960s saw a Hollywood dominated by musicals,
historical epics, and other films that benefited from the larger
screens, wider framing and improved sound. Hence, as early as 1957,
the era was dubbed a "New Hollywood". However, audience shares
continued to dwindle, and had reached alarmingly low levels by the
mid-1960s. Several costly flops, including Tora! Tora! Tora! and
Hello, Dolly!, and failed attempts to replicate the success of The
Sound of Music, put great strain on the studios.
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