Intermedia and French New Wave Cinema

As I was reading Stephen Foster’s article, I did have trouble accurately identifying Foster’s suggested denotation of “intermedia.” Even so, the first full paragraph on page 64 piqued my interest. In this paragraph, Foster explains the way in which video functions and why it is such a powerful medium in relation to “intermedia.” As Foster continues to explain his idea of video, I could not help but recall the films I watched for my French New Wave Cinema course. French New Wave Cinema is a school of film that was popular in the 1950s and 1960s, known for its unique treatment of the camera [1]. The camerawork in the various New Wave films places the viewer in uncomfortable or confusing situations by employing long takes, discontinuous shot reversals, etc.. With this in mind, Foster’s discussion of spontaneity strongly relates to this type of film: “Video is spontaneous because spontaneousness only makes sense with reference to fixed expectations” (64). French New Wave cinema employs spontaneity to a large degree by constantly defying what the viewer expects to see on the screen. In the Claude Chabrol’s film Le Beau Serge, the viewer’s assumption as to where the camera will travel is completely shattered. In this film, the camera is constantly shifting its placement so the audience cannot identify the POV through which the film’s story is told. In addition, the camera crosses the 180-degree line numerous times, which completely disorients the viewer in relation to the set; as a result, the viewer must constantly question the location, the camera’s motivation, and the director’s intentions. The following clip exemplifies the disorienting nature, or spontaneous nature, of the camera through its unexplainable shifting POV shots (when the camera moves to the girl’s foot causing the two characters to converse out of frame) and its crossing of the 180-degree line (which character is the viewer meant to identify with?). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMPpmz16Sc4

Although I do not entirely grasp Foster’s concept of “intermedia,” I do believe the New Wave genre relates to what Foster is stating. After all, New Wave is not simply a school that means to test the boundaries of film as a form of art. Instead, the directors in the school wanted to play with viewers’ perception of film and how this perception can be guided by various cinematic qualities. In this sense, I do believe the New Wave directors found “a place, which ‘facilitates’ or ‘enables’ intellectual, critical and aesthetic activities” (63). If anything, the directors wanted to assume the role of the nervous system (64).