Directors such as Claire Denis, Bruno Dumont, Francis Ozon, Catherine Breillat and Gaspar Noe, release highly polarized films known for their unflinching and often grotesque portrayal of issues, inciting a now stronger focus on what is and is not permitted on screen (Palmer 22). Quandt asserts that provocations held by the past age of France’s cinema such as formality, politics and philosophy seem to be completely stripped and forgotten, replaced by tropes traditionally associated with slasher flicks, exploitation flicks and pornography (Quandt 1). A new body of directors is leaving a mark on cinematic history in France, possessing a far different vision compared to the directors who were associated with the previous New Wave movement.
The portrayals of rape, incest, murder and mutilation are explored in depth, presented in such a manner that is so raw and unforgiving that the films even cause audiences to become physically ill.įrench cinema of the last decade embodies this “New Extremism,” first noticed prominently by Artforum critic James Quandt in 2004. Shock tactics are taken into high regard, as directors experiment and toy with various cultural taboos. However, even though a majority of world film engages its viewers to convey satisfaction or gratification in comparison to torment and displeasure, an emerging class of films in France has come to the forefront to challenge the traditional norms of what compromises the experience of watching a movie. The images and shots presented by a film can provoke a wide array of feelings, emotions and sensations within viewers.
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