World cinema has been shaped by influential movements that challenged traditional filmmaking. From the French New Wave's experimentation to Italian Neorealism's gritty realism, these movements pushed boundaries and redefined cinematic language.

Asian and Latin American filmmakers also created unique movements. Japanese New Wave explored postwar themes, while Third Cinema addressed political issues. These diverse movements reflect the global nature of film and its power to inspire change.

European Film Movements

French New Wave (1950s-1960s)

• Rejected traditional filmmaking conventions favored experimentation and personal expression
• Emphasized visual style, editing, and unconventional narrative structures (jump cuts, long takes, hand-held camera)
• Directors often wrote their own screenplays drew from personal experiences and observations
• Key figures: Jean-Luc Godard (Breathless), François Truffaut (The 400 Blows), Agnès Varda (Cléo from 5 to 7)
• Influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema but sought to subvert and reinvent these traditions

Italian Neorealism (1940s-1950s)

• Emerged in post-World War II Italy portrayed the struggles of working-class and poor Italians
• Used non-professional actors, location shooting, and natural lighting to achieve a documentary-like realism
• Focused on social and economic issues (poverty, unemployment, political strife) rather than individual characters or plot
• Key figures: Vittorio De Sica (Bicycle Thieves), Luchino Visconti (La Terra Trema), Roberto Rossellini (Rome, Open City)
• Influenced by French Poetic Realism and Soviet Montage laid the groundwork for the French New Wave

German Expressionism (1920s) and Soviet Montage (1920s-1930s)

• German Expressionism used stylized sets, lighting, and acting to express inner psychological states and emotions
  • Emphasized visual composition, distorted perspectives, and high-contrast lighting to create a sense of unease or terror
  • Key figures: Robert Wiene (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari), F.W. Murnau (Nosferatu), Fritz Lang (Metropolis)
  • Influenced by post-World War I social and political upheaval and the rise of Freudian psychoanalysis
• Soviet Montage used rapid editing and juxtaposition of images to create meaning and emotional impact
  • Emphasized the power of editing to manipulate time, space, and the viewer's perception of events
  • Key figures: Sergei Eisenstein (Battleship Potemkin), Dziga Vertov (Man with a Movie Camera), Vsevolod Pudovkin (Mother)
  • Influenced by Marxist ideology and the need to create a new, revolutionary cinema for the Soviet Union

Dogme 95 (1990s)

• Danish filmmaking movement that sought to strip cinema down to its essentials and emphasize realism and authenticity
• Established a set of rules (the "Vow of Chastity") that prohibited the use of special effects, non-diegetic music, and other artificialities
• Emphasized handheld camera work, natural lighting, location shooting, and improvisation to capture "the truth" of a scene
• Key figures: Lars von Trier (The Idiots), Thomas Vinterberg (Festen), Søren Kragh-Jacobsen (Mifune)
• Influenced by the French New Wave, cinéma vérité, and the rise of digital video technology in the 1990s

Latin American Film Movements

Third Cinema (1960s-1970s)

• Political and social filmmaking movement that sought to challenge Hollywood dominance and neo-colonial oppression
• Emphasized the need for a cinema that reflected the realities and struggles of Third World peoples (Latin America, Africa, Asia)
• Used film as a tool for social and political change, often in service of leftist or revolutionary ideologies
• Key figures: Fernando Solanas and Octavio Getino (The Hour of the Furnaces), Glauber Rocha (Black God, White Devil), Jorge Sanjinés (Blood of the Condor)
• Influenced by Soviet Montage, Italian Neorealism, and the anti-colonial and anti-imperialist movements of the 1960s and 1970s

Cinema Novo (1960s-1970s)

• Brazilian film movement that sought to create a distinctly national cinema that reflected the realities of Brazilian society
• Emphasized location shooting, non-professional actors, and a documentary-like style to capture the texture of everyday life
• Focused on social and political issues (poverty, inequality, political oppression) and the experiences of marginalized communities
• Key figures: Glauber Rocha (Black God, White Devil), Nelson Pereira dos Santos (Vidas Secas), Ruy Guerra (The Guns)
• Influenced by Italian Neorealism, the French New Wave, and the political and cultural ferment of 1960s Brazil

Asian Film Movements

Japanese New Wave (1950s-1960s)

• Rejected the conventions of traditional Japanese cinema in favor of more personal, experimental, and politically engaged filmmaking
• Emphasized social and political critique, existential themes, and a more raw, unpolished visual style
• Drew from a wide range of influences (French New Wave, jazz, avant-garde theater, documentary) to create a new cinematic language
• Key figures: Nagisa Oshima (Night and Fog in Japan), Shohei Imamura (The Insect Woman), Masahiro Shinoda (Pale Flower)
• Influenced by the social and political upheavals of postwar Japan and the global youth culture of the 1960s

Parallel Cinema (1950s-1970s)

• Indian film movement that sought to create a more realistic and socially engaged alternative to mainstream Bollywood cinema
• Emphasized location shooting, naturalistic acting, and a focus on the lives of ordinary people and marginalized communities
• Dealt with social and political issues (caste discrimination, rural poverty, the status of women) in a more direct and critical way
• Key figures: Satyajit Ray (The Apu Trilogy), Ritwik Ghatak (The Cloud-Capped Star), Mrinal Sen (The Royal Hunt)
• Influenced by Italian Neorealism, the Bengali Renaissance, and the leftist and progressive movements in post-independence India