New Hollywood (blog 4)

Post-classical Hollywood, also dubbed "New-Hollywood" and The "Hollywood Renaissance" was a phenomena brought about by the introduction of young talent. In the past this young generation would have been fighting in or working to support war. The baby boomer generation was coming of age in the 1960's. With no war to fight or support, this new generation became a big part of Hollywood's evolution. They played an integral role in every facet of the industry, including: writers, directors, actors, editors and more.

Many factors were part of the evolution of Hollywood's classical era to its post-classical. The advent of the television was a big one. Many boomer's parents were happy getting their news and entertainment at home. Hollywood had a new audience to please.

Not only was this new audience younger but also more affluent and educated. They demanded more from movies than spectacles such as Technicolor, CinemaScope, stereo surround sound and even 3-D. They wanted films to be artistic. Before Hollywood could catch up, the boomers found what they were looking for in foreign films, especially European "Art-Films" such as Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless. or Michelangelo Antonioni's Blowup which featured full-frontal female nudity; a big deal for American movie goers in 1960.

The boomers were a generation like no other Hollywood had seen before. They were restless. The youngsters (20 somethings) of the time were rebelling against their parents perceived complacency. Hollywood's salvation came in the form of rebels, sex icons and a new "energy" that was Hollywood's "Art-Films.

As on-site filming became more viable, film makers took to the streets, in hopes of adding realism to the screen. Another facet of New-Hollywood films was artistic editing. This was the era when the magic behind the scenes brought new life to the cinema. One example of this is a scene in Dennis Hopper's Easy Rider when there is a long shot of Wyatt (Peter Fonda) changing his motorcycle tire with a cut to a farmer changing his horse's shoes. This edit is meant to symbolize young Americans' desire for freedom and exploration.

In Easy Rider and other films of the time, themes such as sex and drug use and of course Rock-N-Roll become common place. What a roller coaster these kids were getting on!