In this article, we will talk about the New Hollywood Cinema and its important works, which are considered the Renaissance period of Hollywood and dominated the 60s and 70s.
From the mid-60s onwards, Hollywood cinema began to undergo a major transformation. The Hollywood blockbusters of the era were not only massive in scale, but also in content. During this period, a new genre emerged that combined innovative filmmaking techniques with social commentary, resulting in some of the most iconic movies ever made. This genre would eventually be known as American New Wave Cinema, or more commonly, the New Hollywood movement.
The New Hollywood era began with the efforts of directors who sought to break away from studio traditions, such as John Carpenter‘s Halloween (1978), Francis Ford Coppola‘s The Godfather (1972), and Martin Scorsese‘s Taxi Driver (1976). This period, which arguably started with the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, lasted until the early 1980s. According to critics, two movies marked the end of the New Hollywood cinema by prioritizing commercialism and marketing over artistic and personal expression. These were Heaven’s Gate (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983).
1.Five Easy Pieces
Five Easy Pieces, a 1970 drama movie written by Carole Eastman and directed by Bob Rafelson, stars Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, and Susan Anspach. The movie was nominated for four Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Original Story.
Robert Dupea is a blue-collar worker in the oil fields who gave up his once-promising career as a concert pianist to work. Living with Rayette, a waitress in a diner, Robert learns from his sister that his father is not well; he takes Rayette with him to Washington to see him.
There, he confronts his past as well as the rich and cultured family he left behind. Robert, who still finds his family, almost all of whom are successful musicians, as arrogant and annoying as before, will open many old wounds during this visit.
Information about Five Easy Pieces (1970)
- Title: Five Easy Pieces
- Director: Bob Rafelson
- Cast: Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Susan Anspach, Lois Smith
- Release Year: 1970
- Duration: 98 minutes
- Country: United States
- Genre: Drama
- Language: English
- Age Rating: R
- Available Platforms: Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max
- IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
- Similar Movies: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), Easy Rider (1969), The Last Detail (1973)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: Five Easy Pieces on IMDb
2.American Graffiti
Directed by George Lucas and produced by Francis Ford Coppola, the 1973 comedy-drama movie received a total of 5 Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Story, Best Editing, and Best Supporting Actress.
In 1962, a group of young people living in a small town in California spend one last night together on the cruise strip after their high school graduation. On the verge of adulthood and preparing to take their first steps into real life, the dilemmas these friends face unfold as the most unforgettable rock and roll hits of the era play in the background. One of the many things these young people do not know about the future is that nothing will be the same in the morning.
Information about American Graffiti (1973)
- Title: American Graffiti
- Director: George Lucas
- Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith
- Release Year: 1973
- Duration: 110 minutes
- Country: United States
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Language: English
- Age Rating: PG
- Available Platforms: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
- IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
- Similar Movies: Dazed and Confused (1993), The Last Picture Show (1971)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: American Graffiti on IMDb
3.Bonnie and Clyde
The 1967 neo-noir crime and drama movie “Bonnie and Clyde” was directed by Arthur Penn. “Bonnie and Clyde,” which has been included in the National Film Registry for preservation and is considered one of the best movies of all time, won Oscars for Best Supporting Actress and Best Cinematography and was nominated for 8 Oscars. The movie stars Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway.
One day, Bonnie Parker becomes bored with her life and yearns for a drastic change. When she meets a charming young drifter named Clyde Barrow, she starts to believe she has found her opportunity.
As Clyde dreams of a life of crime that will rescue him from the hardships of the Great Depression, the two become attracted to each other, and soon, wild adventures stretching from Oklahoma to Texas await them.
Information about Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
- Title: Bonnie and Clyde
- Director: Arthur Penn
- Cast: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman, Estelle Parsons
- Release Year: 1967
- Duration: 111 minutes
- Country: United States
- Genre: Crime, Drama
- Language: English
- Age Rating: R
- Available Platforms: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
- IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
- Similar Movies: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Getaway (1972)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: Bonnie and Clyde on IMDb
4.Midnight Cowboy
Directed by John Schlesinger, the 1969 drama movie “Midnight Cowboy” won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, and was nominated for four additional Oscars. The movie stars Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight.
Texas rookie Joe Buck arrives in New York for the first time. He travels with the hope of making money by posing as a real “con man.” On his journey, Joe meets a new man named Ratso Rizzo. Both begin to believe they have found a true friend for the first time.
When Ratso meets Joe, who is homeless, a second time on the streets, he invites him to move into his apartment in an abandoned building. Ratso suffers from severe coughing fits, and as his health deteriorates, he dreams of moving to Florida, where he believes he will recover. Joe decides to accompany his friend to Florida as soon as he can gather the necessary money.
Information about Midnight Cowboy (1969)
- Title: Midnight Cowboy
- Director: John Schlesinger
- Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Sylvia Miles
- Release Year: 1969
- Duration: 113 minutes
- Country: United States
- Genre: Drama
- Language: English
- Age Rating: R
- Available Platforms: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
- IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
- Similar Movies: Taxi Driver (1976), Easy Rider (1969)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: Midnight Cowboy on IMDb
5.In Cold Blood
Adapted from the 1966 nonfiction novel of the same name, Richard Brooks’ 1967 neo-noir crime movie “In Cold Blood” received Oscar nominations for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Music, and Best Cinematography. The movie stars Robert Blake and Scott Wilson.
Two young men break into the house of a wealthy farmer and attempt a failed robbery. The next day, the police enter the same house and try to piece together the details of the crime in order to find the culprits.
The first information they have is that on November 15, 1959, at two in the morning in the rural town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were awakened from their sleep, their hands and mouths tied, and then brutally murdered by two unidentified assailants. What remains unknown is who would commit such a brutal and senseless act, why they would do it, and how the community would react.
Information about In Cold Blood (1967)
- Title: In Cold Blood
- Director: Richard Brooks
- Cast: Robert Blake, Scott Wilson, John Forsythe
- Release Year: 1967
- Duration: 134 minutes
- Country: United States
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Language: English
- Age Rating: Not Rated
- Available Platforms: Amazon Prime Video
- IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
- Similar Movies: The Boston Strangler (1968), Zodiac (2007)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: In Cold Blood on IMDb
6.The Last Picture Show
Adapted from the 1966 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, The Last Picture Show is a 1971 drama movie directed by Peter Bogdanovich. The film stars Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, and Ellen Burstyn. The movie won Oscars for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and was nominated for 6 Oscars, including Best Picture.
In 1951, a group of high school students comes of age in an isolated North Texas town. The town is quietly disappearing as people move to the big cities to earn a living and raise their children.
Until they can build a future beyond the town limits, the boys’ lives are limited to a run-down pool hall and a dilapidated movie house, the legacy of their friend and mentor Sam. Close friends Sonny, Duane, and Jacy, who are just starting to explore their sexuality, worry about what kind of future awaits them in this small town.
Information about The Last Picture Show (1971)
- Title: The Last Picture Show
- Director: Peter Bogdanovich
- Cast: Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd
- Release Year: 1971
- Duration: 118 minutes
- Country: United States
- Genre: Drama
- Language: English
- Age Rating: R
- Available Platforms: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
- IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
- Similar Movies: American Graffiti (1973), Days of Heaven (1978)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: The Last Picture Show on IMDb
7.The Graduate
The 1967 romantic comedy-drama movie The Graduate, directed by Mike Nichols, earned him the Oscar for Best Director and was nominated for 6 other Oscars. The film stars Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, and Katharine Ross.
Benjamin Braddock returns to California after successfully completing college. He is proudly welcomed by his family, but Ben has no idea what to do with the rest of his life.
This inexperienced young man is soon seduced by Mrs. Robinson, the wife of his father’s partner, who pursues him regularly. Soon, they begin meeting in hotel rooms. After a while, Benjamin becomes involved with Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, and things get more complicated than ever.
Information about The Graduate (1967)
- Title: The Graduate
- Director: Mike Nichols
- Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross
- Release Year: 1967
- Duration: 106 minutes
- Country: United States
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Language: English
- Age Rating: PG
- Available Platforms: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu
- IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
- Similar Movies: The Graduate (2001), Catch-22 (1970)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: The Graduate on IMDb
8.Cool Hand Luke
Directed by Stuart Rosenberg, the 1967 drama movie Cool Hand Luke earned George Kennedy an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for three more Oscars. The film stars Paul Newman.
Luke Jackson is a cold, reserved man who doesn’t conform to societal expectations. After being arrested for cutting parking meters while drunk, Luke is sentenced to two years in a Florida prison farm, where he quickly gains a reputation as a brave man who won’t bow to authority.
Admired as a hero by the other inmates, Luke becomes a villain to the prison officers, who will hate him and do anything to make him submit. How long can one person’s resilience last in the face of constant violence and cruelty?
Information about Cool Hand Luke (1967)
- Title: Cool Hand Luke
- Director: Stuart Rosenberg
- Cast: Paul Newman, George Kennedy, Strother Martin
- Release Year: 1967
- Duration: 126 minutes
- Country: United States
- Genre: Drama, Crime
- Language: English
- Age Rating: PG
- Available Platforms: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video
- IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
- Similar Movies: The Shawshank Redemption (1994), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
- Trailer: Watch the Trailer on YouTube
- IMDb Link: Cool Hand Luke on IMDb
What was the aim of New Hollywood Cinema?
The works of this period, marked by a significant increase in high-budget movies, represented a constant challenge by filmmakers and actors to traditional film industry norms such as formulaic plots and studio ownership.
New Hollywood was an American film movement defined primarily by the shift of control from the studio to the director. Gone were the days of extensive studio micromanagement, large-scale productions, and the regimented nature of the studio system.
New Hollywood ultimately centered on the director’s freedom to tell the stories they wanted to tell while experimenting with new techniques and technologies to push the boundaries of the medium.
What did New Hollywood Cinema contribute to world cinema?
This new era was a time of many radical changes. The New Hollywood movement would shape many aspects of filmmaking that we think about today, including who gets nominated for Academy Awards and what kinds of movies get funded.
The French New Wave, Italian Neorealism, and other foreign film movements, along with pioneering directors like Akira Kurosawa, provided inspiration in the 50s and early 60s as the studio system floundered.
The heyday of Western cinema was practically over, and epic cinema no longer had the appeal it once did. In this context, studios and producers began to realize that audiences wanted more complex stories, leading to the emergence of New Hollywood.
After the hugely commercial success of The Godfather, studios were willing to take risks, resulting in some of the most iconic works in the American canon. Scorsese made bold moves with movies like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, while Polanski’s Chinatown added a touch of originality to the movement.
After all, New Hollywood was a period that produced some of the best work in American cinema and the world at large, changing it forever. The freedom that the culture clash provided writers and directors led to a wave of creativity and inspiration that has not been seen in Hollywood since.
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