13 Film Movements That Shaped Cinema

A film movement is a filmmaking trend shaped by and reflecting the time, people, culture, social norms, and political events of the location from which it emerged. Often these movements get generated by filmmakers or film critics who formed ideas through discussion about how to create films, then put those theories into motion.

Because of the overlap in filmmaking trends, you won’t always find a consensus in film studies about what is an authentic film movement versus a tendency. These are the major recognized film movements:

1. 1. German Expressionism (1919–1926): During World War I, the German government banned foreign films, creating a need for German film production and unwittingly giving birth to the avant-garde film movement known as German Expressionism. By the mid-1930s, Nazis deemed German Expressionism degenerate, forcing many German directors, including Fritz Lang (Metropolis, 1927), to flee and relocate to Hollywood. Claiming such notable films as Nosferatu (1922, directed by F.W. Murnau) and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920, directed by Robert Wiene), German Expressionism features high-contrast lighting, dramatic camera angles, and sinister subject matter.
2. 2. Surrealism (1924–1930): The Surrealism movement originated in Paris in the 1920s and challenged traditional art forms by using absurd or shocking imagery. Acclaimed Surrealism filmmakers Jean Renoir and Marcel Duchamp made their marks on this movement, with such films as La Fille de L’eau (1925, directed by Jean Renoir) and Anémic Cinéma (1926, directed by Marcel Duchamp under the pseudonym Rrose Sélavy).
3. 3. Soviet Montage (1924–1933): Soviet montage originated in Russia at the State Film School. Soviet montage films lack individual central characters; the stories instead center on groups or classes of people and resemble documentaries. You can recognize Soviet montage films by their unique editing style, as they pioneered cutting-edge film techniques such as overlapping edits, jump cuts, and split screens. Spearheaded by Sergei Eisenstein under the tutelage of Lev Kuleshov, the movement’s films Battleship Potemkin (1925, directed by Sergei Eisenstein) and Man With a Movie Camera (1929, directed by Dziga Vertov) live on as modern classics of filmmaking.
4. 4. Poetic Realism (1930–1939): Originating in France, Poetic Realism films feature a nostalgic tone and often focus on unfulfilled love. This movement influenced the Italian Neorealism and the French New Wave movements, as filmmaking trends started to step towards naturalism. Jean Renoir (also associated with Surrealism) stakes his claim as the most recognizable director of the period with his notable Poetic Realist films Les Bas-fonds (1936) and La Grande Illusion (1937).
5. 5. Italian Neorealism (1942–1951): One of the most highly influential movements in film history, Italian neorealism marked a conscious move away from Hollywood-style filmmaking (a style featuring less realistic characters serving a specific narrative) toward more realistic characters and stories. Themes of Italian Neorealism include moral ambiguity, frank depictions of economic deprivation, and deep sympathy for characters. Italian neorealist filmmakers such as Federico Fellini and Roberto Rossellini rose to fame during this time. The period produced classic films such as Bicycle Thieves (1948, directed by Vittorio De Sica) and Umberto D (1952, directed by Vittorio De Sica).
6. 6. The French New Wave (1959–1964): The French New Wave film movement rose to popularity in the late 1950s in Paris, France. The movement aimed to give directors full creative control over their work, allowing them to eschew overwrought narrative in favor of improvisational, existential storytelling. French New Wave filmmakers changed both French cinema and the film industry at large, paving the way for modern independent auteur filmmaking. Famed directors François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard created such masterpieces as The 400 Blows (1959, the directorial debut of Truffaut) and Breathless (1960, directed by Jean-Luc Godard) during this time.
7. 7. British New Wave (1959–1963): The British New Wave film movement shares a similar style with the French New Wave. Naturalistic, spontaneous, and shot in black and white with nonactors in real locations, British New Wave films focus on the working class and the hardships of daily life. Look Back in Anger (1959, directed by Tony Richardson), A Taste of Honey (1961, directed by Tony Richardson), and The Sporting Life (1963, directed by Lindsay Anderson) endure as classics of this movement.
8. 8. Cinéma Vérite (1960s–present): The term “cinéma vérité” (French for “truthful cinema” or “cinema of truth”) refers to a movement in documentary filmmaking that began in France during the 1960s. This style of filmmaking involves spending several months (or more) immersed in a community, building trust, and following characters as their lives unfold. Notable Cinéma Vérite films include Grey Gardens (1975, directed by Albert and David Maysles), Paris Is Burning (1990, directed by Jennie Livingston), and Hoop Dreams (1994, directed by Steve James).
9. 9. Third Cinema (1960s–1970s): The Third Cinema film movement began in Latin America as a condemnation of capitalism and the Hollywood film industry. The films of this movement, which include Blood of the Condor (1969, directed by Jorge Sanjinés) and The Principal Enemy (1974, directed by Jorge Sanjinés), focus on exposing toxic national policies, highlighting the experiences of the working class, and encouraging the viewer to take revolutionary action.
10. 10. New German Cinema (1962–1982): Heavily influenced by the French New Wave, the films of New German Cinema distinguish themselves as low-budget indie movies embracing artistic merit over commercial success. Internationally acclaimed directors Wim Wenders and Werner Herzog bloomed as filmmakers during this time, along with films such as Alice In the Cities (1974, directed by Wim Wenders), The Tin Drum (1979, directed by Volker Schlöndorff), and Fitzcarraldo (1982, directed by Werner Herzog).
11. 11. New Hollywood (1967–early 1980s): Also called the American New Wave, the New Hollywood movement transferred power over films from the studio to the director. Helmed by young filmmakers, films such as Taxi Driver (1976, directed by Martin Scorsese), The Graduate (1967, directed by Mike Nichols), and Easy Rider (1969, directed by Dennis Hopper) deviated from traditional moviemaking by creating stories without clear resolutions or classic narrative linearity. Powerhouse filmmakers Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Terrence Malick thrived during the New Hollywood movement.
12. 12. Cinéma Du Look (1980s–1990s): Cinéma du Look centers on French directors who emphasize style and spectacle in films that usually follow the story of a young outcast. Popular filmmakers Luc Besson and Leos Carax created visually stunning Cinéma Du Look films during this period, such as Boy Meets Girl (1984, directed by Leos Carax), Léon: The Professional (1994, directed by Luc Besson) and La Femme Nikita (1990, directed by Luc Besson).
13. 13. Dogme 95 (1995–2005): Conceived in Denmark by directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg as a backlash against the studio system, the films of this movement focus on story, actors, and theme as opposed to special effects or technology. Based on a manifesto written by the two filmmakers (which included filmmaking rules adhered to by the Dogme film collective), movies such as The Idiots (1998, directed by Lars von Trier) and The Celebration (1998, directed by Thomas Vinterberg) provide good examples of this movement.

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