Linklater's Unconventional Approach to Capturing the French New Wave

In a recent interview, acclaimed director Richard Linklater discussed his unconventional approach to capturing the essence of the French New Wave in his latest film. Linklater, known for his "hangout" style of filmmaking, where the audience feels like they're participating in the characters' lives, wanted to recreate that same sense of intimacy and immediacy for his film about the making of Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless."

Rather than the "self-important" tone of most historical films, Linklater deliberately avoided that and instead sought to immerse the audience in the everyday lives of the French New Wave icons. He instructed his ensemble of fresh-faced French actors to portray the characters as dismissive of the young Godard, who was still an "obscure film writer" at the time.

Linklater believes that films about historical figures can often suffer from the distraction of star power, where the audience is too aware of the actor playing the icon. By casting lesser-known actors, he was able to transport the audience to the era, allowing them to feel like they were truly "hanging out" with the characters as they made a groundbreaking film.