New Hollywood, Coppola And The Vietnam War

"New Hollywood" was introduced in the late 60s and early 70s after most viewers were fatigued by the classical style of film making. This change most likely happened because of European cinema, particularly the French new wave. Hollywood absorbed tactics from European and retook dominance because European cinema was starting to die out. Whilst Classical Cinema only had flat, well rounded, clearly motivated characters, New Hollywood started to use characters who were confused and who were perhaps not as clearly motivated. Also European movies were less censored and featured more gore or explicit imagery. This change saw the introduction of the "blockbuster" which were high budget and high stakes movie. Some of the most well known of these films include Jaws and Star Wars. Some of the pioneering directors of this change includes Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Martin Scorsese. The so called "ringleader" of this new wave of cinema was Francis Ford Coppola.

Born April 1939, Coppola is an Auteur director who is responsible for some of the most critically acclaimed blockbusters of the 20th century, including The Godfather films and Apocalypse Now. Having contracted polio as a boy, Coppola was bedridden for large periods of his childhood, allowing him to indulge his imagination with homemade puppet theater productions. Reading A Street Car Named Desire at age 15 was instrumental in developing his interest in theater. Eager to be involved in film, he created 8mm features edited from home movies. Many of his films won awards, specifically The Godfather won 6 Golden Globes and 3 Academy Awards and The Godfather won 6 Academy Awards and a BAFTA.

After The Vietnam War, there was an increase in American movies that are more "raw" containing actual battle footage. A FilmReference.com article noted that American filmmakers "appeared more confident to put Vietnam combat on screen for the first time" during that era. These American post-war film representations have generally been more realistic and gritty, such as The Deer Hunter and Apocalypse Now (directed by Coppola).

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