CNM: French Impressionism & Surrealism (1918-1930)

The French Impressionism & Surrealism started when World War I was the reason why the already growing french film industry went to the drain. Literally every French film makers experienced hell. After that, Hollywood films (from America of course) became all the rage in France. And of course, patriotism strikes and suddenly France tried copying the styles of the American films. Young directors of France are the ones who were being pushed and encouraged to go against the American movement of films. Most of them think that film is an art and it should be pure and not to be borrowed from literature or theatres.

 Impressionist films are more on pyschologically based, as from what I've seen. They have this thing to make the viewers "feel" what they are feeling through they overly emotional acting, and their shots in point of view mode. They used a lot of blurry and misty shots to depict one's thoughts, ideas, and inner feelings. Examples of these are the closeup of eyes, facial expressions, etc. Also when there is a particularly violent scene coming, the shots in between are usually flashing faster and faster, making it more suspenseful (though I have no idea for what reason they do that). Also, impressionist films involves a lot of manipulation of time scenes, like for example of this is their overused usage of flashbacks (white cloudiness of screen before the "flashback"), dream-like flashbacks, daydreams and even their mental/psychological conditions/or what they are imagining. It has a strong sense of plot and has a storyline. 

On the other hand, the Surrealist are more on the other side of it; it's sort of the flip coin of the French Impressionism. Morbid scenes, mostly disturbing and very creepy, they use  the anti-narrative type (no one talking/narrating), therefore most of it are silent films or just having a simple background music for effect, and it attacks causality and borders on weirdness; Read my review on Chien Andalou film to better understand French Surrealist.