Introduction: The Central Argument of the Novel
In his famous novel called The Birth of the New Avant-Garde: The Camera Stylo Alexandre Astruc argues that cinema is getting a new life and gradually becoming a means of expression, which is why every filmmaker has an opportunity to communicate through their films, just like artists and writers interact with their audience through paintings and books. Astruc states that cinema is a language. Hence, the central argument or the so-called thesis of the novel can be expressed with the following words: “The filmmaker/author writes with his camera as a writer writes with his pen” (Astruc, 35).
Argumentation of the Author
Contemporaneity Needs Cinema
Proving the thesis, the author states that contemporary ideas and philosophies can be presented in their full sense only in the form of cinema – describing those with words is not enough anymore. He also quotes Maurice Nadeau, who once said that “if Decorates lived today, he would write novels” (Astruc, 33). Alexandre moved an amendment to this statement, claiming that if Decorates lived today, he would better write his philosophy on film.
Not Just a Show
Another argument the author uses is that cinema has moved from being just a show to something much more. Hence, it can step aside from “the tyranny of what is visual” to more precise language that can be written directly on film (Astruc, 33). Now, filmmakers do not have to use visual associations to express their ideas, as it was necessary in the case of the client cinema.
Dynamics Expands Horizons
One more piece of evidence the narrator provides is the fact that cinema has acquired “the growing realization of dynamics”, which gives filmmakers more opportunities to express themselves (Astruc, 34). Due to that, as Alexandre states, it is possible for cinema to create works of the equal significance to those of great novelists. It is possible to render “every psychological and metaphysical overtone” (Astruc, 34). The authors who fail to do that can spoil even the most remarkable scenarios.
Personal Response: My Evaluations
The Relevance of Argumentation
From my point of view, both the central statement of Alexandre Astruc’s novel and the arguments he uses are compelling. The opportunities, with which cinema provides filmmakers, are indeed extraordinary. The authors have everything to express their ideas and philosophies, and those who fail to do that are either not talented enough, that is, bad writers, or too lazy to do their best. As Alexandre states, the only reasons filmmakers fail to express themselves through films are laziness and the lack of imagination.
The Structure and Reasoning
As for the structure of the novel and the way the information is set out and developed, I like how Alexandre Astruc presents his story. It starts with something like a hook sentence, which draws the reader’s attention and makes them continue reading. This hook sentence is: “One cannot help noticing that something is happening in the cinema at the moment” (Astruc, 31). After the short introduction, the author presents the thesis of his novel and starts proving it, providing evidence.
The story unfolds gradually and is structured logically: the author’s reasoning does not break down at any point. He also uses particular examples, which makes the novel more interesting and informative.
In conclusion, I like both the idea that the author is trying to prove and the way he does it. All arguments he uses are relevant and compelling, and his reasoning is consistent: it does not break down throughout the story. The narrative is also logically built and supported by numerous examples.