What Makes a Film Avant-Garde?

Avant-garde is a term that is frequently used in the military meaning fore guard. But what does that have to do with film? And why do we hear the phrase avant-garde in cinema and film so frequently? What makes a film avant-garde, and what does all of this even mean?

A term that is frequently used to typify individual groups that came about before and immediately after the First World War. Avant-garde was widely respected as a movement that spoke volumes as to the horrors and mishaps that took place and resulted from war.

In film, Avant-garde theory is said to cause viewers to question or challenge the way they think about what they watched. You might recall an avant-garde film if you’ve ever watched a film and thought to yourself in the end, “What the hell did I just watch?” 

What is an Avant Garde Film?

An Avant-garde film frequently causes the viewer to challenge their individual thoughts about the film. And what they see on the screen or to question their thought process.

These films generally have no real point but they may bring up issues or explore theories of time, space, fantasy, or perception. 

When watching an avant-garde film, the viewer not only feels disturbed or otherwise shocked. They are likely experiencing more than just watching the film. They are also thinking and perceiving the actions taking place on the screen. 

What Makes a Film Avant-Garde?

In looking at what it is that makes a film avant-garde, radicalism frequently comes to mind. Actually, avant-garde films are said to necessitate a different kind of viewing experience.

In which the viewer must exhibit discipline, enthusiasm for alternative presentation, and, of course, patience.

It’s not always easy or necessarily enjoyable to watch an avant-garde film, but the outcome is almost certainly going to be thought provoking.

Avant-garde film has progressed through the following stages:

• Subjective cinema – major influences resulting from modernist painters of the early avant-garde movement.
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• Pure cinema – major influences resulting from montage theory and revolutionary role of avant-garde.
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• Surrealist cinema – major influences dominate the denaturalization of dominant cinematic language representing a mix between the first two stages of avant-garde films.

The Takeaway

So, what makes a film avant-garde? Characteristics include things like originality, an attempt at reinventing the wheel and constructing how we think or communicate meaning.

And a radical break from traditional film narrative. Most avant-garde films are short. Although full-feature films of this style do exist. They involve the senses in atypical manners. In which nothing is clearly denoted or depicted for you – it’s purely avant-garde.