I assume the reference here is specifically to French New Wave, and not Italian or for that matter other art house films from the fifties and sixties, where specifically Ingmar Bergman's work would come to mind.
I do not have much familiarity with Godard, but am very familiar with Truffaut's work, and consider myself a real fan of his. I think his classic new wave film, in the sense it was most emblematic of the experimental aspects of French New Wave, was not the earlier 400 Blows or the later Jules and Jim, two of his most well known films, but Shoot the Piano Player, done between those two. Shoot the Piano Player very much came to my mind while watching Frances Ha. You had the existential searching in a mostly urban society, with occasional asides, in that case to the country and the main character's childhood home and dysfunctional brothers instead of Sacramento and dysfunctional family. The crises of relationships that ended, of perceived betrayals and even of seriocomical behaviors, were common to both. I am sure Brumbach must have seen Shoot the Piano Player.
But back to Bergman, there are decided elements of his work in Frances Ha, and Brumbach and Greta Gerwig took this film to a Bergman festival this past year in Faro, Sweden, no doubt in conscious homage to his influence. While Bergman's masterpiece Persona is a different sort of film, not the least because unlike Shoot the Piano Player it mostly takes place in an isolated setting devoid of social interactions beyond those of the small number of characters in the film, there are obvious parallels.
First of all in Persona the primary dynamic involves a search for authenticity in the being with others as occurs between the two main characters, played by Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann. While these two do not start out as friends, as are Sophie and Frances, friendship as a social interaction is explored. But more to the point is the dynamic of caring for others conflicting with differences in personal desires and differences, with a subtext of disappointment, even anger and the potential for violence, present as well.
In fact the central point of Frances Ha I think is that there is a limit to how much authentic meaning can be appreciated, obtained if you will, by interaction with others, at the same time we yearn for it as the primary means of finding such authentic meaning. This thematic aspect of Frances I think is rather directly and obviously shared with Persona.
Not that Persona is the only film Bergman did that influenced this one. The Passion is another, and even some parts of Hour of the Wolf echo in Frances Ha.
In short I do think Frances Ha was influenced by French New Wave, specifically Truffaut, but also by Bergman.
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