AllMovie

The story of how a friendship between two of Europe's most important filmmakers turned into a rivalry is recounted in this documentary. François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard first met in 1949; in many ways they were very different people -- Godard came from a wealthy and supportive family, while Truffaut had troubles with both school and the law during a hardscrabble youth -- but they were both passionate devotees of the cinema, and became star writers at the pioneering film journal Cahiers du Cinéma. Ten years later, Truffaut and Godard were the most visible figures in the New Wave of French cinema, having enjoyed international success with The 400 Blows and Breathless. But as the two men became more successful, each developed a greater confidence along with differing opinions about art and politics, and by the time Truffaut died in 1984, they hadn't spoken in years. Les Deux de la Vague (aka Two in the Wave) uses vintage interview and newsreel footage of Godard and Truffaut to illustrate their friendship, their rise to fame, the films and filmmakers who influenced them, and the changing times and attitudes that drew them apart. Two In The Wave received its world premiere at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.