Final answer:
The assertion is true; directors like Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut began as critics for Cahiers du Cinéma and later became prominent figures of the French New Wave, advocating for a personal cinema that often reflected the director's vision as an auteur.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that many directors associated with the French New Wave began as film critics for the magazine Cahiers du Cinéma is true. The French New Wave was a movement that embraced a new style of filmmaking from the late 1950s to the 1960s, influencing directors worldwide. Directors such as Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Claude Chabrol, and Eric Rohmer started their careers writing for Cahiers du Cinéma, which was a pivotal film journal at that time. They criticized the traditional French cinema's approach and advocated for a more personal cinema that often reflected the auteur's vision, wherein the director is considered the 'author' of the film. This background in film criticism played a significant role in shaping the innovative techniques and narratives that define the French New Wave.