Synopses & Reviews
Written by two leading scholars of French film, this study is an introduction to the history and theory of French cinema and an examination of the concepts and techniques involved in the study of film. It features a model essay, sample film analyses, an appendix of statistics, filmography, bibliography and glossary of terms.
Phil Powrie is Professor of French Cultural Studies and Director of the Centre for Research into Film and Media at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Keith Reader is Professor of Modern French Studies at the University of Glasgow. Written by two leading scholars of French film, this study is an introduction to the history and theory of French cinema and an examination of the concepts and techniques involved in the study of film. It features a model essay, sample film analyses, an appendix of statistics, filmography, bibliography and glossary of terms. Written by two leading scholars of French film, this study is an introduction to the history and theory of French cinema and an examination of the concepts and techniques involved in the study of film. It features a model essay, sample film analyses, an appendix of statistics, filmography, bibliography and glossary of terms.
Synopsis
What are the Cahiers du cin ma ? Which are the most popular French films ? How do you write an essay on a French film ? What is a high-angle shot in French ? When did more French spectators go to see American films than French films ? How do you talk about a short sequence of film ? You can find the answers to these and many more questions in this essential resource for students of French cinema.
Synopsis
Written by two leading scholars of French film, this study is an introduction to the history and theory of French cinema and an examination of the concepts and techniques involved in the study of film. It features a model essay, sample film analyses, an appendix of statistics, filmography, bibliography and glossary of terms.
Synopsis
The study of French cinema has expanded dramatically in recent years, as it is increasingly taught alongside literature in modern language departments. Many entrants to courses have no previous experience of film study. This book, written by two leading scholars of French film, offers students an introduction to the history and theory of French cinema, while giving them an understanding of the concepts and techniques involved in the study of film. It also contains a model essay, sample film analyses, and an appendix of statistics, filmography, bibliography and glossary, making this book an indispensable and comprehensive resource.
Synopsis
Written by two leading scholars of French film, this study is an introduction to the history and theory of French cinema and an examination of the concepts and techniques involved in the study of film. Features a model essay, sample film analyses, an appendix of statistics, filmography, bibliography and glossary of terms.
About the Author
Phil Powrie is Professor of French Cultural Studies and Director of the Centre for Research into Film and Media at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Keith Reader is Professor of Modern French Studies at the University of Glasgow.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1 History.
1896-1929: the silent period
1930-1939: the 'early classic era'- from sound to the Second World War
1939-1945: the war years
1945-1959: le cinema de papa
1959-1968: the New Wave
1968-1981: the New Wave (postscript), realism and comedy
1981-2001: heritage, the look, women, Beurs, Banlieue, Le Jeune Cinema
Conclusion
2 Theory.
1900-1945: early film theory
1945-1960: Andre Bazin and the politique de auteurs
1950-1970: sociology and structuralism
1968-1970: ideology and suture
1970-1980: psychoanalysis and post-structuralism
The space(s) of cinema: Daney, Burch and Gardies
The movement(s) of cinema: Deleuze
The sound(s) of cinema: Chion
3 Practice.
4 Writing about French films.
Essays
Sequence analysis
Appendices
Table 1: History of the French cinema (stars, movements, directors)
Table 2: French theorists of the cinema
Table 3 and Figure 1: numbers of spectators 1945-1999
Table 4 and Figure 2: numbers of films produced 1945-1999
Table 5 and Figure 3: share of the French market 1945-1999
Table 6: best-sellers 1945-1999
Table 7: the top 50 French films 1945-1999 (by number of spectators)
Table 8: French Prizes 1945-1999 (by numbers of spectators)
Table 9: Oscar for Best Foreign Film won by French films
Table 10: key technical terms in English and French
Further Reading
Bibliography
Index of films and proper names