To a large extent, the story of French filmmaking is the story of moviemaking. From the earliest flickering images of the late nineteenth century through the silent era, Surrealist influence, the Nazi Occupation, the glories of the New Wave, and the present, Rémi Lanzoni examines a considerable number of the world's most beloved films. In French Cinema, he focuses his lens on outstanding examples from each era to give the cineaste in each of us new insight into our own favorites. Directors such as Robert Bresson, Marcel Carné, Claude Chabrol, René Clair, Jean Cocteau, Abel Gance, Louis Malle, Jean Renoir, Eric Rohmer, Jacques Tati, and François Truffaut are covered in depth, as are stars such as Arletty, Brigitte Bardot, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Maurice Chevalier, Catherine Deneuve, Max Linder, Jean Marais, Yves Montand, Jeanne Moreau, and Simone Signoret. French Cinema is enhanced by over 100 film stills as well as rare, archival photographs of the personalities who created and informed this superb national tradition.
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From Library Journal
Lanzoni (Romance languages, Elon Univ.) offers an academic and chronological survey of French filmmaking from 1895 to 2002. He is particularly interested in how 20th-century events have affected French cinema, notably the German occupation during World War II, which paradoxically represented a creative high point; the Algerian War; the "New Wave" explosion of the early 1960s; the student uprisings of May 1968; and recent tariff movements to reduce American domination of European film markets. Readers hoping for an in-depth portrait of the many distinctive French actors and directors will be disappointed. In his eagerness to explore the length and breadth of French film history, Lanzoni relegates even the most colorful and prominent personalities to mere mentions. The author fares better in his discussion of how the film criticism journal Cahiers du Cin ma served as a sounding board for the theories of New Wave directors like Fran ois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, manifestos that ultimately energized the world cinema scene. Unfortunately, Lanzoni fails to stir any similar excitement; this rather dry study won't lead many readers to check out France's rich and varied film heritage. The book does include valuable lists of Cannes Film Festival winners, recipients of the Cesar Awards, and France's biggest box office hits. Useful only as a supplement to earlier histories like Roy Armes's French Cinema and Melissa Biggs's French Films: 1945 Through 1993. (Index not seen.)-Stephen Rees, Levittown Regional Lib., PA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
"Covering material ranging from the Lumieres to Pitof's Vidocq (2001), 'the first all-digital feature film,' this crammed survey provides an excellent introduction to a hardy national cinema-and to film in general…. This engaging, readable book provides all one needs to know about French film. Essential." —Choice
"The conditions under which wartime film-makers produced their work are enlighteningly explored, as is the political will which so heavily subsidized and ultimately shaped French cinema in the 1970s and subsequently. Lanzoni explains quite thoroughly the reasons why French cinema has become in the main so conventional and unrewarding in recent years…A solid and interesting book about the French film industry." —The Spectator
“This 400-page history of French Cinema takes us at a gallop from the moment in 1895 when the Lumiere brothers gave us the cinematograph.” —The Guardian UK
"I was very happy to come across (French Cinema), as it matches almost exactly what I thought should be covered in class. Prior to its publication (I) was unable to find anything else quite like it. I hope that you will continue to update it periodically so it can be used for the sort of broad survey course I am teaching. In addition to its insightful and thorough overview of more than a century of French films, it has the added benefit of being very well-written. I hope it will be discovered by others teaching French film courses and that its availability may encourage faculty to develop such courses where they do not already exist. C'est moi qui dois vous remercier d'avoir écrit un si bon livre!" —Mark Poindexter, Professor, Department of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts, Central Michigan University “Recommended Vacation Reading. Film fans, primarily devotees of foreign films, can’t help but benefit from a serious perusal of this hardcover, which tells movie goers just about everything they might wish to know about the development of cinema in France.” —Hai Rai “!!!!! Must Read." —Public News Service “Lanzoni’s book is an enter in what the French secretly keep out of reach of Hollywood film producers: the recipe of a century of success…” —Amazon.com “…a comprehensive look at the art form…fascinating information…” —American Salon “…this book should become the obligatory first reference point for discussions of the French cinema in the future….elegantly organized, well researched, but always interesting history…French Cinema belongs in the library of anyone who loves the cinema. It will satisfy the specialist with its reliability and completeness, while it will engage the student and general reader with its lack of jargon and sensible organization. No doubt it will become the standard text on the subject for years to come.” —Peter Bondanella, Chairman and Distinguished Professor, Western European Studies, Indiana University, author of Italian Cinema: From Neorealism to the Present "The conditions under which wartime film-makers produced their work are enlighteningly explored, as is the political will which so heavily subsidized and ultimately shaped French cinema in the 1970s and subsequently. Lanzoni explains quite thoroughly the reasons why French cinema has become in the main so conventional and unrewarding in recent years…A solid and interesting book about the French film industry." —The Spectator "Covering material ranging from the Lumieres to Pitof's Vidocq (2001), 'the first all-digital feature film,' this crammed survey provides an excellent introduction to a hardy national cinema-and to film in general. This engaging, readable book provides all one needs to know about French film. Essential." —Choice
"I was very happy to come across (French Cinema), as it matches almost exactly what I thought should be covered in class. Prior to its publication (I) was unable to find anything else quite like it. I hope that you will continue to update it periodically so it can be used for the sort of broad survey course I am teaching. In addition to its insightful and thorough overview of more than a century of French films, it has the added benefit of being very well-written. I hope it will be discovered by others teaching French film courses and that its availability may encourage faculty to develop such courses where they do not already exist. C'est moi qui dois vous remercier d'avoir écrit un si bon livre!" —Mark Poindexter, Professor, Department of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts, Central Michigan University “Recommended Vacation Reading. Film fans, primarily devotees of foreign films, can’t help but benefit from a serious perusal of this hardcover, which tells movie goers just about everything they might wish to know about the development of cinema in France.” —Hai Rai “!!!!! Must Read." —Public News Service “Lanzoni’s book is an enter in what the French secretly keep out of reach of Hollywood film producers: the recipe of a century of success…” —Amazon.com “…a comprehensive look at the art form…fascinating information…” —American Salon “…this book should become the obligatory first reference point for discussions of the French cinema in the future….elegantly organized, well researched, but always interesting history…French Cinema belongs in the library of anyone who loves the cinema. It will satisfy the specialist with its reliability and completeness, while it will engage the student and general reader with its lack of jargon and sensible organization. No doubt it will become the standard text on the subject for years to come.” —Peter Bondanella, Chairman and Distinguished Professor, Western European Studies, Indiana University, author of Italian Cinema: From Neorealism to the Present "The conditions under which wartime film-makers produced their work are enlighteningly explored, as is the political will which so heavily subsidized and ultimately shaped French cinema in the 1970s and subsequently. Lanzoni explains quite thoroughly the reasons why French cinema has become in the main so conventional and unrewarding in recent years…A solid and interesting book about the French film industry." —The Spectator "Covering material ranging from the Lumieres to Pitof's Vidocq (2001), 'the first all-digital feature film,' this crammed survey provides an excellent introduction to a hardy national cinema-and to film in general. This engaging, readable book provides all one needs to know about French film. Essential." —Choice
"The conditions under which wartime film-makers produced their work are enlighteningly explored, as is the political will which so heavily subsidized and ultimately shaped French cinema in the 1970s and subsequently. Lanzoni explains quite thoroughly the reasons why French cinema has become in the main so conventional and unrewarding in recent years…A solid and interesting book about the French film industry." —The Spectator
“This 400-page history of French Cinema takes us at a gallop from the moment in 1895 when the Lumiere brothers gave us the cinematograph.” —The Guardian UK
"I was very happy to come across (French Cinema), as it matches almost exactly what I thought should be covered in class. Prior to its publication (I) was unable to find anything else quite like it. I hope that you will continue to update it periodically so it can be used for the sort of broad survey course I am teaching. In addition to its insightful and thorough overview of more than a century of French films, it has the added benefit of being very well-written. I hope it will be discovered by others teaching French film courses and that its availability may encourage faculty to develop such courses where they do not already exist. C'est moi qui dois vous remercier d'avoir écrit un si bon livre!" —Mark Poindexter, Professor, Department of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts, Central Michigan University “Recommended Vacation Reading. Film fans, primarily devotees of foreign films, can’t help but benefit from a serious perusal of this hardcover, which tells movie goers just about everything they might wish to know about the development of cinema in France.” —Hai Rai “!!!!! Must Read." —Public News Service “Lanzoni’s book is an enter in what the French secretly keep out of reach of Hollywood film producers: the recipe of a century of success…” —Amazon.com “…a comprehensive look at the art form…fascinating information…” —American Salon “…this book should become the obligatory first reference point for discussions of the French cinema in the future….elegantly organized, well researched, but always interesting history…French Cinema belongs in the library of anyone who loves the cinema. It will satisfy the specialist with its reliability and completeness, while it will engage the student and general reader with its lack of jargon and sensible organization. No doubt it will become the standard text on the subject for years to come.” —Peter Bondanella, Chairman and Distinguished Professor, Western European Studies, Indiana University, author of Italian Cinema: From Neorealism to the Present "The conditions under which wartime film-makers produced their work are enlighteningly explored, as is the political will which so heavily subsidized and ultimately shaped French cinema in the 1970s and subsequently. Lanzoni explains quite thoroughly the reasons why French cinema has become in the main so conventional and unrewarding in recent years…A solid and interesting book about the French film industry." —The Spectator "Covering material ranging from the Lumieres to Pitof's Vidocq (2001), 'the first all-digital feature film,' this crammed survey provides an excellent introduction to a hardy national cinema-and to film in general. This engaging, readable book provides all one needs to know about French film. Essential." —Choice
"Coming from esteemed film scholar Remi Lanzoni, this detailed book treads the innovative path of French cinema from 1895 to 2002, offering an all-encompassing history...he is an adroit guide, and this is a useful appendage to any cinefile's library."
Good Book Guide
"I was very happy to come across (French Cinema), as it matches almost exactly what I thought should be covered in class. Prior to its publication (I) was unable to find anything else quite like it. I hope that you will continue to update it periodically so it can be used for the sort of broad survey course I am teaching. In addition to its insightful and thorough overview of more than a century of French films, it has the added benefit of being very well-written. I hope it will be discovered by others teaching French film courses and that its availability may encourage faculty to develop such courses where they do not already exist. C'est moi qui dois vous remercier d'avoir écrit un si bon livre!" —Mark Poindexter, Professor, Department of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts, Central Michigan University “Recommended Vacation Reading. Film fans, primarily devotees of foreign films, can’t help but benefit from a serious perusal of this hardcover, which tells movie goers just about everything they might wish to know about the development of cinema in France.” —Hai Rai “!!!!! Must Read." —Public News Service “Lanzoni’s book is an enter in what the French secretly keep out of reach of Hollywood film producers: the recipe of a century of success…” —Amazon.com “…a comprehensive look at the art form…fascinating information…” —American Salon “…this book should become the obligatory first reference point for discussions of the French cinema in the future….elegantly organized, well researched, but always interesting history…French Cinema belongs in the library of anyone who loves the cinema. It will satisfy the specialist with its reliability and completeness, while it will engage the student and general reader with its lack of jargon and sensible organization. No doubt it will become the standard text on the subject for years to come.” —Peter Bondanella, Chairman and Distinguished Professor, Western European Studies, Indiana University, author of Italian Cinema: From Neorealism to the Present "The conditions under which wartime film-makers produced their work are enlighteningly explored, as is the political will which so heavily subsidized and ultimately shaped French cinema in the 1970s and subsequently. Lanzoni explains quite thoroughly the reasons why French cinema has become in the main so conventional and unrewarding in recent years…A solid and interesting book about the French film industry." —The Spectator "Covering material ranging from the Lumieres to Pitof's Vidocq (2001), 'the first all-digital feature film,' this crammed survey provides an excellent introduction to a hardy national cinema-and to film in general. This engaging, readable book provides all one needs to know about French film. Essential." —Choice
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Resource for the Price,
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This review is from: French Cinema: From Its Beginnings to the Present (Paperback)
I had to buy this book for a French Film class, and it's actually one of the cheapest books I've had to buy for a film class. The author does a great job formatting the text in a way that makes the history read more like a novel and less like an academic text. I really enjoyed reading the book and found myself unable to stop after reading the assigned pages.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great book of film studies,
By jean dutour (USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: French Cinema: From Its Beginnings to the Present (Hardcover)
This book on French cinema is a very important book. It really offers the reader a unique and splendid overview of one hundred years of French cinema, which influenced American movies as well as many other national cinemas. Rémi Fournier Lanzoni organized its narrative structure chronologically and provided at the beginning of each chapter a concise but valuable historical retrospective. Most likely one of the best books on the history of French filmmaking.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good overview,
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This review is from: French Cinema: From Its Beginnings to the Present (Paperback)
I find most books about film quite tedious. However, there is definitely room for overviews of national cinema. This is an overview of French cinema and it does deliver a good overview. Next step is to watch the movies, not read another book.
The book is similar in coverage to Richie's "A 100 Years of Japanese Film". I know, another country but similar.
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