Contemporary French Cinema: An Introduction

This clearly-written and lively introduction analyses 25 years of popular French film including recent developments in all genres. Reflecting French cinema’s diversity since the New Wave, chapters include the Heritage Film; Thrillers; War Movies; Cinema-du-Look; representations of sexuality; women film-makers; and much more. Each chapter introduces the public reception and critical debates surrounding a given genre, interwoven with detailed accounts of individual films from Les Valseuses to Les Visiteurs and Delicatessen. Those looking at French film for the first time will have the opportunity to read at length about the internationally renowned work of Cinema-du-Look directors Luc Besson, Jean-Jacques Beineix and Leos Carax, as well as the recent blockbusters of the Heritage genre from Cyrano de Bergerac and Jean de Florette to Germinal and La Reine Margot. There is also a useful glossary and detailed filmography.