France on Film: Reflections on Popular French Cinema

Through an analysis of films as diverse as Jean de Florette, Ma Vie en rose, and Nikita, this collection of new essays is a comprehensive introduction to the concerns and styles that characterize contemporary popular French film. Set within an economic, political, and social context, France on Film reconsiders the direction French cinema is taking today, bringing into focus critical questions concerning wide-ranging notions of French culture, identity, and nationhood. Examining questions of popular cinema as opposed to art cinema, this book also seeks to (re)present films that have been widely popular in France and internationally and to thus challenge the traditional art-house view of contemporary French cinema. It also includes a comprehensive filmography and statistics detailing the current state of the French film industry.