Republic of Images: A History of French Filmmaking

by Alan Williams

Chronicling one of the greatest and most popular national cinemas, Republic of Images traces the evolution of French filmmaking from 1895―the year of the debut of the Cinematographe in Paris―to the present day. Alan Williams offers a unique synthesis of history, biography, aesthetics and film theory. He brings to life all of the major directors, setting before us the cultures from which they emerged, and sheds new light on the landmark films they created. He distills what is historically and artistically unique in each of their careers and reveals what each artist has in common with the forebears and heirs of the craft.

Within the larger story of French cinema, Williams examines the treasury of personal expression, social commentary, and aesthetic exploration that France has produced so consistently and exported so well. It is the tale of an industry rife with crises, and Williams offers a superb narrative of the economic, political, and social forces that have shaped its century-long history. He provides biographical sketches of filmmakers from the early pioneers of the silent era such as Louis Lumière and Alice Guy to modern directors such as Louis Malle, Claude Chabrol, and François Truffaut. Some of their careers, he shows, exemplify the significant contributions individuals made to the development of French fllmmaking; others yield illuminating evidence of the problems and opportunities of a whole generation of filmmakers. Throughout, he presents critical analyses of significant films, from The Assassination of the Duc de Guise (1908) to works by the post– nouvelle vague directors.

Williams captures the formal and stylistic developments of film in France over nearly one hundred years. Free of cant and jargon, Republic of Images is the best general account available of the rich interplay of film, filmmaker, and society. It will delight both general reader and student, as well as the viewer en route to the video store.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction

472 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1992

About the author

Alan Williams worked as a script editor for the BBC, working on Absolutely Fabulous, Birds of a Feather and Keeping up Appearances amongst others. He went on to edit Writers' Monthly and now publishes two influential films and television magazines. He lives in Blackheath, London, has won awards for his short stories, and includes dieting and chocolate éclairs as his hobbies.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An indispensable history of the French cinema for the English-speaking, aspiring cinephile, Williams' book deals astutely and with minimum bias with the economics, politics, personalities, and productions of the French film industry and some of its discontents, without lapsing too far into film-criticism. His explanation of the transition from silent to sound and its implications is especially reasonable. Overall, the book is a palatable blend of the macro- and micro, spanning from the late 19th century to the late 20th, stopping around the 1980s. For the student, Netflix offers a decent enough selection of many of the films mentioned in ROI, including collections of the delightful silent shorts by Louis Feuillade and Alice Guy. A great primer for the beginner.

[Carlos Valladares · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gets the job done. For my orals list in French cinema.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice overview.

[E_h · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have liked more actual images from the films discussed (especially given this book's title), but overall a very readable history of French cinema if you're into that kind of thing. Which I am.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Large, general review of French cinema. Not as strong in the New Wave department. Easy to follow if not the greatest coverage.