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French Cinema
What are the Cahiers du cinéma ? 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.
222 pages, Paperback
First published December 27, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 13, 2018
This book aimed to fill a gap in British university-level education. French film studies were a thing there, but there was no convenient introductory textbook for these students. So, Philip Powrie and Keith Reader published this slim (only about 200 pages) book that could provide a very rough overview of a very complicated field.
The book consists of: 1) a chronological overview of major French films up to the year 2000, broken down into particular eras lasting roughly a decade, 2) a similar overview of French film theory as it developed over those decades; 3) a sample essay (i.e. the kind of thing that a student should be able to write), and 4) a series of appendices with lists of award winners, economic statistics on the French industry, etc.
Readers outside the classroom will appreciate the first two chapters. You get a pretty exhaustive listing of the films you should watch to appreciate this entire tradition, even if the authors cannot really say much about any one of them due to space limitations. Similarly, the chapter on theory is a more accessible introduction to e.g. Deleuze or Ghion’s work than actually reading those authors’ work.
The book consists of: 1) a chronological overview of major French films up to the year 2000, broken down into particular eras lasting roughly a decade, 2) a similar overview of French film theory as it developed over those decades; 3) a sample essay (i.e. the kind of thing that a student should be able to write), and 4) a series of appendices with lists of award winners, economic statistics on the French industry, etc.
Readers outside the classroom will appreciate the first two chapters. You get a pretty exhaustive listing of the films you should watch to appreciate this entire tradition, even if the authors cannot really say much about any one of them due to space limitations. Similarly, the chapter on theory is a more accessible introduction to e.g. Deleuze or Ghion’s work than actually reading those authors’ work.
August 7, 2020
Great help for my university coursework
September 27, 2021
A brief introduction，French film history written by English.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews