Mists of regret : culture and sensibility in classic French film
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Bibliographic Information
Mists of regret : culture and sensibility in classic French film
（Princeton paperbacks）
Princeton University Press, c1995
- : pbk
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Includes bibliographical references (p. [391]-396) and indexes
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Just before World War II, French cinema reached a high point that has been dubbed the style of "poetic realism." Working with unforgettable actors like Jean Gabin and Arletty, directors such as Renoir, Carne, Gremillon, Duvivier, and Chenal routinely captured the prizes for best film at every festival and in every country, and their accomplishments led to general agreement that the French were the first to give maturity to the sound cinema. Here the distinguished film scholar Dudley Andrew examines the motivations and consequences of these remarkable films by looking at the cultural web in which they were made. Beyond giving a rich view of the life and worth of cinema in France, Andrew contributes substantially to our knowledge of how films are dealt with in history. Where earlier studies have treated the masterpieces of this era either in themselves or as part of the vision of their creators, and where certain recent scholars have reacted to this by dissolving the masterpieces back into the system of entertainment that made them possible, Andrew stresses the dialogue of culture and cinema.
In his view, the films open questions that take us into the culture, while our understanding of the culture gives energy, direction, and consequence to our reading of the films. The book demonstrates the value of this hermeneutic approach for one set of texts and one period, but it should very much interest film theorists and film historians of all sorts.
Table of Contents
PrefaceAcknowledgmentsCh. 1Introduction: A Compass in the Mist of Poetic Realism2Ch. 2Impressionism and Surrealism: The Origins of an Optique24Ch. 3Adolescents in an Adolescent Industry52Ch. 4French Cinema and the Sonic Boom88Ch. 5Theatrical Models for French Films114Ch. 6The Literary and Artistic Sources of Poetic Realism148Ch. 7Demands of Realism194Ch. 8Figures of the Poetic232Ch. 9Jean Renoir: Adaptation, Institution, Auteur274Ch. 10The Myth of Poetic Realism318Ch. 11Epilogue: Le Temps des cerises and the Fruit of Regret334Appendix: Chronology of French Films Mentioned351Notes359Bibliography391Index of Film Titles397General Index401
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