1 French Cinema Past and present

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3 Outline Introduction Part I. The birth of cinema Part II. The classics Part III. The 7 th art in the 21 th century Conclusion References

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5 Introduction Until World War I, European filmmakers dominated the world film market. France was considered the leading film-producing country U.S. companies soon took over markets overseas, using the same tactics of high-volume production and lower prices that the Europeans had. By the 1920s some three-quarters of films screened around the world came from the United States France, though no longer dominant, remained a center for theorizing about cinema and producing innovative and experimental works New artistic movements like surrealism, poetic realism and nouvelle vague (new wave), brought new concepts to filmmaking and revitalized the role of France as a leader in world cinema culture

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7 Part I. The birth of cinema In terms of commercial filmmaking, France’s film industry, the world’s strongest before World War I, occupied a struggling role after the war No other country had a so firm commitment to the medium as an art form or so rich a culture of journals and clubs devoted to criticizing and viewing innovative film work By 1895, Auguste and Louis Lumière developed a lightweight, hand-held camera that used a claw mechanism to advance the film roll. They named it the Cinématographe Their first screening for the general public was held in Paris in December 1895; Lumière, innovative filmmakers as well as inventors and manufacturers

8 Part II. The classics Georges Melies ( ), professional magician, first saw the new "moving pictures" in 1895; Melies made over 500 films, but his most famous -- Voyage dans la lune, Le (1902) (Voyage to the Moon); father of special effects in the moviesVoyage dans la lune, Le (1902)

9 a. The directors Cocteau, Jean ( ), French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, and filmmaker. La belle et la bête (Beauty and the Beast, 1946), Orphée (1950), and Les enfants terribles (1950)La belle et la bête Malle, Louis ( ), French director of influential and often controversial motion pictures Zazie dans le Métro (Zazie, 1960); Le Souffle au Coeur (A Murmur of the Heart, 1971); Au Revoir, les Enfants (Goodbye, Children)Au Revoir, les Enfants Truffaut, François ( ), French motion-picture director and critic, a leader of the nouvelle vague (new wave); 400 Blows (1959), The Last Metro (1980) Renoir, Jean ( ), French actor and motion-picture director, one of the master filmmakers of world cinema, son of impressionist painter Pierre Auguste Renoir; Nana (1926), Madame Bovary (1934), Grand Illusion (1937)Grand Illusion

10 b. The movies Among the most celebrated movies, Un chien Andalou (1929), L’age d’or (The Golden Age, 1930), L’atalante (1934)L’atalante Le jour se lève (Daybreak, 1939), La grande illusion (Grand Illusion, 1937) and La règle du jeu (Rules of the Game, 1939)Grand Illusion After the war, La belle et la bête, Les quatre cents coups (The 400 Blows, 1959), À bout de souffle (1959; Breathless, 1961)La belle et la bêteThe 400 BlowsBreathless The most popular French movies in France The most popular French movies in France French directors French actors

11 Part III. The 7 th art in the 21 th century In Paris, in 1895, Louis Lumière screens his first film La sortie des Usines: the birth of cinema. The first films are silent, in black and white, short and filmed hurriedly The French hegemony is complete as 70% of the films exported in the world come from the production companies Pathé, Gaumont and Éclair. The spoken cinema comes to France in 1929 After World War II, the French public turns to Hollywood The New Wave (la Nouvelle Vague) takes a break. This movement of young French directors enforces a new style in film-making: small budget, shooting on location and a team of more natural actors Nowadays, The French production is among the most dynamic productions of Europe with about a hundred films being produced every year (4000 cinema halls in France )

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13 a. French studios From the time it was set up in 1895, Gaumont, the oldest of the motion picture companies, began filming current eventsGaumont Pathé, leading independent film producer in Europe, Pathé Universal Pictures, part of Vivendi Universal. Universal Pictures Studio Canal, part of Vivendi Universal. Production of feature films; co-produces or acquires such European or American feature films as "Irreversible", "All or Nothing", "The Adversary", "The Pianist", "The Others", "Gosford Park", In the Bedroom"... Studio Canal UGC, production, distribution, 850 screens. UGC

14 b. French directors Jean-Jacques Annaud (1943-) internationally acclaimed filmmaker Quest for Fire (1981), The Name of the Rose (1986), The Bear (1989), The Lover (1992), Seven Years in Tibet (1997)The Name of the RoseThe Lover Seven Years in Tibet Luc Besson (1959-), Joan of arc (1999), Leon (1994), Atlantis (1991), Le grand Bleu (1988), the Fifth Element (1997)Joan of arc Leon AtlantisLe grand Bleu the Fifth Element Jean-Pierre Jeunet (1953-), Amelie Poulin (2001), Alien (1997), La Cite des enfants perdus (1997), Delicatessen (1991)Amelie Poulin AlienLa Cite des enfants perdus Delicatessen Roman Polanski (1933-), Le Pianist (2002), Tess (1979), Chinatown (1974), Rosemary’s Baby (1968), Frantic (1988)Le Pianist Tess Chinatown Rosemary’s Baby Frantic

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16 c. French actors Depardieu, Gérard (1948- ), French actor, Le dernier métro (The Last Metro, 1980), directed by François Truffaut; Cyrano de Bergerac (1990), Germinal (1993)Cyrano de Bergerac Deneuve, Catherine (1943- ), whose mysterious film persona and distinctive beauty have made her an icon of European cinema; Le dernier métro (1980), Indochine (1992)Le dernier métro Indochine Reno, Jean (1948- ), Ronin (1998), Leon (1994), Les Visiteurs (1993), Nikita (1990), Le grand Bleu (1988)Ronin Leon Les VisiteursNikita Le grand Bleu Isabelle Adjani (1955-), La Reine Margot (1994), Camille Claudel (1988), Subway (1985), Adele H (1975)La Reine Margot Camille Claudel Subway Adele H

17 Conclusion Contemporary French cinema is rich and varied. It can be strong and violent or gentle and subtle Every year, in May, during two weeks, the International Film Festival takes place in Cannes, a city in the south of France, chosen for its sunshine and beautiful scenery This event is considered the most prestigious in the world, not only proposes film screenings, but also numerous cultural and artistic activities Info about 10 French movies on Internet: La Beaute du Diable, Le grand Bleu, Sept ans au Tibet, Ridicule, Le Nom de la Rose, Indochine, Cyrano de Bergerac, Le Cinquieme Element, Amelie Poulin, Le Pacte des Loups)La Beaute du Diable Le grand BleuSept ans au TibetRidiculeLe Nom de la Rose IndochineCyrano de BergeracLe Cinquieme Element Amelie PoulinLe Pacte des Loups

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19 References efEdList.aspx?refid= efEdList.aspx?refid= efEdList.aspx?refid= efEdList.aspx?refid= /english/index.asp 2/english/index.asp s/En/FrameCinema.htm s/En/FrameCinema.htm