F R A N C E
L A N G U A G E S : F R E N C H | E N G L I S H
G E N R E S : F I L M N I O R | M Y S T E R Y & C R I M E | R O M A N C E
G E N R E S : F I L M N I O R | M Y S T E R Y & C R I M E | R O M A N C E
If I am to be honest, I’m not as familiar with the world-praised French cinema as I’d like to be. Now advancing into another topic in this project, I intend to familiarize myself with the aspects that have helped define the role France has played in cinema on a worldwide basis. You see, France isn't necessarily a country that I’ve had a tendency to gravitate towards as much as I have others, but that's not to say that it hasn't held my interest either. France is considered the very birthplace of filmmaking, as it was - and still continues to be - way ahead of its time in terms of how films are made. And so, you may be asking, what are French films best known for? What has made them so influential and unique? Now, I'm certainly not an expert on French culture, so don’t scold me if I have come to write something on here that is wholeheartedly false. Like anything else in life, we must first acknowledge common, preconceived, and often false stereotypes in order for us to understand and move on from them. I may not know a whole lot, but I do know one thing for sure: Don’t watch your first French film and expect to see your main character wearing a striped shirt and a béret while holding a baguette of bread. While this does sound enduring, you wouldn’t want to sit down and watch a film where foreigners assume things about you based on the cliches of your country, would you? In American films, French characters tend to be portrayed as either stiff and rude, or overly jubilant to the point of annoyance. With a few exceptions here and there, this is generally how they are represented in nearly every role they're in. In contrast, I feel as though this is an ongoing process, as some American characters in French films are represented just the same. I think this is an issue that very well shows how cinema tends to exclude itself to its respective country, as it competes with those from rivaling countries. Yet, I will say that French cinema is one of the only countries that is actually rather welcoming and open to the methods of collaborating with other industries.
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C é l è b r e e t R e n o m m é e
D I R E C T O R S
Roman Polanski, Luc Besson, Jean-Pierre Jeunet A C T O R S Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jourdan, Marcel Marceau, Gérard Depardieu, Jean Reno A C T R E S S E S Audrey Tautou, Jeanne Moreau, Leslie Caron, Juliette Binoche, Brigitte Bardot
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Much to my surprise, I actually have seen quite a number of French films without having realized it; and this is due to the fact that a handful of French films use English dialogue throughout its duration. This may also explain why French cinema in particular has become so noteworthy over the years - because it heavily appeals to the westernized audience. I’ve never fully understood France’s contribution to the American film industry until I came to fathom just how many actors and actresses have crossed over between the two. For instance, I did not realize until now that one of my favorite films, Frantic (1988), is just as much as a French film as it is an English one. Even though it stars American heartthrob Harrison Ford, it also stars Emmanuelle Seigner and many other French actors; not to mention it was directed by Roman Polanski as well.
Pictured above are a few of the most renowned actors and actresses in French cinema. |
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A M É L I E
Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain
( The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain )
Do you remember me mentioning earlier that France is seemingly more open to collaborating with cinema industries of other countries? Well, this is certainly the case with Amélie, as it was co-produced with Germany. On another note, it is the highest grossing French film released in the United States, having made over $33 million in its limited theatrical release in 2001. It has received critical acclaim worldwide, as it was nominated for five Academy Awards, and went on to win two BAFTA awards and four César awards. It is so beloved that even a Broadway adaptation is currently underway.
This film is very visionary, exuberant, and whimsical, so I can see why it has become such a favourite - not only in France, but among many other countries as well. Centering around a café located in a small neighborhood in Montmartre, Paris, the film follows the daily life of the imaginative Amélie Poulain. Between garden gnomes, neighboring painters, and an unexpected romance, this film certainly holds to its own craft of aesthetic storytelling. Amélie is like a moving, expressive work of art more than anything. The atmosphere and cinematography were oh so appealing as I found myself drooling (okay, perhaps not quite as literally) over its colour scheme and colour grading. It takes my breath away. Even the opening credits are simply mesmerizing to watch. The cinematographers of Amélie certainly had a knack for capturing the beauty and detail of the small, ordinary things we tend to overlook on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes the simplest of stories are the most extraordinary, and I very well think this is reflective of life - you have to “look for things no one else catches.” |
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After researching and compiling all that I’ve currently come to learn about this artistic film industry, this post certainly leaves me wanting more. While I am far more acquainted with the likes of Bollywood and Hollywood, French cinema is something I was somewhat lacking in familiarity about a week or two ago. In all honesty, I’m probably just about as new to it as you are (unless you’re an expert in French filmmaking, that is) and this latest installment of my project has merely served as my introduction into the luxuriant world of French cinema. There’s so much I have yet to see and discover, and now there’s no way my intensifying curiosity can be contained. Undoubtedly. I will be searching and following the work of French actors and directors more closely in the future.
R E S O U R C E S
"French Clichés & Stereotypes." My French Life Ma Vie Franaise. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2016. <http://www.myfrenchlife.org/2013/11/28/guilty-french-cliches-stereotypes/>.
"Your Guide to the History of French Cinema." No Film School. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 16. <http://nofilmschool.com/2014/11/infographic-your-guide-history-french-cinema/>.
Pulver, Andrew. "A Short History of French Cinema." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 22 Mar. 2011. Web. 10 Feb. 2016. <http://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/mar/22/french-cinema-short-history>.
"Your Guide to the History of French Cinema." No Film School. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 16. <http://nofilmschool.com/2014/11/infographic-your-guide-history-french-cinema/>.
Pulver, Andrew. "A Short History of French Cinema." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 22 Mar. 2011. Web. 10 Feb. 2016. <http://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/mar/22/french-cinema-short-history>.
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