The Faber Book of French Cinema

by Charles Drazin

Charles Drazin explores the history of French cinema, from the Lumière brothers, Georges Méliès and pioneers who made film a global industry to the New Wave and 21st century, highlighting the artistry and passion that have ensured the genreâ€s ongoing success.

Genres: Film

Paperback

Published October 4, 2018

Reviews

[Greg D'Avis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good, comprehensive history that does a nice job of putting cinematic milestones and developments into context. I came away with a new appreciation for some old favorites and a list of movies that I’ll need to see.

[Nicolas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. Comprehensive and engaging summary of film history, primarily from the French cinema's perspective obviously but also frequently looking at Hollywood since the 2 industries are so intertwined. Admittedly, I was anxious to get to the New Wave stuff, as it's all I really knew previously, but I really enjoyed the book's focus on the earlier parts of French cinema. Gave me a new-found appreciation for this period.

I'm pretty sure I've added like 2oo more films onto my watchlist so god knows how I'm ever gonna watch them all. Some of them are so obscure that they seem impossible to find. An early favourite of those mentioned is certainly Abel Gance's first silent J'accuse (1919). Never thought I'd like a 3 hour silent war film so much. Some of the other early films mentioned are very boring though can't lie. Definitely more interesting reading about them then actually watching them.

The book does seem to rush and lose a bit of coherence in the last chapters. It's probably just the nature of the actual times because up to that point there were such clear defining movements and landmarks in French film history. In contrast, these last couple chapters mostly just feel like a hodge-podge of referencing other notable contemporary French filmmakers and re-iterating previous points about the French film industry. To this extent, the 'Golden Age' chapter is also similar, but here I also really enjoyed learning about the different journey's each filmmaker took to establish themselves.

The start is fucking great though. So interesting learning about the origins and early developments of the medium, as well as the evolving industry surrounding it. It made me appreciate more the schism within film between commerciality and art. It was also interesting to hear another perspective on the French New Wave, who are still the most famous French filmmakers and mostly glorified. While still honouring their legacy, Charles Drazin illuminates their limitations and pushes us to explore some of the 'cinema de papa' which the Cahiers group shitted on, e.g. Duvivier, Carné.

Great, great, great. Looking forward to referring back to and possibly reading again one day.



Other random notes:

'dull and pedestrian' kinda relates to a lot of French films

'The miracle of the cinema is that it stylises without altering the plain truth' - Louis Delluc

Made me realise my favourite films make me feel AND think

Buñuel's explanation of Un Chien andalou lol: 'Our only rule was very simple. No idea or image that might lend itself to a rational explanation of any kind would be accepted.'

'Always alive to the ironies of existence' - describing Sacha Guitry

'It is today impossible to make films which will appeal to a moronic mass-audience (critics should be compelled to spend their Sunday evenings sitting in front of cinema queues, just looking at them), and at the same time be good. The best films of the commercial cinema, whose excellence is limited enough anyway, are not generally popular.' - Sequence (1948) article

'You can fool all the people if the advertising is right' - Producer Joe Levine's axiom