History of French cinema.
The history of French cinema is a fascinating and rich topic that spans more than a century and covers many genres, movements, and styles.
The birth of cinema is credited to two Frenchmen, the inventors Auguste and Louis Lumière who, in 1895, filed a patent for their Cinématographe, a device that not only recorded moving images on film, but also allowed them to be projected onto a screen. At first, the Lumières had no idea what to do with their creation, but soon they realized its potential as a new form of entertainment and art. They started to produce short documentaries that captured everyday life scenes, such as workers leaving a factory, a train arriving at a station, or a baby being fed. These films were shown to public audiences in Paris and other cities around the world, creating a sensation and inspiring many other filmmakers to follow their example.
One of the most influential early pioneers was Georges Méliès, who used his background as a magician and theater director to create fantastical and imaginative films that explored the possibilities of special effects and storytelling. His most famous film is A Trip to the Moon (1902), which is considered the first science-fiction film and a landmark in cinematic history. Méliès used techniques such as stop-motion, multiple exposures, dissolves, and miniatures to create a whimsical and surreal journey to the lunar surface, where a group of explorers encounter strange creatures and landscapes. The film was hugely popular and inspired many imitations and adaptations.
Another pioneer was Alice Guy-Blaché, who is regarded as the first female filmmaker and one of the first directors to use narrative techniques and experiment with sound and color. She started her career as a secretary for Léon Gaumont, one of the leading producers of film equipment and films in France. She convinced him to let her make her own films, and soon she became the head of production at Gaumont Studios. She made hundreds of films in various genres, such as comedies, dramas, musicals, and social commentaries. Some of her notable films are The Cabbage Fairy (1896), one of the first fiction films ever made; The Drunken Mattress (1906), a slapstick comedy that uses reverse motion; and The Birth, the Life and the Death of Christ (1906), an ambitious religious epic that uses color tinting and synchronized sound.
The silent era of French cinema reached its peak with the monumental work of Abel Gance, who made one of the most ambitious and innovative films ever made: Napoleon (1927). The film is a six-hour biopic of the French emperor that uses various cinematic techniques to create an epic and immersive experience for the viewers. Gance used rapid editing, split screens, superimpositions, hand-held cameras, color filters, and even three-projector polyvision to create a widescreen effect for some scenes. The film was a critical success but a commercial failure due to its length and cost. It was later restored and re-edited by film historian Kevin Brownlow in the 1980s.
The advent of sound in the late 1920s brought new challenges and opportunities for French cinema. Some filmmakers embraced the new technology and experimented with dialogue, music, and sound effects. Others resisted it and continued to make silent films or films with minimal sound. One of the most successful directors who adapted to sound was René Clair, who made musical comedies that combined witty dialogue, catchy songs, and visual gags. His films include Under the Roofs of Paris (1930), Le Million (1931), and A nous la liberté (1931).
The 1930s saw the emergence of a new style of filmmaking known as poetic realism, which combined realistic settings and situations with lyrical and expressive cinematography and dialogue. The main proponents of this style were Jean Renoir,
Julien Duvivier, Marcel Carné, Jacques Prévert, Jean Gabin, and Michèle Morgan. Their films depicted the lives of ordinary people in urban or rural settings, often facing social problems or personal tragedies. Some examples are La Grande Illusion (1937), La Bête Humaine (1938), Le Jour se Lève (1939), Le Quai des Brumes (1938), Pépé le Moko (1937), La Règle du Jeu (1939), Les Enfants du Paradis (1945), and Hôtel du Nord (1938).
The Second World War and the German occupation of France had a profound impact on French cinema. Many filmmakers fled the country or went into hiding, while others collaborated with the Nazi regime or joined the Resistance. Some films were made under strict censorship and propaganda, while others were banned or destroyed. Some filmmakers managed to make films that subtly criticized or resisted the occupation, such as Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Silence de la Mer (1949), Robert Bresson’s Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne (1945), and Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Le Corbeau (1943). Others made films that celebrated the French culture and history, such as Marcel Pagnol’s Marseille trilogy (1931-1936), Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et la Bête (1946), and Jacques Tati’s Jour de Fête (1949).
The post-war period saw a revival of French cinema, with new waves of filmmakers and actors who brought fresh ideas and perspectives to the medium. One of the most influential movements was the Nouvelle Vague, or the New Wave, which emerged in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The New Wave filmmakers were mostly young critics and cinephiles who wrote for the influential magazine Cahiers du Cinéma. They rejected the traditional conventions and rules of filmmaking and embraced a more personal, experimental, and spontaneous style. They used handheld cameras, natural lighting, location shooting, improvised dialogue, jump cuts, and references to other films and art forms. They also explored themes such as youth, love, alienation, politics, and existentialism. Some of the most prominent figures of the New Wave were François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol, Eric Rohmer, Jacques Rivette, Agnès Varda, Alain Resnais, and Jean-Pierre Melville. Some of their landmark films are The 400 Blows (1959), Breathless (1960), Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959), Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962), Les Cousins (1959), My Night at Maud’s (1969), Paris Belongs to Us (1961), Le Samouraï (1967), and Jules et Jim (1962).
Another important movement in French cinema was the Left Bank Group, which consisted of filmmakers who were more influenced by literature, art, and politics than by cinema. They were also older and more experienced than the New Wave filmmakers. They included Alain Resnais, Chris Marker, Agnès Varda, Marguerite Duras, and Alain Robbe-Grillet. Their films were more experimental, abstract, and poetic than the New Wave films. They used techniques such as voice-over narration, montage, flashbacks, documentary footage,
and non-linear storytelling. They also tackled topics such as memory, history, war, colonialism, and feminism. Some of their notable films are Night and Fog (1956), La Jetée (1962), Last Year at Marienbad (1961), Le Chant du Styrène (1958), Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962), Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959), La Pointe Courte (1955), and Trans-Europ-Express (1966).
The 1970s and 1980s saw a diversification of French cinema, with new genres, styles,
and trends emerging. Some filmmakers continued the legacy of the New Wave and the Left Bank Group, while others explored new directions and influences. Some of the most prominent filmmakers of this period were Louis Malle, François Truffaut,
Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Lelouch, Bertrand Tavernier,
André Téchiné,
Claude Sautet,
Jacques Demy,
François Ozon,
Patrice Leconte,
Luc Besson,
Jean-Jacques Beineix,
and Maurice Pialat.
Some of their acclaimed films are
Murmur of the Heart (1971),
Day for Night (1973),
Weekend (1967),
A Man and a Woman (1966),
Coup de Torchon (1981),
My Favorite Season (1993),
The Things of Life (1970),
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964),
8 Women (2002),
Ridicule (1996),
La Femme Nikita (1990),
Diva (1981),
and A Nos Amours
(1983).
The 1990s and 2000s witnessed a further expansion and globalization of French cinema,
with new waves of filmmakers and actors who brought diversity and innovation to the medium.
Some filmmakers focused on social issues and realism,
such as Mathieu Kassovitz,
Laurent Cantet,
Abdellatif Kechiche,
and Olivier Assayas.
Some explored comedy and romance,