French Film History, 1895-1946 addresses the creative and often
unexpected trajectory of French cinema, which continues to be one of the
most provocative and engaging cinemas in the world. Tracing French film
and its developments from the earliest days, when France dominated world
cinema, up through the Occupation and Liberation, Neupert outlines major
players and films that made it so influential. Paris held a privileged
position as one of the world's hubs of scientific, social, and cultural
experimentation; it is no wonder that the cinema as we know it was born
there in the nineteenth century. This book presents French cinema's most
significant creative filmmakers and movies but also details the
intricate relations between technology, economics, and government that
helped shape the unique conditions for cinematic experimentation in the
country.
Neupert explains the contexts behind the rise of cinema in France,
including groundbreaking work by the Lumière family, Georges Méliès, and
Alice Guy; the powerhouse studios of Pathé and Gaumont; directors such
as René Clair, Germaine Dulac, Marcel Pagnol, and Jean Renoir; and an
array of stars, including Max Linder, Jean Gabin, Josephine Baker, and
Michèle Morgan. The first fifty years of French film practice
established cinema's cultural and artistic potential, setting the stage
for the global post-World War II explosion in commercial movies and art
cinema alike. French film and its rich history remain at the heart of
cinematic storytelling and our moviegoing pleasure.
