Screenwriters have been central figures in French cinema since the conversion to sound, from early French-language talkies for the domestic market to lavish literary adaptations of the notorious 'quality tradition' of the 1950s, and from the 'aesthetic revolution' of the New Wave to the contemporary popular and auteur film in the 2000s. The first English language study to address screenwriters in French cinema, this volume will be of particular interest to scholars and students of French film and screenwriting. Taking a diachronic approach, it includes case studies drawn from the early sound period to the present day in order to offer an alternative historiography of French cinema, shed light on these overlooked figures and revisit the vexed question of film authorship. -- .

"Studies in French Cinema" looks at the development of French screen studies in the United Kingdom over the past twenty years and the ways in which innovative scholarship in the UK has helped shape the field in English- and French-speaking universities. This seminal text is also a tribute to six key figures within the field who have been leaders in research and teaching of French cinema: Jill Forbes, Susan Hayward, Phil Powrie, Keith Reader, Carrie Tarr, and Ginette Vincendeau.

Covering a wide range of key films--contemporary and historical, popular and auteur--the volume provides an invaluable overview for students and scholars of the state of French cinema, and French film studies at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

Jacques Becker's "Casque d'Or" is now recognized as a major classic of French cinema. Set in the Paris of the Belle Epoque, this tragic love affair between a gangster's moll and a carpenter has been hailed as Becker's greatest film and star Simone Signoret's most mythic role. Sarah Leahy examines "Casque d'Or" from a multitude of angles, including the film's costumes and setting, camerawork and editing, its narrative structure and cinematic style and the role of its stars. She also follows the vagaries of its reception: the film was received coolly by critics and public alike in its own country upon its release in 1952, yet it was loved in Britain and Italy. Leahy traces its trajectory from box office flop to its recognition as Becker's masterpiece. "Casque d'Or" is a paradoxical film - a melodrama which is noted for its authenticity and a costume film that shuns the spectacular - and this accessible guide explores these contradictions whilst also addressing the film's unique take on both genre and gender. Placing "Casque d'Or" in relation to other popular films of the 1950s and to the political context of the post-war era, Leahy provides insights into the cultural influences on the film's meanings and style. She also examines its place in the director's own oeuvre, revealing the ways in which Becker drew on French cinematic heritage - from Renoir to Carne-Prevert - to offer a unique perspective on the past within a film that remains absolutely of its time.