Maurice Pialat

The power of Pialat's realism has often overshadowed his formal originality and this study gives equal attention to formal issues, including the crucial role of montage in the elaboration of his filmic narratives." "The author provides a brief biographical sketch of the filmmaker, situating Pialat's work in relation to the New Wave and the popular Saturday night cinema of his childhood, as well as giving an overview of the major themes and formal preoccupations of his work. Subsequent chapters provide readings of each of his full-length films. The resulting volume is essential to any collection on French film and makes a valuable contribution to the broader field of French studies."--Jacket.

The intersection of religious practice and theatricality has long been a subject of interest to scholars. This collection of twenty-two critical essays addresses the relationship between Roman Catholicism and films of the fantastic, which includes the genres of fantasy, horror, science fiction and the supernatural. The collection covers a range of North American and European films from Dracula and other vampire movies to Miracle at Fatima, The Exorcist, Danny Boyle's Millions, The Others, Maurice Pialat's Sous le Soleil de Satan, the movies of Terry Gilliam and George Romero's zombie series. Collectively, these essays reveal the durability and thematic versality of what the authors term the "Catholic fantastic."

Examines popular French film of the last 25 years. Charts recent developments in all genres since the New Wave, including the heritage film, the thriller, the war film, `cinema du look'. Other topics include: representations of sexuality; the work of women film-makers. Includes a filmography.

How should we understand film authorship in an era when the idea of the solitary and sovereign auteur has come under attack, with critics proclaiming the death of the author and the end of cinema? The Bressonians provides an answer in the form of a strikingly original study of Bresson and his influence on the work of filmmakers Jean Eustache and Maurice Pialat. Extending the discourse of authorship beyond the idea of a singular visionary, it explores how the imperatives of excellence function within cinema’s pluralistic community. Bresson’s example offered both an artistic legacy and a creative burden within which filmmakers reckoned in different, often arduous, and altogether compelling ways.

Discover the captivating world of cinema with Cinema, the Magic Vehicle. If you are a film enthusiast looking to delve into the history of cinema from its early beginnings to the 1980s, I have an extraordinary book recommendation just for you. This remarkable book is filled with the most inspiring descriptions of the greatest films spanning the years 1913 to 1981. If you feel like you've been watching mostly remakes and are unsure of what else to explore in terms of historical films, this book will serve as your ultimate guide. It will transport you through time and immerse you in the fascinating works of film that have shaped today’s cinema. From silent film masterpieces which, without words, evoke strong emotions to the grand works of the Golden Age of Hollywood, Cinema, the Magic Vehicle will take you on a journey across diverse styles, genres and themes. Whether your interest lies in drama, comedy, science fiction or film noir, you will find something captivating within these pages. In addition to the correct screen credits and film descriptions, this book provides valuable historical context to help you to understand how cinema evolved over the years. You will discover how political, social and cultural events influenced filmmakers and how their works reflected the spirit of their era. This is not just a collection of film summaries but a fascinating time-travel experience that will deepen your understanding of the history of cinema and its impact on the world. Let yourself be swept away on an extraordinary journey through the history of cinema. Cinema, the Magic Vehicle is a guide to uncovering countless cinematic treasures and finding those essential titles worth watching. Open your eyes and heart to the wonders that await you, and let the magic of cinema captivate you for hours on end. Experience the gems that lie within. Start your adventure today and discover the captivating world of cinema from its earliest days to the golden age of film. Cinema, the Magic Vehicle is the key that will unlock unforgettable experiences and uncharted cinematic treasures. Get ready for unforgettable adventures and let the enchantment of cinema take hold of you.

One of the most gifted directors of the post New Wave, Maurice Pialat is frequently compared to such legendary filmmakers as Jean Renoir and Robert Bresson. A quintessentially realist filmmaker, who, like Bresson, was also trained as a painter, Pialat?s particular form of realism influenced an entire generation of young filmmakers in the nineties. This volume is the first book-length study of Pialat?s cinema in English. It provides an introduction to a complex and difficult director, who saw himself as a marginal and marginalised filmmaker, but whose films are deeply rooted in French society a.

An authoritative study of this postsecular film movement from the French-Belgian border region that rose to prominence at the turn of the twenty-first century. At the 1999 Cannes Film Festival, two movies from northern-Francophone Europe swept almost all the main awards. Rosetta by the Walloon directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne won the Golden Palm, and L’humanité by the French director Bruno Dumont won the Grand Prize; both won acting awards as well. Taking this “miracle” of Cannes as the point of departure, Niels Niessenidentifies a transregional film movement in the French-Belgian border region—the Cinéma du Nord or “cinema of the North.” He examines this movement within the contexts of French and Belgian national cinemas from the silent era to the digital age, as well as that of the new realist tendency in world cinema of the last three decades. In addition, he traces, from a northern perspective, a secular-religious tradition in Francophone-European film and philosophy from Bresson and Pialat, via Bazin, Deleuze, and Godard, to the Dardennes and Dumont, while critiquing this tradition for its frequent use of a humanist vocabulary of grace for a secular world. Once a cradle of the Industrial Revolution, the Franco-Belgian Nord faced economic crisis for most of the twentieth century. Miraculous Realism demonstrates that the Cinéma du Nord’s rise to prominence resulted from the region’s endeavor to reinvent itself economically and culturally at the crossroads of Europe after decades of recession. “This book not only makes a major contribution to the field but also creates a new area in this field: the opening up of discussion of the Cinéma du Nord in geopolitical, historical, and theoretical terms, through a blend of fine close reading and broader commentary.” — Sarah Cooper, author of The Soul of Film Theory

The Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film is a fully international reference work on the history of the documentary film from the Lumière brothers' Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory (1885) to Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911 (2004). This Encyclopedia provides a resource that critically analyzes that history in all its aspects. Not only does this Encyclopedia examine individual films and the careers of individual film makers, it also provides overview articles of national and regional documentary film history. It explains concepts and themes in the study of documentary film, the techniques used in making films, and the institutions that support their production, appreciation, and preservation.