A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO FRENCH CINEMA

  

Pierrot Le Fou

The legacy of the French film pioneers, Auguste and Louis Lumiere, and Louis Le Prince, undoubtedly lives on through the diverse catalogue of film that has emerged from the country ever since. These men were considered the first to invent motion picture cameras, with the Lumiere Brothers successfully creating a ‘cinematographe,’ which could be used as both a camera and projector. The first demonstration of this new contraption took place in a Parisian café in 1895, leading to what we now know as cinema.

We cannot talk about the first narrative films without the mention of Alice Guy-Blanche. Her first film, La Fée aux choux (1896) (also known as The Cabbage Patch Fairy), is considered to be the first ever narrative film, potentially pre-dating any of Georges Melies’ work.  Not only does this make her most likely the first narrative director, but also the first female director. La Fée aux choux shows a woman in a floor-length dress, draped with flowers. She looks like a Greek Goddess, smiling over cabbage patches and pulling real babies out from them. She stands in front of a fence that is covered in flowers too, symbolising fertility and blossoming. The film is less than one minute long, but captivating, nevertheless. The legacy and influence of Alice Guy-Blanche is often overlooked when it comes to film history, yet she was a highly important figure in the early days of cinema, directing almost all of the film company Gaumont’s work until 1905. Tragically, many of her films were attributed to her male colleagues – luckily, she is now recognised for her work, yet still overshadowed by her male counterparts. 

One of these being Georges Melies, a French illusionist. He realised that cameras could be utilised for the filming of narrative films, experimenting with camera trickery such as double exposure and slow-motion to create a series of pioneering short films. His most famous experimentation is the 1902 film Le Voyage dans la Lune. This short is a sci-fi exploration of space, featuring camera techniques that allowed actors to disappear in a puff of smoke, and multiple exposure was used to create effects such as the space capsule hurling into the ocean. This is essential viewing for any film fan, as it is one of the earliest experimentations in cinema, influencing all cinematic techniques and themes that are commonly used today. Melies also created the first ever horror film in 1896 - Le Manoir du Diable, which features a bat turning into a man, skeletons, and shrouded figures. At only three minutes long, it is not exactly what we would consider frightening today, but its legacy is indelible.

Another often forgotten female filmmaker who had an undeniable impact on cinema is Germaine Dulac. To read about her 1923 short film The Smiling Madame Beaudet in a previous blog post, click here. The aforementioned film was an early feminist silent piece; however, she also made some highly experimental works such as The Seashell and the Clergyman (1928), which is widely considered to be the first surrealist film. Camera techniques were used to appear as if a man’s head had been spliced in two, and plenty of double exposure used to create surreal and unsettling imagery. If you were to ask someone to name a Surrealist artist, you’d probably get the answer Salvador Dali or Luis Buneul, however Dulac was just as important as these male artists. The Seashell and the Clergyman’s influence can be seen in the work of David Lynch, who almost definitely watched this film before creating his debut Eraserhead, both evoking abstract concepts and haunting imagery shot in black and white.

Moving into the 1930s, disillusioned by the Great Depression, poetic realism became a popular genre of French cinema, notable directors including Jean Renoir and Marcel Carne. These films were often pessimistic, but there was an emphasis on aesthetic beauty, with real life recreated in a studio. These films were often anti-establishment and anti-patriarchy and used cinematography as a form of politics. The Rules of the Game (1939) is one of the most important of this period, with Renoir’s sensing of an impending second world war shaping the themes of the film. It commentates on war’s condoning of senseless killing, demonstrated in a hunting scene, as well as class relations between different ranks of society. Renoir’s film is known for its striking cinematography, focusing primarily on depth of field and tracking from character to character, using long takes to capture the chaos of the film.

After the war, many filmmakers were bored of the state of cinema and wanted to try out new styles in creating films, going against traditional filmic convention. This was highlighted in Francois Truffuat’s article in Cahiers du Cinema entitled A Certain Tendency in French Cinema. A few years after the publication of this, Truffuat released his debut film The 400 Blows in 1959, widely considered one of the greatest films of all time. The coming of age tale centres around the life of troublesome but tender 14 year old Antoine Doinel. The film utilised lots of techniques that came to be quintessential to the French New Wave movement. This includes handheld cameras, location shooting in the streets of Paris, improvised lines, and long natural takes. The charm of this film shines through Jean-Pierre Leaud’s incredible performance as Antoine, who performs perfectly as a cheeky young schoolboy who can’t help but get himself into trouble, despite his best efforts. Certain scenes are simply heart-wrenching, and Truffuat gives us one of the most iconic endings in cinema, which has spread its influence throughout the years, notably in films such as Submarine (2010, dir. Richard Ayoade).

The French New Wave period is one of the most iconic and recognisable periods of French cinematic history, showcasing the talents of French icons Anna Karina, Bridgette Bardot, and Catherine Deneuve. The list is endless with countless starlets emerging from this period, male and female, perhaps due to the New Wave’s playful sensibility that showcased these actor’s natural charm. Another recommendation from this period is Jean Luc Godard’s Pierrot Le Fou (1965). The colourful and beautifully shot film is reminiscent of Bonnie and Clyde style lover on the run movies. The film is critical of war, capitalism and the mundane, which is reflected in the film’s form and cinematography, which features clips intersected with poetry, and the breaking of the fourth wall. Another highly enjoyable film from this period is Jacques Demy’s 1961 film Lola. The film is shot beautifully, using black and white film to portray the scenes of the coastal city Nantes. A highly disregarded piece of New Wave cinema, it deserves to be seen and loved by more people. It is equal parts heart-warming, funny and introspective. For any Chungking Express fans, Wong Kar-Wai cites this film as a major influence for his 1994 film.  

A key filmmaker in the New Wave period, but also for years beyond that was Eric Rohmer. Heavily mixing philosophy into his work, Rohmer’s films often contain lengthy conversations between characters, often discussing life, love, and art. His Six Moral Tales series is a great place to start if you are new to his work. As the title suggests, the films mainly explore morality within love. The Bakery Girl of Monceau (1962) is a fantastic short film of his, only 23 minutes long. Its witty and charming, highlighting forms of manipulation amongst the characters. There is a rawness to Rohmer’s films, as he shoots on location during the time in which the film is set, creating an authentic atmosphere in relation to the content of the film. Pauline at the Beach (1983) came slightly later in his career, but it demonstrates Rohmer’s ability to continuously create atmospheric, introspective films. The atmosphere of the beach, where hundreds of people living different lives share the same stretch of sand, is echoed in the characters’ lives intertwining with each other, suggesting that we are all innately connected. The film takes you on holiday with it, as one day blends into the next whilst the characters experience summer flings and miscommunications.

Next up is Agnes Varda, arguably the most important French female director of modern times. She began working in the late 1950s, with her debut La Pointe Courte (1955)– the first French New Wave film, (despite this title usually being mistook for The 400 Blows). However, Le Bonheur (1968) is a great starting point in her filmography, one of her most visually gorgeous films, containing a pastel colour palette with most of the film’s setting amongst nature. It is tragic and poignant, cementing Varda as a dedicated feminist filmmaker. She even forayed into documentary-making, her best work in this genre being The Gleaners and I (2001), which tours France to explore different kinds of gleaners, making it a masterpiece of eco-feminist documentary-making, also exploring class, gender, waste, art, and filmmaking. From the beginning of her career, she has consistently explored female rights such as abortion, and race, seen in her documentary Black Panthers from 1968. Until her death in 2019 she consistently explored topics she was passionate about, not comprising her artistic visions or letting her age stop her.

1990s French cinema began to show more diversity, most notably in La Haine (1995) which features a black man, a Jewish man, and a Muslim man as the main characters. This is a big contrast to the films of the New Wave period, which were predominantly white. It is a gorgeous film, filmed in black-and-white, highlighting issues of race, class, and police brutality. An often overlooked French film from this period is Delicatessen (1991), a surreal black comedy in which a butcher begins selling human flesh, unbeknownst to his customers. However, the butcher’s daughter falls in love with his next victim, which complicates things. The film has a distinctive yellow colour palette and a bizarre series of events. Another film by Delicatessen’s director, Jean Pierre Jeunet, is Amelie (2001), one of the most popular and widely known French films - but for good reason. Yann Tiersen’s score is magical and takes you on a trip to Paris with every listen. The reds and green create a fairy-tale atmosphere that feels warm and inviting.

Finally, one of the best French filmmakers working today is Celine Sciamma. Her explorations of race, gender, and sexuality are endearing and tender. She crafts her films with such care for the groups of people she centres her films around. She utilises the female gaze, as a queer woman herself, the experiences depicted feel honest and genuine. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) explores the love story of two women in the eighteenth century, one a painter, the other a woman of the gentry. The last scene of the film will undoubtedly stay with you. It brings visibility to the romantic relationships between women centuries ago, which were so often erased. Water Lilies (2007), explores the coming of age and sexual awakenings of three young girls, set amongst the backdrop of an all-girl synchronised swimming team. Sciamma pushes boundaries and again, depicts the lives of LGBTQ+ women so honestly. Her filmmaking is so important for all people, whether LGBTQ+ or not, emphasising the importance of sharing stories of marginalised groups.