The French New Wave: Critical Landmarks

(Paperback, 3rd edition)

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The French New Wave is an essential anthology of writings by and about the critics and filmmakers of this revolutionary cinematic movement, which has had a radical impact on film practice and the way we think and write about film. The volume includes foundational writings such as Francois Truffaut's A Certain Tendency in French Cinema and Andre Bazin's La Politique des auteurs, as well writings by Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol and Alexandre Astruc. This new edition now represents writings by and about women critics and film-makers, including important articles by the critics Evelyne Sullerot, Michele Firk and Franoise Aude, addressing issues of gender and representation, as well as considering New Wave films in the context of contemporary political events, notably France's colonialist war on the Algerian independence movement. To accompany the case study of Godard's bout de souffle, the new edition includes a case study of the critical reception of two films by Agns Varda: La Pointe Courte and Clo de 5 7 . The articles have been specially translated for the volume by Peter Graham, and some are published for the first time in English. These classic writings are accompanied by contextualising introductions by Ginette Vincendeau, updated for this new edition, to form a unique resource on this key cinematic movement and its practitioners.

Reviews

This is an indispensable point of reference for anyone interested in the movement. The book's resurrection in this slightly expanded new version is very welcome, and it remains faithful to one of the series' hallmarks: the imaginative arrangement of the many carefully selected stills. * Sight & Sound (of the 2009 edition) *
...the re-printed essays in The French New Wave: Critical Landmarks encapsulate an exciting time of cultural change with their fierce opinions and alternative approach towards reading film. * Scope (of the 2009 edition) *

Author Bio

Peter Graham (1939-2020) enjoyed a varied career as a film critic, food writer, translator and film-maker. His publications include A Dictionary of the Cinema (1964 and 1968), Classic Cheese Cookery (1988 and 2004) and Mourjou: The Life and Food of an Auvergne Village (1998 and 2004). Ginette Vincendeau is Professor of Film Studies and Director of the Film Studies Department at King's College London, UK. Her recent publications include Paris in the Cinema (co-edited with Alastair Phillips, BFI Publishing, 2018), La Haine (2005) and Jean-Pierre Melville: An American in Paris (BFI Publishing, 2003). She is a regular film reviewer and contributor to Sight & Sound, BBC Radio 3 and 4 and the BBC World Service.