Truffaut At Work

(Hardback)

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Fran ois Truffaut (1932-1984), French motion-picture director and critic, is a leader of the nouvelle vague movement of film-makers who rejected the slick, impersonal style of studio filmmaking for a more personal approach, in which the director has sole creative authority and is recognized as the author of a film.

Truffaut was born in Paris. After a troubled childhood, he left school at the age of 14. Through his passion for film, he met Andre Bazin, Founder and Co-editor of the influential journal Cahiers du Cinema, for which Truffaut began writing. Throughout his filmmaking career, which began in the late 1950s, Truffaut wrote or co-authored - as well as directing - all of his feature films, which combine comedy, pathos, suspense and melodrama. He was strongly influenced by French film-makers Jean Vigo and Jean Renoir and by English-American director Alfred Hitchcock.

In Truffaut at Work, film expert Carole Le Berre looks beyond the usual anecdotal sources about Truffaut to reveal an inspired and inspiring portrait of one of the most influential directors of the twentieth century. She draws heavily from Truffaut's personal papers and the archives of the film studios he worked for: the book details shooting schedules, budgets, memos, letters, storyboards and transcripts of discussions with key collaborators. The result is a major reassessment of the working methods of this groundbreaking director.

Reviews

"Meticulous... Not only is Truffaut at Work good on uncovering the works in progress, it is also adept at joining the dots between projects... You can't fault [Le Berre's prose] for thoroughness and informed enthusiasm, but the real treat here is the reproduction of Truffaut ephemera... And a plethora of behind-the-scenes black-and-white images that make the director look like the coolest man who ever walked the earth."Empire

"Extends for beyond the scope of a common-or-garden account of Truffauts life... If you have an interest in either Truffaut himself or simply filmmaking, this is a crucial book. Truffaut fans will savour and enjoy every page."Film Ireland

"It is fascinating to learn how works that flow easily and lightly on the screen were often born of pain and conflict."George Perry, The Sunday Times

"A brilliant blend of film history and coffee table quality stills, this stunning tribute to the career of the celebrated French director is an absolute delight to leaf through."Film Review

Author Bio

Carole Le Berre is the author of a monograph on Francois Truffaut (1994), and a critical work on his film, Jules et Jim (1997). She is the artistic advisor to the film department of the major French television channel TF1. Author's residence Paris