This Saturday will be Bastille Day, known in France as La Fête Nationale. The holiday presents me with an opportunity to celebrate the rich tradition of French cinema each year. It has become an annual tradition at TDYLF to post my list of the 50 greatest French films ever made. However, a local university is hosting a French film festival over the next two weeks. Since that festival will offer me a chance to see several new French films that might make the list, I’ve decided to postpone that article for a few weeks. But fret not, mes amis. I’ve compensated for my delay by cooking up an infographic- French Cinema at a Glance. Enjoy!
Click on image to enlarge
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That is one extremely awesome post on the summary over French Cinema. keep up the great work!
Thank you!
No problem,could u do a must see films for French Cinema,I only touched FNW and Poetic Realism
For French Impressionism, I’d say anything by Abel Gance would work, especially Napoleon or La Roue. I also recently watched The Chess Player, which is a great representative of that era. I’m very unfamiliar with Cinema du Look. Betty Blue gets great reviews, although I haven’t seen it. And La Femme Nikita is probably the most well-known. The New French Extremity movies… I’d give the caveat that if you’re not into gore and horror, it may not be your thing. Or just shocking content in general. Gaspar Noé’s I Stand Alone and Irreversible are both great representatives. There’s also Frontieres and Martyrs. Catherine Breillat is one of the more well-known directors of the genre, though I have yet to tackle her films. Soon, though.
I heard abt Cat Brelliat,so I would try that 🙂
That is great!! You will have to give me a crash course on Ai one day… I hate you long time!! 🙂
Ha… I did this one in Photoshop, but your instincts are spot-on. Illustrator would have been much more suited to this. Please feel free to ask any questions you’ve got. I’m glad to answer, if I know the answers.
Wwo, I would have assumed the 60s would have been the most prolific decade, but it wasn’t even close.
I’m most curious about what happened in the 90s. The 40s dip makes sense, but the 90s… was there some sort of economic downturn? I wish I knew.
Yeah the early 90’s were plagued by economic difficulties and low box office attendance. Things didn’t start picking up until 95 or so, due mostly to the renewed investment in the movie industry by TV giant Canal Plus, you know the name you see in the opening credits of practically every French film released in the last 20 years.
Thanks for the info, BT. I had no clue.
Wonderful, wonderful infographic. I anticipate your French Film list with increasing fervour and almost insatiable desire.
Thanks, Tyler. I’ve got most of it down and could even make the list now… but it’s only right to give these other films a chance.
Superb infographic John! I love timetables since I am an Historian it is natural for me to like those but yours is very nice! I’m looking forward to see your new top of French films this year!
I meant timelines… sorry for that.
Thanks, Michael! I thought you especially might enjoy it as my lone French-speaking reader.
Très bien! Really looking forward to that top 50 list too!
Just a few more weeks. The festival starts in an hour with Children of Paradise.
Just fantastic, my friend. This is so tight and informative and creative. Don’t ever stop doing these.
Thanks, Alex. I have a few ideas in my head for the next ones.