num_pages: 696
description: This comprehensive history of the French cinema between World War I and the coming of sound focuses on the narrative film to question most of the received notions about the period, such as the supposed sharp split between avant-garde and commercial filmmakers. Available for the first time in paperback, the book provides a major reassessment of the forces operating in the French film industry in production, distribution, and exhibition and a thorough account of the rise of the alternative cinema network that grew up independently of the industry as a means of supporting avant-garde films.In addition, the author presents a study of a previously unexplored topic—the development of the major narrative film genres—and a new working definition of the narrative avant-garde in the context of conventional film practice. This remarkable book analyzes nearly one hundred surviving prints (many previously unavailable to researchers).
language: English
title: French Cinema: The First Wave, 1915-1929
titlecomplete: French Cinema: The First Wave, 1915-1929
characters: René Clair, Albert Capellani
genres: Film
ratings_count: 7
publisher: Princeton University Press