The Classic French Cinema, 1930-1960

In the years 1930-1960, the French film industry made the transition to sound, fell under the administration of the Nazis, flourished after the war, and paved the way for the French "New Wave." And though major filmmakers like Jean Renoir, Jean Cocteau, Robert Bresson, Henri-Georges Clouzot, and Jean-Pierre Melville flourished in this period, few books have been written about their industry as a whole. Colin Crisp discusses the business of making films in this period, covering all aspects of film production and distribution in his deeply researched and wonderfully detailed account.