Tavernier dissects the importance of music in French Cinema with palpable enthusiasm, highlighting French actors who came from music hall backgrounds (Jean Gabin, Magali Noël, and Jean Gabin, among others), and the oft-overlooked contributions of directors to the process of songwriting itself. Surveying the work of René Clair, Sacha Guitry, Jean Boyer and more, Tavernier treats us to a feast of joyous clips from beloved classics like Agnès Varda’s CLEO FROM 5 TO 7, Louis Malle’s VIVA MARIA!, and Jacques Demy’s THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROQUEFORT, before honing in to focus on prolific director Julien Duvivier, whom he admires for his austere formal rigor, technical precision, contributions to songwriting, and creative use of sound.
Discussing the artistic and political atmosphere during the German occupation, Tavernier explores the ways in which French cinema was enriched by foreign talent as many directors, cinematographers, and technicians forced to leave their native countries for political reasons settled in France. Usi...
As a postscript to his survey of moviemaking in France under German occupation, Tavernier takes a deep dive into how that period of history impacted films by three essential directors—Claude Autant-Lara, René Clément, and Henri-Georges Clouzot—all the way through their post-WWII work. They had co...
In seeking to upgrade his own outmoded perspective on several filmmakers, Tavernier credits critic/programmer Patrick Brion and other writers for early and often championing directors who—decades after their heyday—were finally restored the respect they deserve. Tavernier revisits the oeuvres of ...
