Stars in Modern French Film

From the Cannes film festival and Brigitte Bardot to virtual film stars and Virginie Ledoyen, French film stars embody glamour, sexiness and controversy.

Stars in Modern French Film analyses the essential French stars of the last fifty years, paying detailed attention to:

·screen performance

·representation in the popular press

·social and political contexts in which they functioned

Myth and glamour, gender and ethnicity, popular genres and star bodies are among the areas of debate in this study. French stars are reflected against their Hollywood counterparts: are they both products of the same 'star system' or do these icons spring from a social and artistic process that is particular to modern France?

Guy Austin's lucid and engaging account charts the making (and in some cases breaking) of the icons of French cinema, including such famous names as Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu and Brigitte Bardot. More recent stars like Béatrice Dalle, Emmanuelle Béart and Samy Nacéri, as well as neglected or controversial figures such as Patrick Dewaere and Sylvia Kristel, are also given considerable attention.

This readable and dynamic book is a major a contribution to French film studies and is a must for both students and fans of modern French cinema.