This book, written by two leading scholars of French film, offers students an introduction to the history and theory of French cinema.

This book is the first major study of a French silent cinema star.

, La Vie est un long fleuve tranquille, and Tenue de soirée, while the volume covers actors from Gérard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil, and Yves Montand to Isabelle Adjani, Isabelle Huppert, and Emmanuelle Béart.