French Impressionism1918-1929

Goal is to “convey sensations and emotional ‘impressions’ . . . conveying the personal vision of the artist . . . cinema shows us the souls of people and the essence of objects (photogenie) . . . Cinema is a synthesis of the other arts” (architecture, painting, sculpture, music, poetry, dance)

Narrative structure—personal actions and psychology

Abel Gance, Napoleon, 1927 Jean Epstein,

Coeur fidele, 1923

Narrative structure—personal actions and psychology

Germaine Dulac, The Smiling Madame Beudet, 1922

Narrative structure—personal actions and psychology

Photogenie – “that quality which distinguishes a film shot from the original object photographed”

Photogenie--There are parallels in French Imp painting, e.g.:

Frederick Carl Frieseke, Lady in a Garden, 1912

Photogenie--There are parallels in French Imp painting, e.g.:

Mary Cassatt, Lydia Leaning on Her Arms, 1879

Claude Monet, one of his Water Lilies series, c. 1915

Narrative structure—personal actions and psychology

Photogenie – “that quality which distinguishes a film shot from the original object photographed”

Optical devices often used to do this

Triptych from Abel Gance’s Napoleon

Narrative structure—personal actions and psychology

Photogenie – “that quality which distinguishes a film shot from the original object photographed”

Optical devices often used to do this

Abel Gance, Napoleon, 1927Abel

Gance, La Roue, 1922

Narrative structure—personal actions and psychology

Photogenie – “that quality which distinguishes a film shot from the original object photographed”

Optical devices often used to do thisJean Epstein, Coeur fidele, 1923

Narrative structure—personal actions and psychology

Photogenie – “that quality which distinguishes a film shot from the original object photographed”

Optical devices often used to do this“Visual rhythm” of fast cutting

Note examples from Abel Gance: The Charm of Dynamite

Narrative structure—personal actions and psychology

Photogenie – “that quality which distinguishes a film shot from the original object photographed”

Optical devices often used to do this“Visual rhythm” of fast cuttingLocation shootingAbel Gance,

J’Accuse, 1919

In a commercial film contextFrench film in crisis after WWIFrance swamped with German and U.S. filmsSmall French companies willing to

experiment

Genre filmsFantasy (e.g., Rene Clair)

Rene Clair, Le Fantôme du Moulin Rouge, 1924

Genre filmsFantasy (e.g., Rene Clair)Comedy (e.g., Max Linder)

Max Linder

Influential in styleNot very important in terms of $$ (box office)

Abel Gance (1889-1981)

Abel Gance, Napoleon, 1927

Jean Epstein (1897-1953)

Jean Epstein, Coeur fidele, 1923

Germaine Dulac (1882-1942)

Germaine Dulac, The Smiling Madame Beudet, 1922

The movement’s own success led to a diffusion of its techniques, and a lessening of its impact

French Impressionist filmmakers lost their independence with the introduction of sound ($$)

Subjectivity, especially in “indie” filmse.g., films of Gus Van Sant

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