Paris on Film

Paris is one of the most photogenic—and cinegenic—cities in the world. In addition, it may claim to be the birthplace of the motion picture. From the 1890s to today, France has produced disproportionately many of the most glorious and innovative films in the world, and in no city is film taken more seriously as an art form than in Paris. In this course we will look at the depiction of Paris in film, from the earliest silent films to the present day. You will view several films on your own, and in class we will discuss and analyze the films, with a dual emphasis on the evolution of film technique and on the history of Paris. The list of films—to be finalized later based on availability—will include classics from the Lumière brothers to Jean Vigo and Jean Renoir to the French New Wave (Truffaut, Godard, Rohmer) and beyond.

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