JCM312/French Cinema Between the Wars I: Popular Front (Discussion)

The Crime of M. Lange

Group 1

Fofi argues that actor Jean Gabin and the characters he played were symbolic of the end of the Popular Front. How so?

Group 2

In 1936, Léon Blum was elected premier of France. What, according to Fofi, was the general response to his election and why was his election significant to the Popular Front?

Group 3

Among the significant events of 1936 was the founding of Ciné-Liberté. What was the purpose or agenda of this association and what was Renoir's relationship to it?

Group 4

Who was the scriptwriter of The Crime of M. Lange, and how is his "capacity to reduce general themes to key, immediately identifiable characters evident in the film? Refer to specific characters' names as much as possible (you can find them on IMDb.com).

Le Million

All groups: List four instances in the film where sound and image are not in sync. How does sound comment on or shape the image in these instances?

Bibliography

Fofi, Goffredo. "The Cinema of the Popular Front in France (1934-38)." In Screen Reader I, pp. 172-224. London: SEFT, 1977.