Journeys Through French Cinema

As a postscript to his survey of moviemaking in France under German occupation, Tavernier takes a deep dive into how that period of history impacted films by three essential directors—Claude Autant-Lara, René Clément, and Henri-Georges Clouzot—all the way through their post-WWII work. They had completely different métiers, but each can be seen as ahead of his time and as part of a New Wave even before the one formally labeled as such. Availing himself of archival interviews with the subjects and their colleagues, Tavernier marvels at Lara’s proto-feminist narratives (the Woman in White films, Le Mariage de Chiffon); Clément’s brio with performers and framing detail (Forbidden Games, Purple Noon); and Clouzot’s novelistic eye that is loving but never sentimental (The Raven, The Wages of Fear).