Leos CaraxThe first book in any language to study the films of this enfant terrible of contemporary French cinema, best known for his film Les Amants du Pont Neuf. Examines key ingredients in the worlds of Carax's films - Paris, pop music, 'flânerie' and 'amour fou', 'mannerist' and 'neo-baroque' aesthetics, the Nouvelle Vague and contemporary 'naturalist' cinema - making the book a good primer of contemporary French film and culture. Draws on a variety of intellectual sources, such as the philosophy of Deleuze, film criticism, theory of art, and literary monographs. Argues that the recent history of maverick mannerist and baroque auteurs, from Ruiz & Rivette to Garrel and Techine, and their explorations of the 'powers of the false' are key to Carax's cinema. Examines Carax's contribution to the strand of cinema which is focused on chance and destiny, from Wong Kar-Wai and David Lynch to films such as Serendipity and Sliding doors. |
Contents
1 | |
Plates | 27 |
Boy Meets Girl Mauvais Sang and the nouvelle vague inheritance | 30 |
Les Amants du PontNeuf and the spectacle of vagrancy | 103 |
Pola X or Caraxs ambiguities | 137 |
179 | |
183 | |
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Common terms and phrases
affects Alex Alex’s already Amants du Pont-Neuf ambiguities aspect attempt baroque becomes Beineix body Boy Meets Girl bridge c’est Cahiers du Cinéma Carax central centre Chapter characters cinema comes concerns context course create critics dance dans death decor Deleuze describes director distinct elements example fact figure film filmmakers finds forces French gives Godard hand identified Isabelle kind latter Lavant less light limit live longer look manner mannerist Mauvais Sang means Melville Michèle Mireille move movement narrative naturalism neo-baroque novel once opening Paris particular perception perhaps Pierre play Pola possible powers present problem produce question reference relation remains respect Rivette Ruiz scene screen seems sense sequence shot space speak specific suggests thought universe writing