Poetic realism was a

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

movement in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

of the 1930s. More a tendency than a movement, poetic realism is not strongly unified like Soviet montage or French Impressionism but were individuals who created this lyrical style. Its leading filmmakers were Pierre Chenal, Jean Vigo,

Julien Duvivier Julien Duvivier (; 8 October 1896 – 29 October 1967) was a French film director and screenwriter. He was prominent in French cinema in the years 1930–1960. Amongst his most original films, chiefly notable are ''La Bandera (film), La Bandera'', ...

, Marcel Carné, and, perhaps the movement's most significant director,

Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. His '' La Grande Illusion'' (1937) and '' The Rules of the Game'' (1939) are often cited by critics as among the greate ...

. Renoir made a wide variety of films influenced by the leftist Popular Front group and even a lyrical short feature film. Frequent stars of these films were Jean Gabin, Michel Simon, Simone Signoret, and Michèle Morgan.

Characteristics

Poetic realism films are "recreated realism", stylised and studio-bound, rather than approaching the "socio-realism of the documentary". They usually have a fatalistic view of life with their characters living on the margins of society, either as unemployed members of the working class or as criminals. After a life of disappointment, the characters get a last chance at love but are ultimately disappointed again and the films frequently end with disillusionment or death. The overall tone often resembles nostalgia and bitterness. They are "poetic" because of a heightened

aesthetic Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy,'' , acces ...

ism that sometimes draws attention to the representational aspects of the films. Though these films were weak in the production sector, French cinema did create a high proportion of such influential films largely due to the talented people in the industry in the 1930s who were working on them. The most popular set designer was Lazare Meerson. Composers who worked on these films included Georges Auric,

Arthur Honegger Arthur Honegger (; 10 March 1892 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss-French composer who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. Honegger was a member of Les Six. For Halbreich, '' Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher'' is "more even ...

Joseph Kosma Joseph Kosma (22 October 19057 August 1969) was a Hungarian composer who immigrated to France. Biography Kosma was born József Kozma in Budapest, where his parents taught stenography and typing. He had a brother, Ákos. A maternal relative wa ...

, and Maurice Jaubert. Screenwriters who contributed to many of the films included Charles Spaak and

Jacques Prévert Jacques Prévert (; 4 February 1900 – 11 April 1977) was a French poet and screenwriter. His poems became and remain popular in the French-speaking world, particularly in schools. His best-regarded films formed part of the Poetic realism, poetic ...

.Thompson, Kristin, Bordwell, David. (2010) ''Film History: An Introduction'', Third Edition, New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies. p. 265-268 The movement had a significant impact on later film movements, in particular Italian neorealism (many of the neorealists, most notably

Luchino Visconti Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, theatre and opera director, and screenwriter. He was one of the fathers of Italian neorealism, cinematic neorealism, but later ...

, worked with poetic realist directors before starting their own careers as film critics and directors) and the

French New Wave The New Wave (, ), also called the French New Wave, is a French European art cinema, art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentat ...

Notable examples

Forerunners of the poetic realist movement include: * '' La Petite Lise'' (1930) by Jean Grémillon * '' Zéro de conduite'' (1933) by Jean Vigo * '' Pension Mimosas'' (1934) by Jacques Feyder * '' Le Grand Jeu'' (1934) by Jacques Feyder Poetic realist works from leading filmmakers of the mid-to-late 1930s/mid-to-late 1940s include:Movie movements that defined cinema: Poetic realism, Movies, Empire
/ref> * '' L'Atalante'' (1934) by Jean Vigo * '' La Bandera'' (1935) by

* '' La Kermesse héroïque'' (1935) by Jacques Feyder * '' La Belle Équipe'' (1936) by Julien Duvivier * '' Les Bas-fonds'' (''The Lower Depths'') (1936) by

* '' Pépé le Moko'' (1937) by Julien Duvivier * '' La Grande Illusion'' (1937) by

* '' La Bête humaine'' (1938) by Jean Renoir * '' Le Quai des brumes'' (1938) by Marcel Carné * '' Hôtel du Nord'' (1938) by Marcel Carné * '' La Règle du jeu'' (1939) by Jean Renoir * '' Le Jour se lève'' (1939) by Marcel Carné * '' Remorques'' (1941) by Jean Grémillon * '' Lumière d’été'' (''Summer Light'') (1943) by Jean Grémillon * '' Le ciel est à vous'' (''The Woman Who Dared'') (1944) by Jean Grémillon * '' Children of Paradise'' (1945) by Marcel Carné

References

External links

Feyder's "Le Grand Jeu" and the Idea of Poetic Realism on JSTOR
{{Cinema of France Movements in French cinema Realism (art movement) 1930s in film 1940s in film Modern art 1930s in French cinema 1940s in French cinema

Characteristics

Notable examples

References

Further reading

External links