Amélie: French Film Guide (Ciné-File French Film Guides)

By: Isabelle Vanderschelden

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Synopsis: Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain was the surprise boxoffi ce success of 2001, with nine million spectators in France, and more than 30 million worldwide. The fi lm turned Audrey Tautou into an international star, in her iconic role as Amélie, a naïve French Parisian who devotes herself to mending the lives of the people around her. Shot on location in Paris, the fi lm combines poetic and magical realism with stylish cinematography, original use of colour, state-of-the-art special effects, and an evocative soundtrack; together these have produced a popular fi lm of universal appeal. Isabelle Vanderschelden examines the fi lm's production within the French fi lm industry. She analyzes the issues of genre and narrative that it presents so well. She looks in depth at the fi lm's key scenes, as well as at Jeunet's distinctive visual style and cinematography and his use of digital technology. The national and international receptions of Amélie are explored to establish why the fi lm has caught the public imagination and whether it marks a renewal in the cultural diversity and distinctive identity of the French fi lm industry. This book will be essential reading for cinema lovers and students alike.