Noël Burch and Geneviève Sellier

This comprehensive historical study of French films made between 1930 and 1956-before, during, and after the Second World War-homes in on cinematic representations of gender relations.

Introduction 1
Part I. The Prewar Period, 1930-1939 13
1. Panorama of a Cine-Family Romance 15
Film Analyses 54
Part II. The German Occupation, 1940-1944: Fathers Take a Backseat 89
2. Castrated Fathers 91
3. Women in the Service of the Patriarchy 103
4. Misogyny Lingers On 114
5. Absent Men, Fleeing Men 125
6. Women Take Control of Their Destiny 133
7. The Zazou Film: A Dissident Style during the Occupation 140
8. A Woman Faced with Her Desire 150
9. Gentle Male Figures and New Fathers 164
Film Analyses 180
Part III. The Postwar Period, 1945-1956: Settling of Scores 235
10. The Destabilizing Effects of the Liberation 237
11. Restoring the Patriarchal Order 269
Film Analyses 305
Conclusion 341
References 347
Index 357