Extending from early cinema to the present, bringing together published and newly written works, this book traces the history of French cinema, from Renoir to New Wave and beyond. Providing a taster for the first time reader and a substantial read for the filmgoer and the student, this is a fitting tribute to a great cinema by a top scholar and writer. Vincendeau provides a full tour of the multifaceted French cinema and its enormous influence on popular culture by looking at the people, issues and icons it embraces, from stars like Josephine Baker to Juliette Binoche; woman directors and masculinity in cinema, French gangsters, fathers and daughters, and much more.