Amélie : Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain : (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001) / Isabelle Vanderschelden.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Vanderschelden, Isabelle.

Series:

French film guides series

The French film guides

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Amélie (Motion picture).

Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (Motion picture).

Physical Description:

x, 114 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm.

Place of Publication:

Urbana : University of Illinois Press, [2007]

Summary:

Le Fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain was the surprise box-office success of 2001, with nine million spectators in France, and more than 30 million worldwide. The film turned Audrey Tautou into an international star, in her iconic role as Amelie, a naive French Parisian who devotes herself to mending the lives of the people around her. Shot on location in Paris, the film 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 film of universal appeal.

Isabelle Vanderschelden examines the film's production within the French film industry. She analyzes the issues of genre and narrative that it presents so well. She looks in depth at the film'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 Amelie are explored to establish why the film has caught the public imagination and whether it marks a renewal in the cultural diversity and distinctive identity of the French film industry. This book will be essential reading for cinema lovers and students alike.

Contents:

1 Production contexts 5

From Delicatessen to Amelie: Jeunet's identity quest 5

Amelie in the context of the French film industry 10

From notebook to storyboard: the genesis of the film 17

Reforming the troupe: the production team and the crew 19

Extending the nuclear family: the cast of Amelie 21

2 Something old, something new: Amelie's narrative 30

Narrative structure: Amelie's quest 30

Amelie's genres and motifs 36

Amelie Poulain: the creation of an iconic character 41

3 Postmodern style: Jeunet's signature 47

Amelie's visual feast: mise-en-scene and special effects 47

The use of sound 59

Paris and its 'little people' 66

Jeunet's postmodern signature 71

4 From surprise hit to social phenomenon: the reception of Amelie 77

Marketing and national box office 77

Media discourse and critical debates 78

International reception 86

The continued life of the film 88

Conclusion: Amelie and cultural diversity 95

Appendix 1 Full credits 97

Appendix 2 Statistics and tables 103.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [109]-111) and index.

Includes filmography: page [107].

ISBN:

9780252032219

0252032217

9780252074707

025207470X

OCLC:

71006783

Online:

Publisher description