Philippe Rège is a freelance writer and film historian, who has contributed to many French and Spanish movie magazines. He is the author or coauthor of five other books, including biographies of Klaus Kinski and Johnny Depp.
The breadth and depth of this work is apparent after comparing Rege
with the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), arguably the most
comprehensive English-language filmography on the Web. For example,
Rege's entry on "Jean Bacque" lists 58 films (mostly shorts),
whereas IMDB lists 7 (as of February 2010).
*American Reference Books Annual, May 2010*
Wide-ranging in scope and exhaustive in detail, this would be a
solid addition to any film or performing-arts collection.
*Booklist, June 2010*
Rege—a freelance writer and film historian as well as the author or
coauthor of five other books, e.g., biographies of Klaus Kinski and
Johnny Depp—has written a comprehensive encyclopedia of French film
directors, featuring major film directors from the silent era to
2008 and approximately 200 directors not previously included in
other books on French film. Some of the entries include Jean
Renoir, Rene Clair, François Truffaut, and Jean-Luc Godard. Each
entry has brief biographical information about the director with
date of birth and death, education and professional training, and a
filmography. Any film or television production completed before
December 31, 2008, is listed in the filmography. The author admits
he did not include directors of porn movies because it was not
possible for him to develop an accurate filmography of their works.
The majority of the directors here are French born, but there are
also those who are foreign born but created significant parts of
their work in France. The second volume ends with a bibliography
and name and title indexes. BOTTOM LINE: This two-volume
encyclopedia would be a nice addition to an academic library,
especially any school with a film studies program.
*Library Journal, April 2010*
Author Rège’s aim was “to identify every French director who had
made at least one feature film during the first century of cinema
(1895–2005),” and the result is a bull’s-eye: a comprehensive
catalogue of nearly 3,000 directors born in France as well as many
others whose work was based there or who spent a significant amount
of time living there. All manner of filmmakers are represented,
including early film pioneers such as Louis Lumière and George
Méliès, avant-garde auteurs, documentarians, and contemporary
directors. Rège’s wide lens takes in a panorama of film history
starring Claude Chabrol, Jean-Luc Godard, Louis Malle, Roman
Polanski, Jean Renoir, Alain Resnais, Eric Rohmer, François
Truffaut, Agnès Varda, and many, many more. Entries are arranged
alphabetically and have brief biographies and complete
filmographies that include television works and short films. There
are no pictures of the subjects who worked behind rather than in
front of the camera. Alternate titles are provided when the films
listed are coproductions of two or more countries, and in the case
of films released in the U.S. or the UK, the American and/or
English titles are included. These are the kinds of details that
make film research easier, as do the name and title indexes, which
make up half of the second volume. Wide-ranging in scope and
exhaustive in detail, this would be a solid addition to any film or
performing-arts collection.
*Booklist, June 2010*
Its layout is excellent…. An essential work for film schools and
other institutions running courses that include European and world
cinema.
*Reference Reviews*
Despite the enormous amount of data included, its layout is
excellent. A good-sized font has been utilised, which makes for
clarity of reading.... It is certainly an essential work for film
schools and other institutions running courses that include
European and world cinema.
*Reference Reviews*
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