Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction

Chapter 1 - 1950s and Early 1960s - Beginnings
The nouvelle vague
Short films
Documentaries
Television work
Le Signe du Lion (1959)
La Carrière de Suzanne (1963) short
La Boulangère de Monceau (1963) short

Chapter 2 - First Successes
La Collectionneuse (1967)
Ma Nuit chez Maud (1969)
Le Genou de Claire (1970)
L'Amour l'après-midi (1972)

Chapter 3 -Two Period Films
La Marquise d'O... (1976)
Perceval le Gallois (1978)

Chapter 4 - Comédies et proverbes - Part One
La Femme de l'aviateur (1980)
Le Beau mariage (1982)
Pauline à la plage (1983)
Les Nuits de la pleine lune (1984)

Chapter 5 - Comédies et proverbes - Part Two
Le Rayon vert (1986)
Quatre aventures de Reinette et Mirabelle (1987)
L'Ami de mon amie (1987)

Chapter 6 - Contes des quatre saisons - Part One
Conte de printemps (1990)
Conte d'hiver (1992)
L'Arbre, le maire et la médiathèque (1993)
Les Rendez-vous de Paris (1995)

Chapter 7 - Contes des quatre saisons - Part Two
Conte d'été (1996)
Conte d'automne (1998)

Chapter 8 - Late Experiments
L'Anglaise et le Duc (2000)
Triple Agent (2004)
Les Amours d'Astrée et Céladon (2007)

Bibliography
Index

Promotional Information

Presents in chronological order the themes and ideas of his twenty-three feature films, and the complexity of their cinematic style.

About the Author

Dr. Jacob Leigh is Lecturer in the department of Media Arts at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK.

Reviews

Still grieving Eric Rohmer, I applaud this even-handed discussion of his 23 feature films. Jacob Leigh steers clear of cant (whether from theorists or Catholics), sticking close to this consistently intelligent, surprising, and beloved oeuvre. Sensitive to the master's seductive draw and tonic irony, Leigh uncovers a calculated method and discovers the relevance of classic concerns. -- Dudley Andrew, R. Selden Rose Professor of Film and Comparative Literature, Yale University, USA

At a time when the hackneyed phrase 'the magic of the movies' seems to apply only to special effects spectacles, Eric Rohmer's films remind us that cinema's greatest magic is its intimate engagement with reality. In this book, Jacob Leigh effectively articulates the ways that Rohmer's commitment to this truth is developed across dozens of films. A fine and much needed study of a filmmaker whose works appear more impressive and essential with each passing year. --Christian Keathley, Associate Professor of Film & Media Culture, Middlebury College

Jacob Leigh's rich and erudite book is filled with subtle analyses that do justice to the complexity, delicacy, and sensuousness of the work of one of the greatest filmmakers. Both newcomers to Rohmer and those who know his films well will find much that is fresh and stimulating in Leigh's detailed and penetrating close readings. -- Chris Fujiwara, Artistic Director, Edinburgh International Film Festival

A major achievement from one of the leading Rohmer scholars. As the last few paragraphs make clear, cinema has lost a major voice in Rohmer: his “optimism, hope and faith in humanity” are rare commodities these days. Leigh reminds us throughout that the films left behind are full of a delightful tension: there are strong undercurrents of romanticism aching to break through the surface of these elegant, erudite films.
*Screening the Past*