The Louis Malle Features Collection

Arguably a pioneer of the French New Wave (with Ascenseur pour l’échafaud, 1957) Louis Malle went on to enjoy an acclaimed yet provocative and versatile transatlantic career. This collection of original essays proposes to reassess his richly eclectic and boldly subversive oeuvre and redress the surprising critical neglect it has suffered over the years. It does so through a combination of transversal and monographic analyses that use a variety of critical lenses and theoretical tools in order to examine Malle’s documentaries as well as his fiction features (and, more importantly, the constant shuttling and uniquely persistent cross-pollination between those two cinematic approaches), illuminate the profound, lasting dialogue his films entertained with literature and theater, bring to the fore their sustained, albeit often oblique autobiographical thrust along with their scathing sociopolitical critique, and scrutinize the alternating use of stars and non-professional actors. In addition, the volume features an exclusive interview with the acclaimed playwright John Guare (a close friend and collaborator of Louis Malle’s who scripted Atlantic City) and is bookended by a foreword by Volker Schlöndorff and an afterword by Wes Anderson, two renowned filmmakers who articulate their admiration for, and the seminal influence of, their predecessor.

A filmmaker whose work exhibits a wide range of styles and approaches, Louis Malle (1932–1995) was the only French director of his generation to enjoy a significant career in both France and the United States. Although Malle began his career alongside members of the French New Wave like François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, and Claude Chabrol, he never associated himself with that group. Malle is perhaps best known for his willingness to take on such difficult or controversial topics as suicide, incest, child prostitution, and collaboration with the Nazis during World War II. His filmography includes narrative films like Zazie dans le Métro, Murmur of the Heart, Atlantic City, My Dinner with Andre, and Au revoir les enfants, as well as several major documentaries. In the late 1970s, Malle moved to the United States, where he worked primarily outside of the Hollywood studio system. The films of his American period display his keen outsider’s eye, which allowed him to observe diverse aspects of American life in settings that ranged from turn-of-the-century New Orleans to present-day Atlantic City and the Texas Gulf Coast. Louis Malle: Interviews covers the entirety of Malle’s career and features seventeen interviews, the majority of which are translated into English here for the first time. As the collection demonstrates, Malle was an extremely intelligent and articulate filmmaker who thought deeply about his own choices as a director, the ideological implications of those choices, and the often-controversial themes treated in his films. The interviews address such topics as Malle’s approach to casting and directing actors, his attitude toward provocative subject matter and censorship, his understanding of the relationship between documentary and fiction film, and the differences between the film industries in France and the US. Malle also discusses his sometimes-challenging work with such actors as Brigitte Bardot, Pierre Blaise, and Brooke Shields, and sheds new light on the making of his films.

Malle discusses his career and development as an artist, reflected in his direction of films and production of many documentaries. He talks about the recurrent themes of his work and the people he has worked with.

From the film director behind his creation, Four gives readers an exclusive look at the adventures of Antoine Doinel through the screenplays and stills of the four films he appears in. Thought by many to be the fictional alter ego of Francois Truffaut, Antoine Doinel, played in all movies by Jean-Pierre Leaud, was a fictional character created by Truffaut that depicted many of his own memories ranging from childhood through divorce. Four is an enchanting look at the character of Antoine through screenplays and stills from four of Truffaut’s most well-known films: The 400 Blows, Love at Twenty, Stolen Kisses, and Bed and Board.

With films like Les Amants and Le Souffle au cœur, Atlantic City and Au Revoir les enfants, French writer-director Louis Malle compiled a remarkable 40-year career, creating thirty acclaimed features and documentaries. Despite this success, Malle's work has not received the critical attention it is due--largely because for nearly thirty years, several of his films remained unavailable to the public. This is the first book-length critical study of Malle's entire oeuvre, covering The Silent World (1956) through Vanya on 42nd Street (1994). Here, Malle's work is approached non-theoretically on a film-by-film basis; each motion picture is examined as an individualistic, self-referential exploration of its own subjects and themes, with form and style relative to content. The darker, more provocative side of Malle's films is also explored, and the director's need to challenge his audiences ethically is addressed. Film analyses are supplemented by interviews with those who have worked with Malle. A bibliography of major American, French and British books and articles on Malle is included, as is a Malle filmography, including cast and crew information, running times, years of release, production company data and a list of awards and award nominations for each film.

This book analyses one of France's most controversial directors. It discusses Louis Malle's treatment of topics such as fascism, incest, child prostitution and the Holocaust. It is the first work published on the director in the English Language.

Provides the screenplay of Louis Malle's film about the friendship between a young Catholic boy and his Jewish friend, who is sent off to the Nazi death camps.

Screenplays.