French Language Resources

Feature Films and Documentaries

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Africa to America to Paris: The Migration of Black Writer
1 VHS cassette (53 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature Film. France, 1998.

"This program traces the path of African-American literature from the shores of the U.S. to the Left Bank of Paris at the end of World War II through the late 1960s. The program provides context by first exploring the New Orleans salon poetry of Desdunes and discussing the historic suppression of black activists in the U.S. After the Harlem Renaissance, and increasingly hostile climate drove writers James Baldwin and Richard Wright to Paris, where liberal racial attitudes allowed for greater artistic expression. This program traces their lives in France through remembrances of fellow artists and readings from their diaries and works."

Amélie
Jean-Pierre Jeunet. 2 Region 1 DVDs (122 mins.) : widescreen : color. French with English subtitles. France, 2001. Actors: Audrey Tatou, Mathieu Kassovitz. ISBN 0-7888-3621-8.

"Nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay, this magical comedy met overwhelming acclaim nationwide! A painfully shy waitress working at a tiny Paris café, Amélie makes a surprising discovery and sees her life drastically changed for the better! From then on, Amélie dedicates herself to helping others find happiness...in the most delightfully unexpected ways! But will she have the courage to do for herself what she has done for others?" (from the DVD case)

All the Mornings of the World: see Tous les matins du monde.

Argent de poche, L' (Pocket Change)
François Truffaut. 1 VHS cassette (105mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1976

Au Revoir Les Enfants
Louis Malle, 1987. 103 mins. (color), 1 VHS cassette. French with English subtitles.

"From acclaimed filmmaker Louis Malle comes this moving, autobiographical account of a boy's first friendship -- and his discovery of the real world. Set in a Catholic boarding school during the German occupation of France, this is the powerful story of Julien Quentin, a sensitive, headstrong 12-year-old boy who befriends the new student in his class. The boy -- Jean Bonnet -- seems different from the others. But Julien is intrigued and the two begin a shaky friendship that grows as they share common experiences. Then one day, by accident, Julien makes a frightening discovery about his new-found friend. He learns of the secret surrounding his identity. A secret that will soon be revealed to the Gestapo and will change the young boys' lives forever. . ." (form the video jacket)

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Battle of the Marne: 1915, The
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 1 VHS cassette (37 mins.):color. English. Documentary. USA, 1991.

"The Battle of the Marne is the demarcation between the ancient and the modern world, between wars fought with white gloves and those fought with killing machines. This program documents the roots of the First World War, the struggles, the forced marches, the uneven confrontation between well-trained soldiers and patriotic farmers; portrays the leaders on both sides; and details the Battle of the Marne -- a vicious, unbelievably bloody battle that in earlier times would have signaled the end of a war. This one would last four more years, cost nine million lives, and solve nothing." (from the video jacket)

Beckett directs Beckett: A Trilogy
Walter D. Asmus. -- Smithsonian Institution Press, 1990. 4 VHS cassettes : color. U.S.A., France, Portugal, 1990.

"Featuring the San Quentin Drama Workshop." Krapp's last tape, 1 VHS cassette (46 mins.). Waiting for Godot: Acts I and II, 2 VHS cassettes (77mins., 60mins.). Endgame, 1 VHS cassette (96 mins)

Belle et La Bete, La (Beauty and the Beast)
Jean Cocteau. 1 VHS cassette (93mins.):B&W. French with English subtitles. Feature Film. Actors: Jean Marais, Josette Day, Marcel André, Mila Parély. France, 1946.

"Poet of the French cinema Jean Cocteau transforms fantasy into reality in this exquisite adaptation of Mme. Marie Leprince de Beaumont's fairy tale. Breathtaking imagery draws viewers into the enchanted realm of the magnificent beast and the gentle beauty who discovers the sensitive sould hidden behind his monstrous exterior. Cocteau invites us to suspend disbelief as we enter an amazing world where a splendid white horse has magical powers, candelabra have human arms, and tears turn into diamonds." (from the video jacket)

Blue
Krzysztof Kieslowski. 1 VHS cassette (98mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1993. Actors: Juliette Binoche, Benoit Regent.

"Praised as one of the top films of the year by critics and audiences alike, this stylish and provocative mystery delivers captivating performances and stunning imagery! Sexy star Juliette Binoche (Damage, The Unbearable Lightness of Being) is a young woman left devastated by the unexpected death of her husband and child. She retreats from the world around her, but is soon reluctantly drawn into an ever-widening web of lies and passion as the dark, secret life of her husband begins to unravel. With each startling discovery and heart-stopping surprise, Blue is sure to entertain you from beginning to end!" (from the video jacket)

Bonnes, Les [de Jean Genet] (The Maids)
Michel Dumoulin. 1 VHS cassette (110 mins.) : color. French, no subtitles, Teleplay. France, 1984.

Bourgeois gentilhomme, Le (The Would-Be Gentlemen)
1 VHS cassette (97 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1958. Actors: La Comédie Française.

Bout de Souffle, A
Jean-Luc Godard. 1 VHS cassette (89 mins.):B&W. Feature Film, French with English subtitle. Actors:Lean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, Daniel Boulanger. France 1959.

"The story of a young gangster named Michel and played by Belmondo in his first major role, who is in love with a young American in Paris, Patricia (Jean Seberg). The story line is simply and distinctly unoriginal with Michel just having killed a policeman on the highway; he returns to Paris and tries to persuade Patricia to run away with him to Italy. While the plot may be typical enough of the average gangster-type film, the character of Patricia is decidedly complex. In her elliptical manner she manages to evade Michel's pleas to escape with him and his flight is therefore postponed, to his eventual doom. His downfall, however is expedited or perhaps secured by Patricia's merciles betrayal of him to the police." (from the video jacket)

Breathless, see Bout de Souffle, A.

Brel: sa dernière tournée
Claude Vernick. 1 VHS cassette (60 mins.) : color. French, Documentary. France, 1966.

En 1966, Jacques Brel avait choisi Claude Vernick pour confier à la pellicule les traces de sa dernière tournée publique. Tour à tour goguenard, déroutant, rassurant, inquiétant et surtout infiniment tendre, Jacques Brel se livre ici spontanément, au détour d'un rideau rouge, d'une coulisse secrète, au fond d'une loge soudainement envahie d'amitié. Au-delà de chansons pour lesquelles il avait choisi de faire correspondre des images, c'est l'occasion -- rare-- de le voir interpréter des classiques. Exilé au sud, Jacques Brel avait entrepris de faire conïncider ses personnages de brume au décor ensoleillé de l'Ile Maurice, de Madagascar, Djibouti et l'Ile de la Réunion. Filmé sur le vif, à chaud, ce document conserve le caractère d'un reportage. Film de copains cette dernière tournée est dédiée aux éléments amis et aux amants de toujours, à la fois protagonistes et décors: le sable et la mer." (from the video jacket)

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Cage aux folles, La
Marcello Danon. 1 VHS cassette (99 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, Italy, 1979. Actors: Ugo Tognazzi, Michel Serrault. "Based on the play by Jean Poiret."

"One of the most successful foreign films ever released in the U.S., this zany, warm-hearted French farce takes on a new dimension presented for the first time on video in its native language! Based on the long-running hit play by Jean Poret, 'La Cage aux Folles' won an Academy Award nomination for 1979 by the National Board of Review and took the Foreign Press Assocation's 'Golden Globe' as Best Picture of the Year. Acclaimed French actor Michel Serrault stars as an aging transvestite, with Ugo Tognazzi (Italy's most popular actor for three decades) as his partner of twnety years. When Tognazzi's son from a one-night stand (he figured he'd try anything once) becomes engaged tot he daughter of a priggish government offical, the couple must pretend to be 'straight.' This leads to a situation 'in which everything you think could go wrong does -- and worse.' (Newsweek) Yet, 'amidst the growing laughter,' adds the Los Angeles Times, 'the film makes its point: Be yourself no matter who or what you are.'"

Camille Claudel
Bruno Nuytten. 1 VHS cassette (159 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1989. Actors: Isabelle Adjani, Gérard Depardieu.

"International screen star Isabelle Adjani (The Story of Adele H., Ishtar) is the creative prodigy Camille Claudel. Gérard Depardieu (Too beautiful for you, Jean de Florette) is the legendary sculptor Rodin. This is the true story of their passionate obsession with art -- and with each other. A historically accurate depiction of one of the most important collaborations in the history of modern art, Camille Claudel was nominated for the 1989 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and Adjani was nominated for the 1989 Academy Award for Best Actress for her riveting portrayal of the beautiful young woman who sacrifices her talents to the flames of passion. Both an inspiring saga of artistic vision and the haunting story of a doomed romance, it offers a brilliant study of the thin line separating creativity, passion, and madness. Combining stunning cinematography, powerful performances and a timeless love story, this film is itself a masterpiece." (from the video jacket) 2 copies

Canada: True North - A Song for Quebec
1 VHS cassette (59 mins.): color. English, Documentary. Detroit, 1989.

Candide
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 1 VHS cassette (135 mins.):color. French, dramatization, 1993.

"A wonderful introduction ionto the brilliant mind and sharp tongue of Voltaire, this program offers the principal adventures of the young man raised to believe that this is the best of all possible worlds." (from the video jacket)

Candide
University of Tenessee professor Dr. Les Essif's 1996 theatrical production.

Carmen, Roland Petit's Ballet of
Mikhail Baryshnikov and Zizi Jeanmaire. 1 VHS cassette (44 mins.) : color. France, 1980.

"Ballet superstars Mikhail Baryshnikov and Zizi Jeanmaire sizzle in this erotically charged ballet set to the music and story of " Carmen". The program's highlight is a sexy duet between Baryshnikov and Jeanmaire, in which their characters express their fatal attraction to one another. Famed choreographer Roland Petit created this dance spectacular, set to Georges Bizet's classic music. This remarkable ballet provides Mikhail Baryshnikov with one of his greatest roles, and proves yet again that he is one of the most charismatic and accomplished performers of our time!" (from the video jacket)

Celine Dion: Unison
SMV Enterprises. 1 VHS cassette (45 mins.) : color. English (some French lyrics), Documentary. Canada, 1991.

"The enchanting pop vocalist Celine Dion was a superstar in her native Quebec long before making her English-language debut with the best-selling Epic album, "Unison". Now Celine touches the heart and moves the spirit with her first home video collection Unison, featuring a previously unreleased version of her break-through hit "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" plus new exclusive interviews with Celine at her home. At 23, Celine Dion is already a veteran performer with four platinum French- language albums and two 1991 Juno Awards (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys). Now she is one of the most acclaimed new pop voices of the year in America with the success of 'Unison'." (from the video jacket)

Cents chefs-d'oeuvres du Louvre, Les (Masterpieces of the Louvre)
Roland Dubois (Grand Museum Series). 1 VHS cassette (105 mins.) : color. Documentary, English. 1983.

"The Louvre museum was founded and opened to the public in 1793. Masterpieces from the Palace of Versailles, collected over several centuries by the Kings of France form the core of the magnificent museum. Additional works were appropriated during the Revolution, and still others were commissioned by Napoleon. Over the years the French government acquired works by Uccello, Vermeer, VanderWeyden, Delacroix and Ingres. Donations of Chardin, Watteau, Fragonard and Frans Hals make this one of the most varied, and therefore most universal, of the world's great art collections. This tour reviews more than 100 paintings from Enguerrand Quarton to Goya. A list of works and artists, in chronological order is enclosed." (from the video jacket)

Chambre verte, La (The Green Room)
François Truffaut. 1 VHS cassette (90 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1978. Actors: François Truffaut, Nathalie Baye.

Château de ma mère, Le (My Mother's Castle)
Yves Robert. 1 VHS cassette (98 mins.) : Color. English subtitles, feature film. France, 1991.

"Marcel Pagnol's charming story of his childhood delightfully continues in My Mother's Castle. Marcel (Julian Ciamaca) simply can't let go of the holiday he has just spent with his family in the country. To Marcel's delight, his parents surprise the family with a Christmas return to the beloved wild hills. It is during this holiday that Marcel's affection for the region matures. It's also now that he sees his mother (Nathalie Roussel) as the warm woman she really is, and learns to love and appreciate her true nature. That cherished understanding is something he carries into adulthood, when he finally visits his mother's 'castle'." (from the video jacket)

Chèvre, La (The Goat)
Francis Veber. 1 VHS cassette (91mins.):color. French with English subtitles. Feature Film. Actors: Gerard Depardieu, Pierre Richard. France, 1985.

"La Chèvre is set in motion when the dangerously clumsy daughter of a wealthy industrialist disappears from a Mexican resort. When the best efforts of a top private eye (gerard Depardieu) fails to turn up a trace of the girl, the prominent businessman takes the advice of an associate and hires an employee (Pierre Richard) to help in the investigation. Richard is the poster boy for disaster. The theory is whatever misfortunes befell thegirl will afflict Richard as well and lead them to the object of their quest." (from the video jacket)

Chocolat (Chocolate)
Claire Denis. 1 VHS cassette (105 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1988. Actors: Isaach de Bankole, Giulia Boschi, François Cluzet.

"A number of colonial memoirs have appeared on both big and small screens in recent years, but Claire Denis'Chocolat stands in a class by itself. Based partly on Denis' childhood experiences in the French colonial African country of Camaroon, the story centers on a young French girl; her liberal-minded colonial official father; her beautiful restless mother; and their handsome house servant Protee. A grounded airplane brings a group of outsiders who upset the household's precarious equilibrium, leading to a disturbing conclusion all the more powerful for its complete avoidance of melodrama. An astonishingly complex and subtle first feature, Chocolat (the title punning on French slang for both "black" and "cheated") steers clear of both the syrupy nostalgia of Out of Africa and the spicy exoticism of White Mischief. Denis' first film does not pretend to get inside Africa nor does it romanticize the 'mystery' of the 'dark continent'. Instead it incisively probes the barriers between white and black, and Europe and Africa, defining an impenetrable gap expressed through unspoken tensions, unsettling glances, and unresolved vignettes. By rigorously avoiding the obvious, Denis has created one of the most profound and valid films ever made by a Westerner about the Third World." (African Cinema)

Chute, La
1 VHS cassette : color. French with English subtitles, Feature Film. France, 1998.

"Du héros de La Chute, Camus dit qu'il se hâte "De faire son propre procès" "Pour mieux juger les autres". Avocat célèbre, il prétendait défendre la veuve et l'orphelin mais il se retrouve lui-même coupable de non assistance à personne en danger. Alors, le mécanisme bien huilé de l'auto -satisfaction s'enraye et le protagoniste se découvre gouverné par une terrible volonté de puissance. Avec une implacable lucidité, l'auteur démonte les rouages de la manipulation verbale qui caractérise la société de notre temps. Anticipant les dérapages médiatiques les plus actuels, Camus nous invite à une descente dans les enfers de la parole car là se trouve bien le sens de la "Chute" effectuée par l'homme moderne : Il est tombé dans le labyrinthe des mots, dans l'engrenage d'un discours qui se développe à l'infini sans toujours se soucier de la morale ou du sens de la vie."

Closet, The see Placard, Le.

Colonel Chabert
Yves Angelo. 1 VHS cassette (112 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature Film. France. Actors: Gérard Depardieu, Fanny Ardant.

"Each day the same man shows up at a lawyer's office dishevelled and odd looking, asserting that he is the famous war hero Colonel Chabert (Gérard Depardieu). Chabert was assumed dead ten years ago but this poor visitor insists he is him and he has survived behind enemy lines for those horrible years. After much insistence, the lawyer agrees to investigate his story. With sketchy evidence but visions of great wealth, the lawyer decides to take the case. The consequences forever alter the life of the lawyer, the man, and the wife of the supposedly dead Colonel." (from the video jacket)

Condamné a mort s'est échappé, Un (A Man Escaped)
Robert Bresson. 1 VHS cassette (100 mins.): B&W. French with English subtitles, Feature Film. France 1956. Actors: François Leterrier, Chjarles LeClainche, Maurice Beerblock.

"Completely restores and newly subtitled, this compelling, thrilling tale of courage and faith recounts a Resistance fighter's daring escape from a Nazi prison, just hours before he was to be executed. Based on a true story. the film meticulously details Lieutenant Fontaine's preparations for escape. With stealth and precision, he puts into action a plan as suspenseful as anything out of HItchcock. At the height of his powers, using non-professional actors and a rigorously spare style, acclaimed director Robert Bresson (Pickpocket, Diary of a Country Priest ) created a radiantly intense classic that became an inspiration for the New Wave. (from the video jacket)

Corbeau, Le (The Raven)
Henri-Georges Clouzot. 1 VHS cassette (92 mins.) : BW. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1943.

Couloirs du temps, Les: Les visiteurs II
Jean-Marie Poiré. 1 VHS cassette (118 mins.) : color. French, no subtitles, Feature film, France, 1997. Actors: Christian Clavier, Jean Reno, Muriel Robin, Marie-Anne chazel, Christian Bujeau, Claire Nadeau.

"Godefroy le Hardi et Jacquouille la Fripouille sont de retour pour une nouvelle aventure abracadabrante dans 'Les Couloirs du temps'. Godefroy s'apprête à épouser Frénégonde, sa dulcinée, lorsque le Duc, son père annonce qu'on lui a dérobé ses bijoux et, comble di malheur, la dentelette de Sainte-Rolande, relique sacrée assurant la fécondité aux femmes de Pouille. Calamitas! Jacquouille et Ginette ont les effets en leur posession, dans le présent, ce qui indique que les Couloirs du temps snt toujours ouverts et risquent de provoquer les pires catastrophes. Accompagné de Jacquart, le descendant de Jacquouille, Godefroy entrprendra un deuxième périple vers le présent, histoire d'assurer son avenir!" (from the video jacket)

Cyrano de Bergerac
Jean-Paul Rappeneau. 1 VHS cassette, (138 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1990. Actors: Gérard Depardieu, Jacques Weber, Anne Brochet, Vincent Perez, Roland Bertin.

"One of the most famous romances of all time comes to brilliant life in this dazzling new film based on the world famous play. Gèrard Depardieu, France's most celebrated actor, gives the performance of his life as Cyrano De Bergerac, the 17th Century soldier-adventurer who is secretly in love with the beautiful young Roxane (Anne Brochet). Believing he is too ugly because of his grotesque nose to ever win Roxane, the eloquent Cyrano helps Christian, a tongue-tied soldier to woo her with love letters. After many years Cyrano starts to tell Roxane the truth. But Christian is killed in battle and Cyrano feels compelled to keep his secret. Years later, Roxane living in a convent, still faithful to her husband Christian, is visited by her mortally wounded friend Cyrano. It is then that Roxane realizes that it was Cyrano that she had loved all the time. His secret revealed, Cyrano dies as he had lived, heroically and fearlessly."

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Dangerous Liaisons 1960 see Liasons dangereuses, Les.

Dernier combat, Le
Luc Besson. 1 VHS cassette (93 mins.) : BW. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1983. Actors: Pierre Jolivet, Fritz Wepper, Jean Bouise, Jean Reno.

"The Final Combat is a unique science fiction fantasy-adventure that's a bold departure from the norm. The film is a stark vision of a post-holocaust world in which water and women represent status and power, and the few nameless survivors have lost the ability to speak. The main character is simply 'The Man', a lone ffigure determined to build an airplane from spare parts. When he succeeds, he finds his way to what remains of his world. Amidst the rubble, he becomes caught up in a raging battle between a savage 'Brute' and a 'Doctor' in the fortified, well-stocked clinic he is steadfasly defending to preserve both his life and his 'secret treasure'. Here is an engrossing study of a man hurled back to his primitive beginnings by his own hand. It is a compelling picture of moment-to-moment survival, marked by off-beat humor, ironic moments and spirited imagination." (from the video jacket)

Developing visions teleconference: "See a changing Africa through African eyes"
Massachusetts Corporation for Educational Telecommunications. 1 VHS cassette (90 mins.) : color. English, Teleconference. U.S.A., 1993. Teleconference with David Achkar (Guinea) director of Allah Tantou and Jean-Marie Teno (Cameroon) director of Afrique, je te plumerai moderated by Cornelius Moore, director of the Library African Cinema.

Diaboliques, Les (Diabolique: The Fiends)
Henri-Georges Cluzot. 1 VHS cassette (116 mins.) : B&W. French with English subtitles, Feature Film. France, 1955. Actors: Simone Signoret & Vera Clouzot.

"A sadistic headmaster drives his wife and mistress to conspire against him. The latter comes up with a devilish scheme, and together they murder the headmaster and dump his body in the school's swimming pool. But when the pool is drained and no body is found, what seemed like the perfect crime becomes an intolerable nightmare. As both women anxiously try to locate the missing body and discover the person or persons who can expose their crime, several strange events suggest the possibility of a supernatural force at work. Has the headmaster come back from the dead to seek his revenge?" (from www.foreignfilms.com)

Diary of a country priest see Journal d'un curé de campagne, Le.

Diary of a seducer see Journal du séducteur.

Dîner de cons, Le
Francis Veber. 1 VHS cassette (81 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1998. Actors: Thierry Lhermitte, Jacques Villeret, Francis Huster, Daniel Prevost, Alexandra Vandernoot and Catherine Frot.

Laughter is on the menu when the creator of " La cage aux folles" serves up a tasty comic feast with this hilarious farce. Pierre and his snobbish friends have a standing date for dinner. Every week, they compete to see who can bring the biggest "idiot" to the party. Pierre is sure he's found a winner in the unsuspecting François, a ministry accountant whose hobby is making matchstick models of famous monuments. But when circumstances trap Pierre in his apartment with François, the tables are turned and everyone gets their just desserts.

Dinner game, The. see Dîner de cons, Le.

Diva
Jean-Jacques Beineix. 1 VHS cassette (123 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1981.

"A seductive fast-paced romantic thriller, Diva mixes music, comedy, love and murder as only a French film can. Shot on location in Paris, the city's new high tech, pop art and disco flavors are blended beautifully with its timeless monuments, and the effect is heightened by a haunting, sensuous score." (from the video jacket)

Double Vie de Véronique, Le (The Double Life of Veronique)
Krzystof Kieslowski. 1 VHS cassette (96 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature Film. France, 1991. Actors: rene Jacob, Phillipe Volter, Sandrine Dumas, Aleksander Bardini, Louis Ducreux.

"'I have a strange feeling...I'm not alone in the world,' muses Weronika, a young Polish singer gifted with an extraordinarily beautiful voice. In France, a music teacher and aspiring singer named Veronique is similarly moved, sensing that somewhere there exists another person with which her life is intertwined. Born on the same day, both women are identical in age and appearance, sharing the same talents and delicate health. One day, looking through some photos taken during her school trip to Cracow, Veronique finds a picture of a sad lone figure in a city street. It is Weronika, her life double. Starring acclaimed actress Irene Jacob in the roles of Weronika and Véronique, THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE, is a deeply moving film, resonant with the complexities and wonders of life." (from the video jacket)

Dona Herlinda and her Son
1 VHS cassette: color. Directed by Jaime Humberto Hermosillo. Starring Guadalupe del Torro, Marco Antonio Trevino, and Arturo Meza

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Enfant Savage, L' (The Wild Child)
François Truffaut. 1 VHS cassette (86 mins.) : B&W. French with English subtitles, Feature Film. France 1970. Actors: François Truffaut, Jean-Pierre Cargol.

"In what has been called his most mature and aesthetic film to date, acclaimed director François Truffaut has created an absorbing, delicate and unpredictable as life itself. Based on the true account of Jean-Marc- Gaspard Itard, a doctor at The National Institute for the Deaf and Dumb in Paris, The Wild Child follows the capture of a young boy who is discovered living like an animal in the forest. Truffaut himself gives a memorable performance as Itard, unyielding in his belief that the child, played with a haunting precision by Jean-Pierre Cargol, can be transformed into a civilized being. Itard removes the young orphan from the institute and takes him into his own home. Victor, as the boy is now called, becomes increasingly divided between his longing for the wilderness and his new life with the doctor. But it is Itard, whose teaching strategies survive today in the Montessori Method, that has the most pressing ambivalence. Is he helping a savage become human, or turning a child of the forest into a semi-civilized idiot? The answers don't come easily in this intricate and thought- provoking film." (from the video jacket)

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The Final Combat: see Dernier combat, Le.

Femme Nikita, La
Luc Besson. 117 mins. (color), 1 VHS cassette. French with English subtitles.

"Internationally acclaimed director Luc Besson delivers a tour de force with his action-packed story of Nikita (Anne Parillaud), a ruthless street junkie whose killer instincts could make her the perfect weapon. Recruited against her will into a secret government organization by a sadistic man known only as Bob, Nikita is broken and remade. In three years, Bob transforms her into a sexy, sophisticated "lethal weapon" named Josephine. Released from the training compound, Nikita establishes a new identity and soon falls in love with Marco, a soft-spoken romantic. Six months later, she gets a call. She's been activated. From that moment, nikita is caught in a web of intrigue and murder -- trapped in a double life as Marco's lover and Bob's hired gun. The thrilling, provocative climax makes La Femme Nikita one of the most shocking and intelligent espionage adventures ever!" ( from the video jacket)

Filles de Caleb, Les: Première Partie (The Daughters of Caleb: Part One)
Jean Beaudin. 10 hours. French, Feature Film. Canada. Actors: Marina Orsini, Roy Dupuis, Germain Houde, Véronique Le Flaguais, Pierre Curzi, Johanne-Marie Tremblay. Québécois Television Series.

"Les Filles de Caleb raconte avant tout l'histoire d'une femme dévouée et courageuse, Émilie Bordeleau, et de son amour pour Ovila Pronovost. À travers leur relation houleuse, c'est le portrait d'une société en plein boullleversement qui se dessine en ce début de XXieme siècle. Drames et désillusions, ambitions et passions se nouent et se dénouent au fil de l'une des séries les plus marquantes du paysage télévisuel québécois." (from the video jacket)

Fontainebleau: Un Rendez-vous de Châteaux
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 1 VHS cassette (48 mins.):color. Documentary, French, no subtitles. USA, 1997.

"The Chateau of Fontainbleau epitomizes the grandeur and opulence of the French monarchy, conjuring images of courtly excesses and royal intrigues. A good portion of 17th- and 18th-century French history examined in t his program lies hidden withing its walls. Cameras move through the rooms including the Salon de Jour, Baptistry, and Royal Apartments and examine various works of art and decorative appointments introduced by French monarchs from François I and Louis XIV to Napoleon Bonaparte. Expert commentary relates each feature, and the building itself, to specific periods in French history and to the political intrigues and private dalliances of Fontainbleau's royal occupants." (from the video jacket)

Fracture du myocarde, La (Cross My Heart)
Jacques Fansten. 1 VHS cassette (105 min.) : color. French w/ English subtitles. France 1991.

"Not since 'Stand by Me' has a film captured all the innocence, pain, and fun of growing up. When Antoine and Jerome follow their best friend home from school one day, they discover why he has been acting so strange -- his mother has been dead for three days and he's been keeping it a secret for fear of being sent to an orphanage. That calls for a pact -- to preserve Martin's home life at all costs. They'll learn to cook, sign his report cards, even sell the furniture to keep him out of the clutches of meddlesome aunts. Filled with comic escapades and bittersweet adventures, 'Cross My Heart' brings back the magic and mystery of childhood." (from the video jacket)

French Revolution Reconsidered, The
Films for the Humanities, Inc. 1 VHS cassette (52 mins.) : color. Documentary; English. 1993.

"What is France like 200 years after the Revolution? Have the inequities which led to so much bloodshed been redressed, replaced with others, or are they forgotten? Does anyone realy care about the issues -- and what they were anyhow? 48 Hours visits Paris on the eve of bastille Day to see whether things have changed or whether itis indeed true that "plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose." (from the video jacket)

From Dust & Ashes: Survivors, Scholars and Clergy Confront the Holocaust
Jim Spear. 1 VHS cassette : color. French with English subtitles. France, 1983.

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Genet, Jean
1 VHS cassette : color. French with English subtitles.

"Jamais jusqu'à ce jour Jean Genêt n'avait accepté une minute d'interview face aux caméras. C'est donc un événement de le voir, pour la première fois, parler en toute liberté: de son amour pour l'ombre des prisons et pour la lumière de la Grèce, de Alberto Giacometti--le seul homme qu'il admire--de ses engagements aux côtés des Black Panthers ou des Palestiniens, et, dans une cellule d'un bagne pour enfants, de la naissance de sa vocation d'écrivain, qui la a donné les émotions les plus fortes de son existence.

Gens de Paris au Temps du Roi Soleil, Les (People of Paris in the Time of the Sun King)
Films for the Humanities. 1 VHS cassette (60 mins.) : color. French, Documentary. France 1993.

"A profile of Parisians and their Paris in the 17th century: laborers, tradesmen, artisans, soldiers, priests, beggers--and the rich and famous whose lavish lifestyles supported and explouted all the rest and led, inevitably, to the Revolution." (from the video jacket)

Get Out Your Handkerchiefs
Bertrand Blier. 1 VHS cassette : color. French with English subtitles, Feature Film. France, 1978. Actors: Gérard Dépardieu, Patrick Dewaere, Carole Laure.

Glaneurs et la glaneuse, Les.and Les glaneurs et la glaneuse deux ans après
Agnès Varda. 1 DVD (82 mins.; 60 mins.) : color. French with optional English subtitles. France, 2000, 2002.

"Agnès Varda, Grande Dame of the French New Wave, has made 2001's most acclaimed non-fiction film -- a self-described 'wandering-road documentary.' Beginning with the famous Jean-François Millet painting of women gathering wheat left over from a harvest, she focuses her ever-seeking eye on gleaners: those who scour already-reaped fields for the odd potato or turnip. Her investigation leads us from forgotten corners of the French countryside to off-hours at the green markets of Paris, following those who insist on finding a use for that which society has cast off, whether out of necessity or activism. Varda's own ruminations on her life as a filmmaker (a gleaner of sorts) give her a connection to her subjects that creates a touching human portrait tha thte L.A. Weekly deemed 'a protest film that's part social critique, part travelogue, but always an unsentimental celebration of human risilience." (from the DVD jacket)

Gloire de mon père, La (My Father's Glory)
Marcel Pagnol. 1 VHS cassette (110 mins.) : color. French w/ English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1991.

"'My Father's Glory' is the enchanting story of writer Marcel Pagnol's treasured childhood in the south of France at the turn of the century. This delightful autobiography, told by an adult Marcel, is a son's loving tribute to his adoring and gentle father (Phillippe Caubere). The film shows an 11-year-old Marcel (Julian Ciamace) during a very special, life changing summer with his family in the Provence countryside. There, Marcel falls in love with the rugged hills as he is introduced to a new and wonder-filled world. He learns the wild country's secrets, makes friends, and -- above all -- strengthens the unique bond he has with his father. Marcel sees the man in his full "glory" in these golden days of youthful discovery." (from the video jacket)

Goat, the, see Chèvre, La.

Goodbye Children: see Au revoir les enfants.

Grand Blond Avec une Chaussure Noir, Le (The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe)
Francis Veber. 1 VHS cassette : color. French with English subtitles. Actors: Pierre Richard.

Grand Illusion, La (Grand Illusion)
Jean Renoir. 1 VHS cassette (117 mins.) : BW. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1937. Actors: Jean Gabin, Erich von Stroheim.

"Two brief years before the Nazi blitzkrieg began its roll toward the domination of the European continent, Jean Renoir co-wrote and directed this classic film about war, men, honor and illusion. Three gentlemen from the upper classes of their respective warring nations meet in a prisoner of war camp during World War I, the war to end all wars. One of them is their captor, played by Erich Von Stroheim, who gives a performance of pure steel. A superbly directed film, it tragically conveys the futility of the sacrifice of men in order to protect a world that is soon to be gone forever." (from the video jacket)

Grande Vadrouille, La
Gérard Oury. 1VHS cassette (119 mins.) : color. French and English with French subtitles, Feature Film. France, 1966. Actors: Louis De Funès, Bourvil, Claudio Brook, Andréa Parisy, Colette Brosset, Marie Marquet, Marie Dubois.

"Le plus grand succès du cinéma français. Un grand duo d'acteurs -- Bourvil et De Funès. Traversant le ciel Parisian, un avion anglais est abattu par les Allemands. Trois hommes sautent en parachute; le premier tombe sur l'échafaudage d'un peintre, Augustin Bouvet (Bourvil); le second, sur le toit de l'Opéra de Paris pendant la répétition de l'orchestre de Stanislas Lefort (Louis De Funès); et le troisième dans le bassin des phoques du zoo. La police allemande se lance à leur recherche et bien malgré eux. Stanislas et Augustin sont poursuivis pour avoir caché deux Anglais. Ils sont contraints de se dissimuler et Ginette, la fiancée d'Augustin, leur fournit le moyen de gagner la zone libre." (From the video jacket)

The Green Room: see Chambre verte, La.

Guerre de Troie n'aura pas lieu, La
Jean Giraudoux [writer] / Raymond Rouleau [director]. 1 VHS cassette (110 mins.), color. French with English subtitles, Televised play. France, 1981. Actors: Anny Duperey, Pierre Santini, Jean Piat, Claude Pieplue.

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Haine, La (Hate)
Mathieu Kassovitz, 1996. 95 mins. (color), 1 VHS cassette. French w/ English subtitles.

"Maybe you think you've seen it before: Three racially divergent boyz in the hood bang heads with the riot police in a housing project where drugs, violence, and hatred are facts of life. Nothing new here, except that this hood is just outside Paris. The issues in this bonfire of a movie transcend geographical barriers to speak a universal language of unrest. Prepare to be jolted by the intensity that writer, director, amd co-editor mathieu Kassovitz, 28, brings to a plot that uncoils in one agonizing 24-hour period. Hate jumps off the screen. Said is an Arab, Hubert is black, and Vinz is a jew. Each needs to vent his frustration about police brutality that has landed another friend in the hospital. Boxing is Hubert's outlet. Vinz settles for doing impressions of Robert DeNiro in Taxi Driver ("You're talkin' to me?") -- thatis until he finds the Smith &Wesson .44 that sparks the shocking climax after the boys tangle with the cops and a gang of skinheads." (from the video jacket).

Histoire d'Adele H, L' (The Story of Adele H)
François Truffaut, 1975. 97 mins. (color),1 VHS cassette. French w/ English subtitles.

"'Love is my religion,' the young woman wrote in her diary. The god of that religion was a British lieutenant in Nova Scotia in 1863 -- a soldier who wanted nothing to do with the woman who adored him. François Truffaut directs and Isabelle Adjani stars in the staggeringly powerful The Story of Adele H. The "H" stands for Hugo and, like her famed father Victor Hugo, Adele had a gift for writing. However, she wrote in code, creating a secret diary. Only in modern times was the diary deciphered, revealing the true-life story of Adele's obsessive quest to make the soldier love her. . ." (from the video jacket)

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Indochine
Regis Wargnier, 1993. 156 mins. (color), 1 VHS cassette. French with English subtitles.

"Catherine Deneuve, in an Oscar nominated performance, stars in this Academy Award-winning story of pasion and revolution in colonial Vietnam. Deneuve stars as Eliane Devries, the seemingly repressed owner of a rubber plantation in French Indochina. Her steely exterior, however, is only a mask intended to hide her torrid love affairs from upper-class society. But when her adopted daughter innocently falls in love with Eliane's secret lover, the scandalous lovers' triangle threatens to destroy their entire family. A sensual story of unbridled passion set against the violence of the bloody Communist uprising, Indochine is a historically accurate, emotionally wrenching epic of love and war." (from the video jacket)

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Jacques Derrida
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 1 VHS cassette (39 mins.):color. Documentary, English.1996.

"Jacques Derrida, the French philosopher credite with launching the Deconstructionist movement, argues his theories in this program. Derrida begins with a frank discussion on the ethical problems of Deconstruction, especially in relation to human rights. He argues that Deconstruction is not a disillusion of the subject, it is first and foremost a historical or genealofical analysis if that subject and an attempt to focus on a universal translation of it. Derrida points out that Deconstruction is mainly an affirmation-- it goes further and changes the nature of the subject-- and is neither 'reconstruction' nor 'destruction'." (from the video jacket)

Jacques le Fataliste
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 2 VHS cassettes (120 mins.):color. French, Dramatization, 1991.

"Like the author (Diderot), Jacques is a discursive talker and a fatalist. Recounting the story of his amorous adventures to his master as they travel from inn to inn, Jacques is continually interrupted by the interference of events, chance encounters, conversational digressions -- which together with the thread of the main stiry, serve to expound Diderot's central thesis of fatalism." (from the video jacket)

Jean Cocteau: autobiography of an unknown
Edgardo Cozarinsky. 1 VHS cassette (58 mins.) : color. English no subtitles, Documentary. France, 1983.

Jean de Florette
Claude Berri. 1 VHS cassette (122 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1987. Actors: Yves Montand, Gérard Dépardieu, Daniel Auteuil.

Jetée, La and La rivière du hibou
Chris Marker. 1 VHS cassette : BW. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1964. Actors: Jean Negroni.

Jeux Interdits (Forbidden games)
René Clément. 1 VHS cassette (85 mins.) : B&W. French with English subtitles, Feature Film. France, 1952. Actors: Brigitte Fossey, George Poujouly, Lucien Hubert, Suzanne Courtal, Jacques Marin, Laurance Badie.

"The Academy Award winning Best Foreign Film of 1952, Forbidden Games is René Clément's poignant outcry against the terrible waste of war. The film finds a young French girl, orphaned by a German air raid during World War II, taken in by a peasant family. Becoming fast friends with the young son, the two children begin playing games which imitate the tragedies of war around them. Heart wrenching and haunting, Forbidden Games is director Clement's masterful film about a child's naiveté toward war. It's a film experience that is timeless in its devestating impact." (from the video jacket)

Jonas, qui aura 25 ans en l'an 2000 (Jonah, Who Will be 25 in the Year 2000)
Alain Tanner. 1 VHS cassette (110 mins.): color. French with English subtitles, Feature Film. Switzerland, 1976. Actors: Jean-Luc Bideau, Myriam Mezeiere, Miou-Miou, Jacques Denis, and others.

"Before there was The Big Chill or thirtysomething there was Alan Tanner's bestknown film, 'Jonah Who Will be 25 in the Year 2000'.A high-spirited, freewheeling comedy, Jonah tells the story of eight veterans of 1968, stranded between revolution and accomodation, each with their own eccentric answers to the problems of society. The performances are magical, especially Myriam Mezeire as a sexy secretary with mystical beliefs, Jean-Luc Bideau as a disillusioned journalist turned gambler, Miou-Miou as a supermarket cashier who gives away food to the elderly, and Jacques Denis as a highly unorthodox teacher who uses sausage to illustrate time. Watching this movie is like spending time with a group of your liveliest, most charming friends." (from the video jacket)

Journal d'un Curé de Campagne, Le (The Diary of a Country Priest)
Robert Bresson. 1 VHS cassette (115 mins.) : B&W. French with English subtitles. France, 1989. Actors: Claude Laydu, Jean Riveyre, Armand Guibert, Marie Monique Arkell, Nicole Maurey.

"Closely following the Georges Bernanos novel of the same name, the film recounts the story of a devout and withdrawn young priest's assignment to his first rural parish. His gullibility frequently makes him the target of the cruel manipulations and betrayals of his own parishioners, a situation which Bresson skillfully develops into one of his most potent studies of human nature. The heart of the film concerns the relationship of the priest with the family of the local Count who, he hopes, will contribute to the church's work in the village. Also important is his ambiguous relationship with one of the scoolgirls who comes to his catechism class at church. His ascetic way of life causes him to be reviled by most of the villagers, who consider him a drunkard. Hopelessly unworldly, self-tormented, and in ill-health, Laydu nonetheless maintains a determined connection to his spiritual foundation. His only support comes from the Vicar of the larger neighboring parish, whose paternal criticisms are tempered by his awareness of Laydu's near-sainthood."

Journal du séducteur, Le
Danièle Dubroux. 1 VHS cassette (95 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles. Feature film. France, 1995. Actors: Chiara Mastroianni, Melvil Poupaud, Jean-Pierre Léaud.

"The alluring Chiara Mastroianni (daughter of film lengends Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve) makes her film debut as Claire, a young psychology student bored with her studies. Things quickly change when she finds a copy of Kierkegaard's book "Diary of a Seducer," not realizing the strange and magical powers the book exerts over its readers. She falls head over heels in love with its owner, the handsome and mysterious Gregoire (Melvil Poupaud). Claire's analyst is also affected when he gets hold of the book. An eccentric group of supporting characters rounds out the cast in a darkly comic tale about the lengths people are willing to go to for love...including murder." (from the video jacket)

Julia Kristeva
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 1 VHS cassette (39 mins.):color. English with French responses and subtitles. Documentary, 1998.

"In this program, French femenist theorist Kristeva explains her theory of difference and its importance to literature, institutions of higher education, and politics. Beginning with the idea of the 'outsider' in contemporary politics, she explores the role of the 'foreigner' in western culture and its earliest representation as a woman in the works of Aeschylus. She explores the role of psychoanalysis and the linguistic theories of Chomsky, Bakhtin, Levi-Strauss, Rebelais, and Dostoyevsky in relation to her own ground-breaking work, Revolution in Poetic Language, in order to analyze contemporary politics and culture." (from the video jacket)

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Liaisons dangereuses, Les (Dangerous Liasons)
Roger Vadim. 1 VHS cassette (111 mins.) : BW. French with English subtitles. Feature film. France, 1960. Actors: Jeanne Moreau, Gérard Philipe, Annette Vadim, Jeanne Valerie, Jean Louis Trintignant.

"Based on the 18th century novel that scandalized Parisian society, Roger Vadim's Dangerous Liasons 1960 modernizes the setting, but remains faithful to the novel's wicked sensibility. In this version, Valmont (Gérard Philipe) and Juliette (Jeanne Moreau) have an unusually 'open' marriage in which adulterous affairs are encouraged -- as long as love is not involved. A Swiss ski resort provides the perfect backdrop for their perverse game of devastating the emotional lives of those around them. Their game backfires, however, when Valmont sets out to compromise the virtuous Marianne (Annette Vadim), and breaks their cardinal rule by falling in love. With sophisticated wit and remarkable performances, Dangerous Liasons 1960 creates an unforgettable portrait of a decadent society where people become mere playing pieces in the game of seduction." (from the video jacket)

Life is a long quiet river see Vie est un long fleuve tranquille, La.

Loire, La
1 VHS cassette (57 mins.) : color. French, 1991.

"The longest river in France and the most dangerous, the Loire is neither as spectacular a body of water as the Mississippi nor as busy a waterway as the Rhine. The Loire is instead a portrait of France and of its history: St. Martin, apostle to the Frenchh; Gregory of Tours; the great kings, from Louis XI to François II; the great chatauux and the women who ruled them; the poets and "word painters" from Rabelais and Ronsard to Du Bellay and Balzac."

Louvre, The: From Dungeons to the Pyramid
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 1 VHS cassette (63 mins.) : color. French with no subtitles, Documentary, 1997.

"This lavishly produced program traces the architectural evolution of the world's most famous art museum, from its use as a fortress by Philippe Auguste to the construction of its controversial glass pyramid by American architect I.M. Pei. Lithographs and superb photography trace the Louvre's development from both an architectural and historical perspective.This is an important learning tool for students of architecture, French culture, language and history." (from the video jacket).

Louvre, The
Roland Dubois (Grand Museum Series). 1 VHS cassette (105"):color. Documentary, English. 1983.

"The Louvre museum was founded and opened to the public in 1793. Masterpieces form the Palace of Versailles, collected over several centuries by the Kings of France form the core of the magnificent museum. Additional works were appropriated during the Revolution, and still others were commissioned by Napoleon. Over the years the French government acquired works by Uccello, Vermeer, VanderWeyden, Delacroix and Ingres. Donations of Chardin, Watteau, Fragonard abd Frans Hals make this one of the most varied, and therefore most universal, of the world's great art collections. This tour reviews more than 100 paintings from Enguerrand Quarton to Goya. A list of works and artists, in chronological order is enclosed." (from the video jacket)

Les Parapluies de Cherbourg
Jacques Demy. 1 VHS cassette (91 mins.):color. French with English subtitles, Musical/Drama. France, 1964. Actors: Catherine Deneuve, Nino castelnuovo, Anne Vernon, and others.

"A long unsees triumph in cinematic beauty, Jacques Demy's 1964 Cannes Film Festival Grand Prize Winner is available for the first time in this digitally remastered, fully restored version. Dazzling sets brought to life by revolutionary use of color and music by Academy Award winner Michael Legrand's (Yentl) classic unforgettable soundtrack (every word of dialogue is sung!), make this bittersweet love story one of the most beautiful films of all time. Catherine Deneuve (Indochine, Belle de Jour) stars in this ageless fairytale of doomed love. The restoration, long thought impossible due to faded prints, is now brought to you as a loving tribute by Demy's widow, filmmaker Agnes Varda. Composer Michel Legrand produced the new Dolby stereo mixing." (from the video jacket)

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Ma Nuit Chez Maud (My Night at Maud's)
Eric Rohmer. 1 VHS cassette (111 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature Film. France, 1969. Actors: Jean-Luis Trintignant, Françoise Fabian, Marie-Christine Barrault, Antoine Vitez.

"Jean-Louis Trintignant plays an engineer seeking the perfect mate. Just when he thinks he has found her he finds himself accidentally spending the night sharing the bed of a seductive divorcee, Maud."

Madame Bovary
Claude Chabrol. 1 VHS cassette (130 mins.) : color. English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1990. Actors: Isabelle Huppert.

"A woman's obsessive pursuit of wealth and prestige leads her on a scandalous journey toward her ultimate destruction in Madame Bovary. Award-winning actress Isabelle Huppert gives a superb performance as the beautiful Emma Bovary, a woman possessed by a burning hunger for life and love -- and a passion that can never be fulfilled. Feeling trapped in a loveless marriage, Emma indulges herself in a lifestyle of reckless overspending and a series of shocking affairs which threaten to destroy her and everyone around her. Nominated for a 1991 Academy Award for Best Costume Design, director Claude Chabrol has created a visually-stunning, brilliantly-acted masterpiece from the legendary bestselling novel by Gustave Flaubert." (from the video jacket)

Madame de
Max Ophuls. 1 VHS cassette (105 mins.) : BW. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1953. Actors: Charles Boyer, Vittorio de Sica.

Malraux, Romancier (Malraux, Novelist)
Centre National d'Enseignement a Distance. 1 VHS cassette (120 mins.): color. French, documentary,1997.

Convaincu que "la condition humaine est une prison," Malraux conçoit le roman comme "un moyen d'expression privilégié du tragique de l'homme". De l'homme qui dans le bruit et la fraternité de l'histoire, triomphe du néant par l'action héroique ou la fraternité révolutionnaure. Le roman devient alors exaltation lyrique de l'aventure humaine vécue comme un épopée et témoignage d'une grandeur déposée en nous comme une "monnaie de l'Absolu".

Manon des sources (Manon of the Spring)
Claude Berri. 1 VHS cassette (113 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1987. Actors: Emmanuelle Béart, Yves Montand, Daniel Auteuil.

Manon of the Spring: see Manon des sources.

Many Faces of Fontainbleau, The: see, Fontainbleau: Un Rendez-vous de Châteaux.

Marseillaise, La
Jean Renoir. 1 VHS cassette (132 mins.) : BW. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1938.

"Jean Renoir's classic tribute to the glory of the French Revolution, the film captures the personal flavor of the struggle and the philosophical background to the revolutionary upheaval. In a rapid series of vignettes, we are introduced to the elegance and nobility of the court of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette... the contrasting plight of French peasants governed by laws they cannot understand... the storming of the Bastille in 1789 by an undisciplined mob... the plotting of France's exiled nobility to returen to power. . . the Republican march on Paris... and the caputre of the Tuilleries in 1793, ending the revolution. The film follows the adventures of two young patriots who join the Peoples' army in Marseilles. As their battalion begins its long journey north to Paris to join with the Federate army, they adopt as their anthem a song from the Army of the Rhine. This song was soon to be known all over France as 'La Marseillaise' and would lead the newly unified nation to victory." (from the video jacket)

Molière: L'oeil en Coulisses
1 VHS cassette (56 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles.

"Twenty-two excerpts from six Molière plays plus interviews with five famous French actors and directors. The interviews include discussions of the six plays, Molière's career, how to act and stage his plays, the importance of Molière for today's audiences, and some of the issues raised by the plays. The plays excerpted are Le Malade imaginaire, Le Misanthrope, Tartuffe, Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, L'Ecole des femmes, and Amphitryon."

Mon Oncle d'Amerique (My American Uncle)
1 VHS cassette : color. French with English subtitles.

"Three people seek success: Jean -- a man who wants fame in politics or literature (it hardly matters which as long as he achieves the desired end); Janine -- a woman who needs complete and total change in her life and so becomes a starving actress; and René -- a man who escapes the declining economy of agriculture to find his fortune (or misfortune) in the city. Three lives, brought together by the hand of fate--together they discover the excitement and joy of their success and face the frustrations and hardships of the dream. Sound like a drama? It's not. 'Mon Oncle d'Amerique' is a comedy about the drama of life, turning the struggles of everyday into a hilarious romp!" (from the video jacket)

Monet: Legacy of Light
Educational Video Network. 1 VHS cassette (28 mins.) : color, English, Documentary.

"Light and color flood the canvasses of Claude Monet with beauty beyond compare. Graceful images of his home in Giverney, the seasonal, timeless charm of the rustic haystack, and the loveliest of scenes--luminous waterlillies in a pond--endure as Monet's legacy to the world of art. This file brings you Monet's story as an artist and giant of the Impressionist movement using his own words with excerpts from journals, personaly interviews and, of course, his magnificent paintings."

Monet: Legacy of Light. see also Portrait of an artist: Monet.

Montreal
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 1 VHS cassette (54 mins.) : color. French with no subtitles, Documentary. 1994.

"A portrait of Mount Royal and why its French name stuck: its development from supply depot to French explorers and farmers, to its development as one of the world's principal cities. The program examines the characteristics and character of the original French population and the reasons and manner in which that French Character remained despite the loss of Québec to the English. In showing us the city, its history, its monuments, and its life, the program examines the separate lives of Franco- and Anglophones, and shows the effect of Montreal's metropolitanization on the Francophone citizenry." (from the video jacket)

My Mother's Castle: see Château de ma mère, Le.

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Nun, The see Réligieuse, La.

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Paris: Une capitale des arts
Films for the Humanities and Scineces. 3 VHS cassettes (14 mins. ea.) : color. French, no subtitles, Documentary. USA, 1998.

Paris: 1830
"Beginning in 1830, this first program presents the Paris of revolutionary theater, the Romantics, and the neoclassicists. It also deals with the impact of the Restoration and the Paris Commune on the arts -- Racine, Balzac, and Hugo in literature; Jericho and Girodet in art; Chopin and Liszt in music. The appearance of the feuilletons and the erection of the Arc de Triomphe, the Pantheon, and the Place de Concorde take viewers on a nostalgic tour of a bygone Paris era."
Paris: 1860
"This program presents Paris as the city razed and rebuilt by Napoleon III. It features the magnificent salons of Paris, the founding of the Louvre, and the creation of many other buildings and institutions, such as the opera and train stations. The artistic works of Manet and the avant-garde movement conjure a Paris on the precipice of a new, modern era."
Paris: 1900
"It is the turn of the century -- fin de siècle. This program captures that magical period in all of its glory on archival film by the renowned Lumière brothers. Take a personal tgour of the World's Fair, attend the Opéra Comique, view Rodin's Gates of Hell, visit with Picasso and the Impressionists. This is Paris at the end of a major cultural epoch."

Paris Through the Ages
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 1 VHS cassette (61 mins.):color. Documentary, French, no subtitles. USA, 1991.

"From its beginnings as a small fishing village inhabited by the Parisii during the third century BC through Caesar's conquest of Gaul and its acquisition of the name Lutetia, from its consecrayion as the capital of Capetian France in the tenth century through Villion to the student rebellion of 1968, Partis has been synonymous with France as no other national capital. This program tells the story of Paris and its people: kings and councilors, poets and painters, architects and gardeners, rich and poor, aristocrats of ancient lineage and new immigrants." (from the video jacket)

Paris was a woman
Greta Schilller, Andrea Weiss and Frances Berrigan.1 VHS cassette (75 mins.) : color & b/w. English, Documentary. Gt. Brit., 1997.

"'Paris was a woman' is a film portrait of the creative community of women writers, artists, photographers and editors who flocked to the Left Bank of Paris in the early decades of this century, when Paris was the undisputed cultural capital of the world. Utilizing groundbreaking research, newly discovered home movies, and intimate storytelling intertwining interview with anecdote, 'Paris was a woman' recreates the mood and flavor of this femal artistic community in Paris during its most magical era. Authors Collette, Djuna Barnes and Gertrude Stein, painters Romaine Brooks and Marie Laurencin, photographers Berenice Abbot and Gisele Fecund, publishers and booksellers Sylvia Beach and Adrienne Monnier, and journalist Janet Flanner all figure in this legendary milieu." (from the video jacket)

Paul Gaughin: The Savage Dream
Michael Gill. 1 VHS cassette (45 mins.):color. English, Documentary, 1988.

"Paul Gaughin lived by extremes. In 1901, he traveled to one of the most remote islands in the world. Hivaoa in the Marquesas: 750 miles from Tahiti, 4000 miles from the coast of Peru. There he lived for the lastwo years if his life until his death in 1903 at the age of fifty-four. Paul Gaughin -- The Savage Dream esplores the artist's obsessive search for a 'savage'alternative to his own culture, which drove him to that far point of the earth and became a critical aspect of Gaughin's art and life. Shot on location in Tahiti and the Marquesas, the film focuses on Gaughin's final years and his monumental artistic achievement during that period. The story, to a great extent, is told in Gaughin's own words, revealing his unique philosophy of art, life and civilization. (from the video jacket)

Phèdre
1 VHS cassette (93 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1968. Actors: Marie Bell.

Phèdre
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 1 VHS cassette (110 mins.):color. French, dramatization, 1991.

"Here is a spectacular French production of Racine's great play that treats the classical past with respect while demonstrating its continued, living interest. If it was the playwright's goal to show people as they atr -- not as they ought to be -- then this performance represents French classical drama at its most moving. with equal attention to the language itself, the lavishness of sets and costumes, and the passion and appropriateness of the acting." (from the video jacket)

Placard, Le
(The Closet). Francis Veber. 1 DVD region 1 (85 mins) : color French with English subtitles, Feature Film. France, 2001. Actors: Daniel Auteuil, Gérard Depardieu, Thierry Lhermitte, Michèle Laroque, Jean Rochefort.

"The always popular Gérard Depardieu stars in a warmly engaging comedy that shows how one little white lie can change everything! A dull and lonely accountant working at a condom factory, François Pignon (Daniel Auteuil) meekly endures office jokes and backroom whispers that he's about to be fired...usually instigated by his loutish coworker Felix (Depardieu). But that all changes when a rumor about him spreads around the office! Much to his surprise, this funny falsehood becomes the catalyst that sends François Pignon's life on an unexpected and hilarious turn for the better! As this outrageous, critically acclaimed story unfolds, you'll laugh along with François as he keeps this improbable charade going in an inspired bid to save his job and transform his life! (from the DVD jacket)

Portrait of an Artist
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 5 VHS cassettes.

"This series provides us with a double treat -- a close-up look at both the lives and works of the world's most famous artists. In some of the programs, art history is made on film, as the artist creates a painting or sculpture right before our eyes. We also see the finest examples of the artists' works, often against the backdrop of their favorite settings: Venice, the Southwest American desert, the salons of Paris. These programs show us human beings as well: their personal relationships and their struggles to overcome the skepticism of critics and society. Filmed by award -winning producers such as the BBC, they offer a unique way to collect the whole story of art into a permanent video library." (from the video jacket)

Cezanne
1 VHS cassette (60 mins.):color. "This portrait of Cezanne revolves around the central theme of his painting: his fascination with nature and his love-hate relationship with his birthplace, Aix-en-provence, most specifically the nearby mountain, Sainte Victoire, which he painted repeatedly throughout his life. Richly illustrated with his paintings and with views of the countryside, the story opens with the artist at 67, at odds with both peers and critics, and traces Cezanne's career to his final recognition as the 'father of modern art'." (from the video jacket)
Chagall
1 VHS cassette (55 mins.):color. "For nearly eighty years, Marc Chagoall captivated generations of art lovers and frustrated his critics. This film protrait, made very shortly before his death in 1985, takes the viewer on a journey through time and place on the trail of this enigmatic artist. Eventually to become th grand old man of French painting, Chagall began a life in a Jewish ghetto in Russia. He escaped the restrictions of his background and moved to Paris, where he rubbed shoulders with artists such as Matisse, Leger, and Dufy. There he began to create the floating surrealistic style which has remained his hallmark." (from the video jacket)
Degas
1 VHS cassette (65 mins.):color. "This film portrait explores the life and work of a complex man and an unorthodox artist. Especially controversial was his treatment of women as subjects, whom he dared to show as real people engaged in often unglamorous activities. This program includes many original paintings, drawings, and prints to show Degas' favorite locations -- a ballet class, the racecourse, the railway -- and to explain his innovative use of the camera. A special inclusion here is a private collection of his fragile and rarely viewed wax sculptures." (from the video jacket)
Monet
1 VHS cassette (28 mins.):color. "Light and color flood the canvasses of Claude Monet with beauty beyond compare. Graceful images of his home at Giverney, the seasonal, timeless charm of the rustic haystack , and the loveliest of scenes -- luminous waterlilies in a pond -- endure as Monet's legacy to the world of art. This film brings you Monet's story as an asrtist and giant of the Impressionist movement using his own words with excerpts from journals, personal interviews and, of course, his magnificent paintings." (from the video jacket)
Toulouse - Latrec
1 VHS cassette (60 mins.):color. "Henri de Toulouse-Latrec (1864-1901), a great artist and devotee of Parisian night life, painted his haunts with a sharp eye that saw beneath the gay surface to the corruption underneath. In the superb lithographic posters he produced for these clubs, Lautrec pioneered a style that shaped the future of graphic art. He created striking images by focusing on simple but dramatic shapes and using flat, pure colors. He and his most famous client, the singer Aristde Bruant, introduced the concept of a single image to be repeated in a variety of advertising formats. This program, produced in conjunction with an exhibit of Toulouse-Latrec's work at London's Royal Academy, follows his colorful life and ground breaking work. Historic photographs and location shots of Montmartre, together with a visit to a present-day lithography print works, bring the drama and poignancy of his career to life. Prominent artists, critics, and scholars add richness to the program with comments on their favorite works from the exhibition." (from the video jacket)

Prenez Vos Mouchoirs see Get Out Your Handkerchiefs.

Prevert, Jacques
1 VHS cassette : color. French with English subtitles.

Marcel Proust's à la Récherche du Temps Perdu (Marcel Praust's a Search for Lost Time)
Nigel Wattis. 1 VHS cassette (60 mins.) : color. English no subtitles, Documentary. Gt. Brit., 1988.

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Queen Margot: see Reine Margot, La.

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Raven, The: see Corbeau, Le.

Règle du Jeu, La (Rules of the Game)
Jean Renoir. 1 VHS cassette : color. French with English subtitles.

"Jean Renoir's most revered film combines his love for the outrageous with his stinging disdain for the French privileged class. One the eve of World War II, the scandalous erotic charades of the aristocrats at a weekend hunt party are mirrored by the activities of the servants. The arrival of an honorable guest--one who refuses to play by the rules--throws the game dangerously out of balance, and signals the beginning of events that can only end in tragedy. Rejected by outraged Parisians at the time of its release and later banned by the Nazis, Renoir's masterpiece was years ahead of its time. The original negative was destroyed during the war, but 200 cans of film were later discovered, and the print was meticulously restored in 1959. Today, Rules of the Game stands as the director's timeless condemnation of a corrupt society where appearances are everything and values mean nothing."

Reine Margot, La (Queen Margot)
Patrice Chereau. 1 VHS cassette (144 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1995. Actors: Isabelle Adjani, Daniel Auteuil, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Vincent Perez, Virna Lisi.

"A classic tale of intrigue and forbidden love, Queen Margot is the powerful hit universally acclaimed by critics! Thrown into a political marriage of convenience by her ruthlessly power- hungry family, the beautiful Margot (Isabelle Adjani - Camille Claudel) soon finds herself hopelessly drawn into their murderous affairs. It's then she realizes that her only hope of escape lies somewhere between the heroic soldier who loves her and the enemy husband who could save her..." (from the video jacket)

Réligieuse, La (The Nun)
Jacques Rivette. 1 VHS cassette (155 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France 1966. Actors: Anna Karina, Liselotte Pulver, Micheline Presle, Christine Lenier.

"Originally banned by the French government, acclaimed French New Wave director Jacques Rivette's adaptation of Diderot's classic 18th century novel explores with poetic simplicity the moving tale of a 16 year old girl who is forced by her mother to enter a convent.Suzanne, played by the exceptional Anna Karina, is persuaded by a kind Mother Superior to accept her vows. However, Mother Superior soon dies and Suzanne meets with the rigors and abuses of her harsh successor. Her desperate attempts at freedom land her first in another convent, and then finally, though with tragic ends, in the outside world. Despite the controversy over its release, The Nun is less an indictment of a religious order than a condemnation of the repressiveness of 18th Century society - a society in which women had two choices as dictated by their families: marriage or the convent." (from the video jacket)

Retour de Martin Guerre, Le (The Return of Martin Guerre)
Daniel Vigne. 1 VHS cassette (111 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1982. Actors: Gérard Dépardieu, Nathalie Baye.

Return of Martin Guerre, The: see Retour de Martin Guerre, Le.

Ridicule
1 VHS cassette (103 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles. France, 1996.

"Ridicule is an exceptionally entertaining tale of passion and deceit! In a desperate quest to save his hometown, a young man quickly learns that a sharp wit is the key to open any door in the Versailles court of Louis XVI! But his mission is complicated when he finds himself locked in a dangerous triangle with two very seductive ladies: a sophisticated older woman who can help him . . . and an innocent young beauty with nothing to offer but her love! Wickedly funny humor and outstanding performances highlight this must-see triumph!"

Rififi
Jules Dassin. 1 VHS cassette (113 mins.) : BW. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1955.

Rivière du hibou, La: see Jeté, La and La rivière du hibou.

Robert Clary A-5714: A Memoir of Liberation
Budd Margolis. 1 VHS cassette (60') : color. English, Documentary. U.S.A., 1984. Conference held at Kent State University.

Rue Cases-Nègres (Sugar Cane Alley)
Euzhan Palcy. 1 VHS cassette (107 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. Martinique, 1983.

"Set in Martinique in 1931, Sugar Cane Alley established 28-year-old Euzhan Palcy as a major new filmmaking talent. Her film paints a rich impasto of native life under French colonial rule, filtered through the coming-of-age of a bright, sweetly opportunistic black boy learning to reconcile the value of his shanty-town roots with the educational opportunities that beckon him to the big city. The film traces the young boy's escape from poverty through a combination of ambition, education, a surrogate father's wisdom, and a grandmother's indomitability. Sugar Cane Alley manages to transform a very painful third world subject (colonial exploitation) into a universally accessible humanist cinema." (African Cinema)

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Sartre by himself / Sartre par lui-même: Parts 1 and 2
Alexandre Astruc and Michel Contat. 2 VHS cassettes : color. Part 1 (95 mins.), Part 2 (102 mins.) French with English subtitles, Documentary. USA, 1976.

"Very rarely do we have the opportunity to have an intimate encounter with one of the most influential writers of our century. 'Sartre by Himself' provides an in-depth look at the existentialist philosopher and author of Being and Nothingness, Nausea, and numerous works of criticism, philosophy, and fiction. Interviewed by Alexandre Astruc, author of the celebrated essay on camera-style and Michel Contat, Sartre speaks eloquently about his life and writings, his efforts on behalf of the French Resistance, his public opposition to the Algerian and Vietnam Wars, and his views on feminism. The film offers a conversational feast for anyone with an interest in 20th century philosophy, the intellectual ferment of post-war Paris or the vibrant personalities of Sartre and his long-time companion Simone de Beauvoir." (from the video jacket)

Sartre par lui-même
Fillms for the Humanities and Sciences. 2 VHS cassettes (Part I 90 mins., Part II 97 mins.):color. French, Documentary, 1995.

"In this definitive documentary, Jean-Pauk Sartre talks about the stages of his life and thought. Surrounded by some of his intellectual circle, among them Simone de Beauvoir, he reflects on the relationship between his own philosophical development and the political events which shaped him and were, in turn, shaped by him. The importance of Sartre's thoughts and writings are crystallized in this, his audiovisual testament." (from the video jacket)

Semaine Sanglante, La (The Bloody Week)
1 VHS cassette (52 mins.) : color. French. France, 1991.

"Paris in 1870 was a city of stark contrasts: Napoleon III and his empress Eugenie ruled over a splendid court; the Universal Exhibition was celebrating the miracles of the Machine Age; Baron haussmann, redesigning Paris to create avenues splendid both for the vista and for the effective firing of cannons, had unleashed a speculative fever in Parisian real estate; and the poor, squeezed by industrialization, were squeezed beyond the point of no return when they were forced by higher rents to vacate their living quarters. This program shows the conditions that gave rise to the Commune of Paris, the Communards, and the indescribably brutal manner in which the rest of France put an end to the Blood Week of the Commune."

Simone de Beauvoir
Malka Ribowska and Josée Dayan. 1 VHS cassette (110 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Documentary. France, 1982.

"Feminist, writer, political activist, the full range of Simone de Beauvoir's fascinating life is captured in this insightful documentary portrait. The film gives viewers a unique opportunity to get to know the brilliant author of The Second Sex and The Prime of Life as she speaks candidly about her relationship with Sartre, her friendship with Camus, the evolution of her political views her sympathy with the student revolution of 1968, as well as her views on feminism, abortion, sexual fidelity, aging, and death. Skillfully interwoven with de Beauvoir's commentary are photographs and archival footage of events-- both personal and political--that have shaped her thinking." (from the video jacket)

Small change: see Argent de poche, L'.

Smiling Madame Beudet, The (1922), and The Seashell and the Clergyman (1928)
Germaine Dulac. 1 VHS cassette (60 mins.):B&W. French ttle cards only.

Sugar Cane Alley: see Rue Cases-Nègres.

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Tahiti
Rand McNally, 1992. 33 mins. (color), 1 VHS cassette. English, Documentary.

"Discover paradise in the tropical islands of French Polynesia! Tour romantic Tahiti, famed for its extravagant beauty and quiet seclusion, plus the verdant island of Bora Bora and the unspoiled, primitive Marquesas. Step ashore at Papeete on Tahiti. Marvel at black pearls in the making at the Tahiti Pearl Museum. Attend a Heiva to see traditional grass-skirt dance on competition and canoe races. See a vanished era in Arahurahu Marae where ancient ceremonies occurred. Then ferry to Moorea for superb beaches and soaring, cloud-misted mountains. Sail to Huahine and escape to the simple life. Go diving in Bora Bora's famous blue lagoon and view the colorful underwater denizens. Board the Aranui cargo ship -- the only link to the remote Marquesas. See where Herman Melville found his tropical refuge in the Taipvai Valley. Explore the back country wilderness of Nukuhiva to approach the Vaipo Waterfall. Discover the inspiration for Paul Gaugin's paintings and see his grave. Watch the traditional Motu haka unity dance on Ua Pou." (from the video jacket)

There'll be no Trojan War: see Guerre de Troie n'aura pas lieu, La.

Tous les matins du monde (All the Mornings of the World)
Alain Corneau. 1 VHS cassette (110 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1992. Actors: Gérard Depardieu, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Anne Brochet.

"Swept away by passion, music and madness, the lives of a virtuoso musician and his two beautiful daughters are forever changed by the arrival of a flamboyant young student. Set in the luscious splendour of 17th century France and starring Academy Award nominee Gérard Depardieu, All the Mornings of the World weaves a breath-taking tapestry of sight, sound and seduction." (from the video jacket)

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg: see Les Parapluies de Cherbourg

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Uranus
Claude Berri, 1992. 100 mins. (color), 1 VHS casstte. French w/ English subtitles.

"Leopold (Gerard Depardieu) runs a bar in a small village devastated by the war. But now the war is over and the villagers are piecing their lives back together -- as well as settling some old debts. Leopold is happier since the village schoolteacher Watrin (Philippe Noiret) began teaching school in his bar, for he has discovered that deep within him there lies the heart of a master poet. But for others in the town, life is not full of poetry. Maxime Loin, a collaborator with the Nazis, is hiding from the communists. When an informer seeking revenge on Leopold swears Maxime has been hiding in Leopold's bar, the village is soon in an uproar. The local communist leader (Michel Blanc) has a duty to uncover the collaborator, but with so many personal vendettas between him and the guilty party, many innocent people may suffer before the truth comes to light." (from the video jacket).

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Very curious girl
Nelly Kaplan. 1 VHS cassette (105 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1969. Actors: Bernadette Lafont, Georges Geret, Michel Constantin.

"In Nelly Kaplan's sensational and sexy comedy, beautiful Bernadette Lafont is a peasant girl who is known intimately by most of the men in her small village. Tired of enduring the physical abuse and the sexual exploitation for free, Lafont decides to start charging a fee for her services. Suddenly she has more power than she ever dreamed of and gets a kick out of subjecting her "clients" to a series of hilarious and unbelievably outrageous events. 'A Very Curious Girl' is one of those rare films that moves an audience to cheer. Call it the flip side of Risky Business. Because when she's good, she's very good. And when she's bad she's . . . curious."

Vie est un long fleuve tranquille, La
Etienne Chatiliez. 1 VHS cassette (89 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles. France, 1987. Actors: Hélène Vincent, André Wilms, Christine Pignet, Daniel Gélin.

"A rich social satire, Life is a long quiet river centers on the abrupt collision of two very different families and the hilarious results. The Le Quesnoys live the ordered, polite, uptight life of the securely wealthy. The Groseilles are a slovenly fmaily of tramps, lowlifes and thieves from the other side of the tracks. When an act of revenge uncovers the fact that twelve years ago their babies were switched at birth, the two families are plunged into chaos. A witty send up of class distinctions and family ties, Life is a long quiet river is a delightful and penetrating comedy." (from the video jacket)

Vie Quotidienne a la Cour de Versailles (Royal Life at the Court of Versailles)
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 1 VHS cassette (60 mins.):color. Documentary, French with English narration. USA, 1993.

"This is the story of France and French culture as reflected in Versailles from its construction by Louis XIV, its decline under Louis XV, and its abandonment by Louis XVI during the French Revolution. Period art and actors are appropriately costumed to bring to life La Bruyère, Mma Sévigné, le duc de St. Simon, and others." (from the video jacket)

Visiteurs, Les (The Visitors)
1 VHS cassette (107 mins.) : color. French with English subtitles. France, 1992. Actors: Jean Réno, Valérie Le Mercier, Christian.

"This outrageous time-travel comedy follows the misadventures of a wacky medieval knight (Jean Reno - Mission Impossible, The Professional) and his faithful servant when they suddenly find themselves zapped into the present day! Mayhem rules as these 12th Century visitors try adapting to the wildly confusing modern world! To avoid being stuck here for good, however, they soon begin an all-out comic assault on their former castle - now a luxury hotel - in their quest to return." (from the video jacket)

Les visiteurs II see Couloirs du temps, Les.

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Would-be gentleman, The: see Bourgeois gentilhomme, Le.

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