Described by Giles Deleuze as 'one of the greatest modern auteurs', Philippe Garrel is widely acknowledged as the most significant filmmaker to emerge in France after the New Wave. His deeply personal cinema traces the troubled sentimental lives of couples, exploring the relationship between art and political struggle. This study observes the eclecticism of the director's influences, looking to avant-garde movements such as the Situationists, Surrealism, Arte Povera and the American Underground, in order to explore his original body of work. Consideration is also given to Garrel's relationship with other members of the so-called 'post-New Wave', including Jean Eustache and Chantal Akerman. The first book on Garrel's cinema to appear in English, it will appeal to Garrel enthusiasts as well as to students and lecturers specialising in film studies or French studies.

Reviews

'This monograph is essential reading for anyone interested in the knotty problem of the relationship between art and politics in the post-nouvelle vague, post-'68 era.'
French Studies

'Leonard's contribution to the accessible MUP series is a welcome and long overdue re-introduction to Garrel's rich and challenging work. Alongside technical information and plot summaries Leonard offers instructive contexts and comparisons; as well as the link to the Situationists, mentioned above, Leonard makes judicious use of the Situationist concept and practice of the dérive to capture the nomadic style of films such as Le Lit de la vierge and La Cicatrice intérieure.'
Modern & Contemporary France

Introduction: Philippe Garrel, an irregular auteur
1 Cinema and revolution
2 Cinema of the underground
3 Narrative turn: Autobiography and the imaginary self
4 Dialogues
5 Past and future generations
Conclusion

Filmography
Select bibliography
Index