This introductory text analyzes 25 years of popular French film including recent developments in all genres. Reflecting French cinema’s diversity since the new Wave, chapters include the Heritage film; thrillers; war movies; Cinema-du-Look; representations of sexuality; women film-makers; and others. Each chapter introduces the public reception and critical debates surrounding a given genre, interwoven with detailed accounts of individual films from Les Valseuses to Les Visiteurs and Delicatessen . Those looking at French film for the first time should have the opportunity to read at length about the internationally renowned work of Cinema-du-Look directors Luc Besson, Jean-Jacques Beineix and Leos Carax, as well as recent blockbusters of the Heritage genre from Cyrano de Bergerac and Jean de Florette to Germinal and La Reine Margot . The book includes a glossary and detailed filmography.