French cinema: 1940s
La Symphonie fantastique (1942)
Christian-Jaque
In Paris circa 1825, Hector Berlioz is a reluctant medical student who shows more interest in music than human anatomy. Convinced that his future lies as a composer, the young Berlioz abandons his studies and devotes himself to his musical compositions, encouraged by his friend Antoine Charbonnel...
[More...]
Christian-Jaque
La Symphonie pastorale (1946)
Jean Delannoy
The young pastor of a mountain village adopts a small blind girl, Gertrude. As Gertrude grows up into an attractive young woman the pastor, now middle-aged, realises that he is in love with her...
[More...]
Jean Delannoy
La Taverne du poisson couronné (1947)
René Chanas
Captain Palmer returns to port with his cargo after an eventful sea journey in which his seamanship was tested to the limit by a violent storm...
[More...]
René Chanas
Le Tempestaire (1947)
Jean Epstein
On a small island off the coast of Brittany, a young woman and her grandmother are sitting at a spinning wheel when the door to their cottage suddenly opens of its own accord...
[More...]
Jean Epstein
Tempête (1940)
Bernard-Deschamps
When his latest scam in America attracts the attention of the police, international con artist Korlick beats a hasty retreat to Europe, where he has no difficulty finding investors for his phoney project to construct an artificial sea in the Sahara Desert...
[More...]
Bernard-Deschamps
La Tentation de Barbizon (1946)
Jean Stelli
Martine and Michel are a young couple who have made up their mind to get married. During a stay at a country inn run by Martine's uncle Jérôme their love will be put to the test by a devil's emissary masquerading as American businessman Ben Atkinson... [More...]
Jean Stelli
Martine and Michel are a young couple who have made up their mind to get married. During a stay at a country inn run by Martine's uncle Jérôme their love will be put to the test by a devil's emissary masquerading as American businessman Ben Atkinson... [More...]
Tête blonde (1949)
Maurice Cam
As he heads home one evening, Frédéric Truche is delighted when he spies an abandoned parcel on a luggage rack in the Paris metro... [More...]
Maurice Cam
As he heads home one evening, Frédéric Truche is delighted when he spies an abandoned parcel on a luggage rack in the Paris metro... [More...]
Toâ (1949)
Sacha Guitry
After a violent domestic row, Ecaterina leaves her lover, the playwright and actor Michel Desnoyer. Shortly afterwards, Michel is visited by his sister Françoise and her husband Fernand, who have returned after a long stay in the United States... [More...]
Sacha Guitry
After a violent domestic row, Ecaterina leaves her lover, the playwright and actor Michel Desnoyer. Shortly afterwards, Michel is visited by his sister Françoise and her husband Fernand, who have returned after a long stay in the United States... [More...]
Tous les chemins mènent à Rome (1949)
Jean Boyer
On her way to Rome, Laura Lee, a well-known American actress, is determined to avoid the sensation-hungry journalists who are constantly on her tail... [More...]
Jean Boyer
On her way to Rome, Laura Lee, a well-known American actress, is determined to avoid the sensation-hungry journalists who are constantly on her tail... [More...]
Trente et quarante (1946)
Gilles Grangier
In France at the time of the Second Empire, Madeleine falls in love with a young Italian nobleman, Count Mario de Miranda, but her punctilious father, Captain Bitterlin, has no intention of marrying his daughter to such a man... [More...]
Gilles Grangier
In France at the time of the Second Empire, Madeleine falls in love with a young Italian nobleman, Count Mario de Miranda, but her punctilious father, Captain Bitterlin, has no intention of marrying his daughter to such a man... [More...]
Un ami viendra ce soir (1946)
Raymond Bernard
August 1944. On the outskirts of a small village in the French Alps, Dr Lestrade manages an asylum for the mentally deranged... [More...]
Raymond Bernard
August 1944. On the outskirts of a small village in the French Alps, Dr Lestrade manages an asylum for the mentally deranged... [More...]
Un chapeau de paille d'Italie (1944)
Maurice Cammage
On the morning of his wedding to the beautiful Hélène, Fadinard goes for a ride in his horse and cart. Disaster strikes unexpectedly when his horse devours a straw hat belonging to a young married woman named Anaïs Beaupertuis, who is out for a stroll with a male friend... [More...]
Maurice Cammage
On the morning of his wedding to the beautiful Hélène, Fadinard goes for a ride in his horse and cart. Disaster strikes unexpectedly when his horse devours a straw hat belonging to a young married woman named Anaïs Beaupertuis, who is out for a stroll with a male friend... [More...]
Un revenant (1946)
Christian-Jaque
Impresario Jean-Jacques Sauvage returns to his home town of Lyons, ostensibly to stage a new ballet production, but as he renews old acquaintances it is evident that he has darker motives in mind... [More...]
Christian-Jaque
Impresario Jean-Jacques Sauvage returns to his home town of Lyons, ostensibly to stage a new ballet production, but as he renews old acquaintances it is evident that he has darker motives in mind... [More...]
Un seul amour (1943)
Pierre Blanchar
In 1860s France, a couple who have recently acquired a dilapidated country house in Vendôme discover within it the secret of a passionate love affair that once took a macabre and deadly turn... [More...]
Pierre Blanchar
In 1860s France, a couple who have recently acquired a dilapidated country house in Vendôme discover within it the secret of a passionate love affair that once took a macabre and deadly turn... [More...]
Une si jolie petite plage (1949)
Yves Allégret
It is not the most welcoming of places - a barren stretch of coastline in northern France, made more inhospitable by the pounding rain and howling sea breeze... [More...]
Yves Allégret
It is not the most welcoming of places - a barren stretch of coastline in northern France, made more inhospitable by the pounding rain and howling sea breeze... [More...]
Une vie de chien (1943)
Maurice Cammage
Gustave Bourdillon is the music teacher at a special school for young ladies run by Monsieur Calumet. For some time, Gustave has had a crush on his employer's delightful wife Emilie, but, keen to hold onto his job, he keeps his amorous feelings to himself... [More...]
Maurice Cammage
Gustave Bourdillon is the music teacher at a special school for young ladies run by Monsieur Calumet. For some time, Gustave has had a crush on his employer's delightful wife Emilie, but, keen to hold onto his job, he keeps his amorous feelings to himself... [More...]
Le Val d'enfer (1943)
Maurice Tourneur
The foreman of a quarry in the Haute-Provence region of France, Noël Bienvenu lives with his elderly parents after the death of his wife... [More...]
Maurice Tourneur
The foreman of a quarry in the Haute-Provence region of France, Noël Bienvenu lives with his elderly parents after the death of his wife... [More...]
Van Gogh (1948)
Alain Resnais
Today, Vincent Van Gogh is considered one of the most important artists in western culture. His output was phenomenal and he leaves behind an impressive body of work that includes over eight hundred oil paintings... [More...]
Alain Resnais
Today, Vincent Van Gogh is considered one of the most important artists in western culture. His output was phenomenal and he leaves behind an impressive body of work that includes over eight hundred oil paintings... [More...]
Vénus aveugle (1941)
Abel Gance
Clarisse is an attractive young model who is in love with Madère, a handsome sailor. When she learns that she is losing her eyesight, she breaks off her relationship with Madère and resumes her career as a cabaret singer to support herself and her crippled sister Mireille whilst her lover goes off to sea... [More...]
Abel Gance
Clarisse is an attractive young model who is in love with Madère, a handsome sailor. When she learns that she is losing her eyesight, she breaks off her relationship with Madère and resumes her career as a cabaret singer to support herself and her crippled sister Mireille whilst her lover goes off to sea... [More...]
La Vie de bohème (1945)
Marcel L'Herbier
Paris in the 1840s. Schaunard, Colline, Marcel and Rodolphe are four young artists who are determined to make a name for themselves... [More...]
Marcel L'Herbier
Paris in the 1840s. Schaunard, Colline, Marcel and Rodolphe are four young artists who are determined to make a name for themselves... [More...]
Les Visiteurs du soir (1942)
Marcel Carné
In the 15th century, two travelling musicians named Gilles and Dominique arrive at the castle of Baron Hugues, just as a party is in progress to celebrate the impending marriage of Hugues' daughter Anne to the brave knight Renaud... [More...]
Marcel Carné
In the 15th century, two travelling musicians named Gilles and Dominique arrive at the castle of Baron Hugues, just as a party is in progress to celebrate the impending marriage of Hugues' daughter Anne to the brave knight Renaud... [More...]
Le Voile bleu (1942)
Jean Stelli
France, 1914. Not long after her husband is killed in the war, Louise Jarraud gives birth, but her newborn baby lives only a few hours... [More...]
Jean Stelli
France, 1914. Not long after her husband is killed in the war, Louise Jarraud gives birth, but her newborn baby lives only a few hours... [More...]
Volpone (1941)
Maurice Tourneur
Volpone is one of the wealthiest merchants in Venice, but when his ships laden with cargo fail to arrive on time he faces an ignoble ruin... [More...]
Maurice Tourneur
Volpone is one of the wealthiest merchants in Venice, but when his ships laden with cargo fail to arrive on time he faces an ignoble ruin... [More...]
Voyage sans espoir (1943)
Christian-Jaque
Pierre Gohelle is a hardened criminal on the run from the police who plans to escape to another country with the help of his mistress, Marie-Ange... [More...]
Christian-Jaque
Pierre Gohelle is a hardened criminal on the run from the police who plans to escape to another country with the help of his mistress, Marie-Ange... [More...]
Le Voyageur de la Toussaint (1943)
Louis Daquin
After the death of his parents, Gilles Mauvoisin returns to his hometown of La Rochelle. On his arrival, he is surprised to learn that his uncle, the successful businessman Octave Mauvoisin, has recently died and left him his entire fortune... [More...]
Louis Daquin
After the death of his parents, Gilles Mauvoisin returns to his hometown of La Rochelle. On his arrival, he is surprised to learn that his uncle, the successful businessman Octave Mauvoisin, has recently died and left him his entire fortune... [More...]
Le Voyageur sans bagages (1944)
Jean Anouilh
Gaston is one of the casualties of the so-called 'war to end all wars'. His body survived the carnage of the WWI battlefields but his mind was irreparably damaged... [More...]
Jean Anouilh
Gaston is one of the casualties of the so-called 'war to end all wars'. His body survived the carnage of the WWI battlefields but his mind was irreparably damaged... [More...]