Peter A. Graham

The battle of the sexes in French cinema, 1930-1956

Introduction 1 Part I. The Prewar Period, 1930-1939 13 1. Panorama of a Cine-Family Romance 15 Film Analyses 54 Part II. The German Occupation, 1940-1944: Fathers Take a Backseat 89 2. Castrated Fathers 91 3. Women in the Service of the Patriarchy 103 4. Misogyny Lingers On 114 5. Absent Men, Fleeing Men 125 6. Women Take Control of Their Destiny 133 7. The Zazou Film: A Dissident Style during the Occupation 140 8. A Woman Faced with Her Desire 150 9. Gentle Male Figures and New Fathers 164 Film Analyses 180 Part III. The Postwar Period, 1945-1956: Settling of Scores 235 10. The Destabilizing Effects of the Liberation 237 11. Restoring the Patriarchal Order 269 Film Analyses 305 Conclusion 341 References 347 Index 357