The Cinema of Eric Rohmer: Irony, Imagination, and the Social World

Since the death of the French film director Eric Rohmer in 2010, interest in his work has reignited. Known as the last of the established directors in the French New Wave, Rohmer took complete control over all his films, acting as his own producer throughout his career, and writing the scripts. He also made his mark by taking the lead in casting and location scouting – as French seaside resorts with beautiful young people are some of the elements present in most of his films.
Combining history and criticism, Jacob Leigh pens the first chronological survey of this understudied filmmaker in order to give readers clear insights into how Rohmer’s films came about and what he intended them to be. The book provides in-depth analysis of the themes and ideas of Rohmer’s twenty-three feature films, and illustrates the complexity of their cinematic style. Leigh’s study is the perfect introduction to the work of this great filmmaker, for both students and the general reader.