The purpose of this survey course is twofold:- To provide an introduction to the history and scope of French cinema all the way to the present time through the analysis of key works of the French film canon. Particular attention will be paid to various period styles (poetic realism, “French quality,” “the New Wave,” “le cinéma du look,” “le film de banlieue,” etc.) and genres (war, drama, comedy, film noir, etc.).- To provide students with the proper analytical and technical tools for studying and teaching film. A variety of critical lenses will be considered (psychoanalysis, socio-historical and cultural context, politics, aesthetics, gender…) from a practical, rather than strictly theoretical, perspective.Directors considered typically include Renoir, Duvivier, Carné, Clouzot, Melville, Bresson, Franju, Truffaut, Resnais, Godard, Tati, Chabrol, Tavernier, Blier, Beineix, Varda, Denis, Kassovitz, etc.