About this Book

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the work of Robert Bresson, who is one of the most respected and acclaimed directors in the history of cinema. It is the first monograph on his work to appear in English for many years, and deals not only with his thirteen feature-length films but also his little-seen early short Affaires publiques and his short treatise Notes on cinematography. Bresson's unique use of 'models' (he refuses the term 'actors'), his sparse and elliptical editing style, his rejection of conventional psychological realism make his work all but unique and instantly recognisable. The films are considered in chronological order, using a perspective that draws variously on spectator theory, Catholic mysticism, gender theory and Lacanian psychoanalysis. Bresson has never feared controversy and the major critical responses to his work, from the adulatory to the dismissive, are summarised and analysed. The work includes a full filmography and a critical bibliography.