Amelie

by Vanderschelden, Isabelle

• ISBN13: 9780252074707
• ISBN10: 025207470X
• Edition: Bilingual
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-04-01
• Publisher: Univ of Illinois Pr

Summary

Le Fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain was the surprise box-office success of 2001, with nine million spectators in France, and more than 30 million worldwide. The film turned Audrey Tautou into an international star, in her iconic role as Amelie, a naive French Parisian who devotes herself to mending the lives of the people around her. Shot on location in Paris, the film combines poetic and magical realism with stylish cinematography, original use of colour, state-of-the-art special effects, and an evocative soundtrack; together these have produced a popular film of universal appeal.

Author Biography

Isabelle Vanderschelden is Senior Lecturer in French, Manchester Metropolitan University

Table of Contents

Note and acknowledgements	p. vii
Synopsis	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Production contexts	p. 5
From Delicatessen to Amelie: Jeunet's identity quest	p. 5
Amelie in the context of the French film industry	p. 10
From notebook to storyboard: the genesis of the film	p. 17
Reforming the troupe: the production team and the crew	p. 19
Extending the nuclear family: the cast of Amelie	p. 21
Something old, something new: Amelie's narrative	p. 30
Narrative structure: Amelie's quest	p. 30
Amelie's genres and motifs	p. 36
Amelie Poulain: the creation of an iconic character	p. 41
Postmodern style: Jeunet's signature	p. 47
Amelie's visual feast: mise-en-scene and special effects	p. 47
The use of sound	p. 59
Paris and its 'little people'	p. 66
Jeunet's postmodern signature	p. 71
From surprise hit to social phenomenon: the reception of Amelie	p. 77
Marketing and national box office	p. 77
Media discourse and critical debates	p. 78
International reception	p. 86
The continued life of the film	p. 88
Conclusion: Amelie and cultural diversity	p. 95
Full credits	p. 97
Statistics and tables	p. 103
Filmography	p. 107
Selected bibliography	p. 109
Index	p. 113
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