French Literature Reviews - 2026
C. Aurouet, Le Cinéma dessiné de Jacques Prévert
Theatre and Performance
Carole Aurouet, Le Cinéma dessiné de Jacques Prévert
Paris: Editions Textuel, 2012.
EAN 9782845974531.
192p.
99EUR
Publisher's overview:
Who knows that the screenwriter of Port of Shadows (Quai des brumes) and Children of Paradise (Les Enfants du paradis) conceived over a hundred film scenarios? In this book, Carole Aurouet provides a comprehensive account of Jacques Prévert's relationship with the cinema: his inner circle of actors featuring Arletty, Brasseur, Bussières, Gabin, Morgan, Reggiani, and others; his enduring partnership with his brother Pierre; and his numerous collaborations with Carné. Yet this volume does much more than simply chronicle Jacques Prévert's career and connections within the film world; it reveals his creative process in action.
For the very first time, the author's illustrated storyboard panels are presented to the public. Serving as remarkable preliminary drafts prior to the writing of the screenplay and dialogue, these panels are accompanied by detailed close-ups and commentary that decode Prévert's artistic gesture. This exceptional iconographic collection is complemented by fragments of handwritten scripts highlighted by Carole Aurouet, offering a comprehensive insight into the traces and foundations of Jacques Prévert's screenwriting.
In a richly documented text, Carole Aurouet traces Jacques Prévert's cinematic journey from his earliest movie-going experiences as a young boy in the 1910s to his final films in the 1970s. This presentation is illustrated with numerous striking photographs—some captured by Émile Savitry—all taken during filming or at the very moment of artistic creation.
Presented in a slipcase with meticulous finishing touches featuring black gilding along the edges and an unconventional format, this gem is published on the occasion of the exhibition dedicated to Children of Paradise, opening at the Cinémathèque de Paris on October 24th.
About the author:
Carole Aurouet is a Senior Lecturer (Maître de conférences) at the University of Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée and a specialist in the work of Jacques Prévert. She contributed to the exhibition catalog Jacques Prévert, Paris la belle (Flammarion, 2008) and is the author of Jacques Prévert. L’humour de l’art (Naïve, 2007), Prévert. Portrait d’une vie (Ramsay, 2007), and Les Scénarios détournés de Jacques Prévert (Dreamland, 2008).
Jacques Prévert remains one of the most distinctive figures in French cinematic history, known above all for his poetic realist collaborations with directors like Marcel Carné and his iconic dialogue for masterpieces such as Les Enfants du paradis. Within the broader context of mid-century French cinema and artistic collaboration, his screenwriting often bridged literature, theater, and the visual arts. Studies of film history frequently examine how screenwriters and directors shape the aesthetic and narrative identity of a cinematic work, highlighting the collaborative nature of filmmaking during the golden age of French cinema.
Readers interested in French cinema, screenwriting history, and the intersection of film and the visual arts may find this volume relevant. Carole Aurouet examines Jacques Prévert's cinematic journey, his creative process, and his professional relationships within the film world. The book features storyboard panels, handwritten scripts, and photographs documenting the writer's career from his early experiences to his final films.