André Bazin by Dudley Andrew (review)

More than fifty years after his death, the great André Bazin stands out as a beacon in the diverse field of film studies. An indefatigable champion and inspired teacher of the ‘seventh art’, this spiritual father of the Nouvelle Vague and co-founder of Cahiers du cinéma can be credited with laying the foundations of modern film theory with his groundbreaking essays on the ontology of the photographic image, the relation between cinema and the other arts, and the evolution of film language. In this revised, updated edition of his biography first published in 1978, Dudley Andrew elegantly traces the intellectual journey of this seminal figure whose short life was devoted to promoting cinema among spectators of all social strata. Initially destined for a career in teaching, Bazin quickly became instrumental in setting up a burgeoning film culture, first through the creation of an alternative film club in occupied Paris — frequented by the likes of Alain Resnais, Sartre, and Beauvoir — and soon to be followed by a vast network of ciné-clubs throughout France and Europe. Catering to the cinephile tastes of intellectuals, factory workers, and students alike, these hubs of film discussion fostered the cultural regeneration that Bazin, as a true humanist, considered indispensable to Europe’s post-war reconstruction. Andrew skilfully embeds Bazin’s evolution as a thinker in the effervescent political, social, and cultural contexts that shaped him and which he was to shape in turn: the Christian activism of Marcel Légaut and the intellectual orbit of Esprit; the triple influence of Teilhard de Chardin, Malraux, and Sartre; and his positioning with regard to the politically committed criticism of the post-war era, not forgetting the emergence of the Young Turks of the Nouvelle Vague, for whom his film criticism paved the way. Written in scintillating prose perfectly attuned to the supple style of his subject, Andrew’s masterful study not only does justice to this most erudite of critics, but it paints an endearing portrait of a man who harboured a love for nature and animals and was deeply committed to his fellow human beings, as witnessed by his rescue of the young Truffaut. The revised edition is enlarged by a stimulating Preface that surveys Bazin’s evolution as a thinker and reflects on his international reception and enduring legacy. It concludes with a more personal homage signed by Jean-Charles Tacchella that charts Bazin’s struggles to promote an alternative film culture, from his championing of Italian neo-realism, Welles, and Chaplin to the foundation of Objectif 49 and the Biarritz Festival du film maudit. Featuring unpublished photos as well as Truffaut’s original Foreword, Andrew’s AndréBazin is a feast for everyone interested in film and a must for scholars working on the theoretical foundations of the Nouvelle Vague It offers a timely reminder that Bazin’s ideas are not to be relegated to the shelves of film history but still furnish us with new, constantly challenging lines of enquiry.