Marcel Pagnol by Brett Bowles (review)

Film edited by Michèle Bissière Bowles, Brett. Marcel Pagnol. Manchester: Manchester UP, 2012. ISBN 978-0-71907381 -6. Pp. 277. $90. This is an insightful and touching tribute to one of the most influential authors, playwrights, directors, and producers. Pagnol, the first filmmaker ever admitted into l’Académie française, defied detractors in 1930 when, as a successful playwright, he switched from stage productions to talking films. Bowles analyzes Pagnol’s film production—the middle section of his rich career—and argues that he“provocatively defined cinema as the visual embodiment of speech, casting the image and cinematic technique as supplements to the spoken word” (2). The five chapters treat Pagnol’s growth as a dramatic author, his transition from theatrical to cinematic success as well as his poetic realism. Bowles also highlights Pagnol’s enduring legacy, citing the popular success of remakes of his films by noted director Claude Berri and, more recently, by actor-turned-director Daniel Auteuil. Auteuil’s 2011 remake of La fille du puisatier sold over 1.3 million tickets in France, beating out several Hollywood blockbusters and reaffirming the fact that heritage film is still a living genre in France. Bowles infuses warmth and a touch of humor in his study, as in his description of Auteuil as“a long-time Pagnolophile [...] who mimicked his idol by writing the screenplay and directing, but went a step further by also starring as the well-digger”(241–42). Pagnol’s legacy is so carefully presented by Bowles that his fierce dedication to his craft shines through the text, most especially in the second chapter, “From Theater to Cinema: Pagnol, Paramount, and Marius on-screen.” This chapter, which is the true centerpiece of the book, gives a particularly provocative analysis of the artistic transition Pagnol made in moving away from the theater and towards the cinema, all while detailing how Pagnol’s art evolved. For example, Bowles chronicles Pagnol’s refusal to give into Paramount’s demands to reduce production costs by following a different production model for Topaze than that used for the extremely successful Marius.Furthermore , so incensed was Pagnol with Paramount—especially since he never felt that Marius had enough images of Marseille—that he withdrew from the Paramount project to develop his own version of Fanny, one that was completely devoid of any foreign influence and thus entirely true to his vision. Bowles’ study is a detailed resource for understanding Pagnol’s trajectory from dramatic author to filmmaker and his unique place in French history as well as in world cinema. In addition to the eloquently written and well-researched introduction, five chapters, and epilogue, users of all levels (from undergraduate to graduate to faculty) will enjoy the ease of use of the annotated filmography and select bibliography. Canisius College (NY) Eileen M. Angelini 240 FRENCH REVIEW 87.3 ...