French Animation History by Richard Neupert (review)

NEUPERT, RICHARD. French Animation History. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011. ISBN 978-1-4443-3836-2. Pp. 192. $109.95. Like many Americans of my generation, my childhood was accompanied by a steady cartoon diet of Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, and all things Disney. This means, among other things, that I was unaware of the extent and significance of French animation until my adult years, well after my university studies. Even then, my knowledge was limited to what little I could glean from survey texts on French culture and cinema. Thankfully, French Animation History has come along to fill the gap. Writing in accessible, layperson-friendly prose, Neupert presents a predominantly chronological treatment of the development of animation in France in six more or less equal chapters—with the fourth, on the transition from early to modern animation practices and production, unfortunately coming across as less developed than the others. Throughout, the author extends his focus beyond a strictly sequential treatment of artists and films. Neupert moves smoothly between establishing the historical and cultural context and describing myriad animation techniques such as cut-out animation, cel animation, pixilation , serial photography, motion blur, motion capture, multiplane cinematography , 2D versus 3D, and CGI (Computer Generated Imagery). In addition, he provides summaries and analyses of a wide variety of films that mark distinct high points in the history of French animation. The resulting text is an articulate study that addresses a number of significant questions. These include the conditions and means of production as animation evolved; artistic versus commercial aspirations; the influences and tensions between France and Hollywood (and, to a lesser degree, Japan); the types of humor and their role; the intended audience; the subversive potential of animation ; and the connections between animated film and other arts or media, especially bande dessinée and television. A number of significant artists and films are covered in some depth, among them Émile Cohl (La maison du fantoche), Ladislas Starewich (Le roman de Renard), Jean Painlevé (La barbe bleue), Alexandre Alexeieff and Claire Parker (La belle au bois dormant), Paul Grimault (Le roi et l’oiseau), Jean Image (Bonjour Paris), Jean-François Laguionie (La demoiselle et le violoncelliste ), Michel Ocelot (Kirikou et la sorcière), Philippe Leclerc (La reine soleil), Sylvain Chomet (Les triplettes de Belleville), Jacques-Rémy Girerd (Mia et le Migou), Christian Volckman (Renaissance), Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud (Persépolis), and Cédric Babouche (Imago). This comprehensive introduction to the field of French animation also includes an index, a guide to further reading, and a substantial number of blackand -white figures and color plates, the bulk of which are films stills. This reader’s only reservation, in addition to a handful of typographical errors and the relative underdevelopment of the fourth chapter, pertains to the placement of the color plates. While budgetary constraints doubtless preclude printing a separate section of plates for each chapter, it would be preferable to move the plates from partway through the References section to somewhere earlier in the volume, perhaps between chapters three and four, where they would be more prominent and easier to consult while reading. These weaknesses are not serious to the point that they should deter potential readers, however. French Animation History is a commendable introduction to its subject, one that non-specialists and animation enthusiasts alike will appreciate. University of the Cumberlands (KY) Laura Dennis Reviews 1155 ...