<i>Unraveling French Cinema</i> provides a much needed introduction to the complexities of French film for students, cineastes, and the movie-loving public. <ul><li>Looks at the differences between French and American national cinema<li>Explores how French directors shape their films around two potentially divergent goals: the narration of a story and an elaboration of some theory about film itself.<li>Demystifies the "difficulty" of French cinema, allowing the American movie-goer to enjoy films that are too often perplexing at a first viewing.<li>Offers extended analyses of classic, New Wave, and contemporary French films—including <i>L'Atalante</i>, <i>Adele H</i>., <i>The Rules of the Game</i>, and <i>Cache</i>.</ul>