Criterion Close-Up – Episode 50 – French 1930s 1: Silent to Sound, Jacques Feyder, Jean Vigo

Mark, Aaron and Scott Nye kick off the first of a seven episode series about French cinema in the 1930s. We give an overview of the decade and some historical context, and discuss the French silent tradition and how that it transitioned to sound. We also get into detail about two important filmmakers, Jacques Feyder and Jean Vigo. Feyder was an important filmmaker in his time, but his works are not as prominent today, whereas Vigo was nearly forgotten in the 1930s and discovered after the war.

Episode Links & Notes

Special Guest: Scott Nye from CriterionCast and Battleship Pretension. You can follow him on Twitter.

3:15 – Dedication and Thanks

9:35 – Intro to French Film Series

28:15 – From Silent to Sound

46:30 – Jacques Feyder

1:13:30 – Jean Vigo

• Criterion Collection: Poetic Realism


• Flicker Alley: The House of Mystery


• French Masterworks: Russian Émigrés in Paris 1923-1929


• Flicker Alley: L’Inhumaine


• Flicker Alley – Vimeo Channel


• Aaron West – 3 from Jean Vigo

Recommended Films

• Napoleon


• Un chien andalou


• Coeur fidèle


• Crainquebille


• Visage d’enfants


• Le grand jeu


• Carnival in Flanders


• À Propos de Nice


• Zéro de conduite


• L’Atalante

Episode Credits

• Mark Hurne: Twitter | Letterboxd


• Aaron West: Twitter | Blog | Letterboxd


• Criterion Close-Up: Facebook | Twitter | Email


• Music from Ben Model: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Next time on the podcast: Mystery Train and Jim Jarmusch