European Cinemas, European Societies: 1939-1990 (Studies in Film, Television and the Media)

Through the Second World War and its aftermath, from economic boom to industrial decline, Europeans have faced similar changes in politics and their outlook on life. But even on the eve of the formation of a single European community, their cultural backgrounds are far from unified.

In European Cinemas, European Societies Pierre Sorlin looks at the way the nations of Europe have expressed their cultural individuality in film. For instance, why do French films have such a distinctive style, different from the products of Hollywood, Germany, Italy and Britain? Sorlin also examines how the impact of a common evolution toward federalism can be detected in films.