From Perversion to Purity - by Lisa Downing & Sue Harris (Paperback)

About the Book

This collection of essays, by a selection of international film and cultural studies scholars, undertakes analyses of Catherine Deneuve's status as one of the world's most celebrated French actresses, as well as a glamorous fashion muse.

From the Back Cover

Catherine Deneuve is indisputably one of the world's most celebrated actresses, both in her native France and throughout the world. Her career has spanned five decades during which she has worked with the most significant of French auteurs, as well as forging partnerships with international directors such as Buñuel and Polanski.

The Deneuve star persona has attained such iconic status that it now symbolises the very essence of French womanhood and civic identity. In this wide-ranging and authoritative collection of essays by a selection of international film academics and writers, the Deneuve persona is scrutinised and illuminated. Beyond the glamorous iconographic status of Yves Saint Laurent's muse, and the epitome of sexual inviolability, Deneuve's status as actress is foregrounded.

The book will be essential reading for students and lecturers in star studies.

Review Quotes

A studious but approachable collection of essays and discussions, this should more than satisfy admirers of the star, as well s more serious students keen to explore the myth and meaning of her important contribution to international cinema.

About the Author

Lisa Downing is Professor of French and Director of the Centre for the Interdisciplinary Study of Sexuality and Gender in Europe at the University of Exeter. Sue Harris is a Reader in French Cinema Studies at Queen Mary, University of London.