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From the Cannes film festiveal and Brigitte Bardot to virtual film stars and Virginie Ledoyen, French film stars embody glamour, sexiness and controversy.

This book analyses the essential French stars of the last 50 years, paying detailed attention to screen performance, representation in the popular press and the social and political contexts in which they functioned.

Myth, glamour, gender and ethnicity and popular genres are some of the areas of debate in this study.

The stars are also compared with their Hollywood counterparts: the book asks whether they are products of the same star system or whether they spring from a social and artistic process particular to France.

As well as exploring the making of famous names like Catherine deeuve and Gerard Depardieu, this book also charts more neglected or controversial figures, such as Patrick Dewaere and Sylvia Kristel.