par Bernardette Plot
1995, in La Revue des revues no 20
La Revue du cinéma from between the two wars
Published by José Corti, la revue Du cinéma, was created by Jean George Auriol in 1928. After the first two issues it became part of Gallimard and changed its name to La Revue du cinéma, a name it kept until its disappearance in 1931. Jean George Auriol was the heart and soul of this review, so mystical for many cinephiles. A receptacle for the main aesthetic, cultural currents of its time and close to surrealism, it nevertheless rejected cinematic approaches it found too intellectual or aesthetic. Dreaming of one culture for all, it celebrates simple « human » films with strong emotions. It focuses on the cinema’s subversive force and appreciates the inauguration of this new aspect of popular culture. With the arrival of the « speakies » it sees an opening for more authentic films, but remarks that in fact it leads to the production of films more « vulgar » than « popular ». The invasion of speaking films coincides with the disappearance of the review, since Jean George Auriol decides to embark on a career as scriptwriter.
From 1946 until December 1949 La Revue du cinéma is ressuscitated for 19 issues, finding one of the pillars of its new identity in neo-realism.