French cinema has produced a substantial galaxy of stars to achieve world fame in their national films. This is an analysis of the phenomenon of French stardom. It provides in-depth studies of the major popular stars of French cinema: Max Linder, Jean Gabin, Brigitte Bardot, Louis de Funes, Jeanne Moreau, Catherine Deneuve, Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Gerard Depardieu, and Juliette Binoche. It explores the stars' images and performance styles in the context of the French film industry, and in relation to French culture and society. It also examines the unusually close relationship between French film stars and national identity, in a country where Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve have modelled for Marianne (the effigy of the Republic) and where Jean Gabin has been seen as a role model by left-wing politicians.
