Ian Aitken is Associate Professor in Film Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University, and Senior Research Fellow in Film Studies at De Monfort University

• AcknowledgmentsDedicationIntroduction 1. From the `true style’ to the art form of the bourgeoisie: The origins, characteristics and theoretical foundation of the nineteenth century French realist and naturalist tradition2. La Bête humaine, the evolution of French cinematic realism and naturalism 1902-1938, and the influence of the nineteenth century tradition3.`The adequate presentation of the complete human personality’, Lukács, the intensive totality and the nineteenth century realist tradition4. From the historical cinema of democratic humanism to the film Novelle: Lukácsian cinematic realism in Danton (1990), and Senso (1954)5. `And what about the spiritual life itself’, distraction, modernity and redemption: The intuitionist realist tradition in the work of John Grierson, André Bazin and Siegfried Kracauer 6. Transcendental illusion and scope for realism: Cinematic realism, philosophical realism and film theory ConclusionsBibliography

Ian Aitken is Associate Professor in Film Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University, and Senior Research Fellow in Film Studies at De Monfort University

• AcknowledgmentsDedicationIntroduction 1. From the `true style’ to the art form of the bourgeoisie: The origins, characteristics and theoretical foundation of the nineteenth century French realist and naturalist tradition2. La Bête humaine, the evolution of French cinematic realism and naturalism 1902-1938, and the influence of the nineteenth century tradition3.`The adequate presentation of the complete human personality’, Lukács, the intensive totality and the nineteenth century realist tradition4. From the historical cinema of democratic humanism to the film Novelle: Lukácsian cinematic realism in Danton (1990), and Senso (1954)5. `And what about the spiritual life itself’, distraction, modernity and redemption: The intuitionist realist tradition in the work of John Grierson, André Bazin and Siegfried Kracauer 6. Transcendental illusion and scope for realism: Cinematic realism, philosophical realism and film theory ConclusionsBibliography

Ian Aitken is Associate Professor in Film Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University, and Senior Research Fellow in Film Studies at De Monfort University

• AcknowledgmentsDedicationIntroduction 1. From the `true style’ to the art form of the bourgeoisie: The origins, characteristics and theoretical foundation of the nineteenth century French realist and naturalist tradition2. La Bête humaine, the evolution of French cinematic realism and naturalism 1902-1938, and the influence of the nineteenth century tradition3.`The adequate presentation of the complete human personality’, Lukács, the intensive totality and the nineteenth century realist tradition4. From the historical cinema of democratic humanism to the film Novelle: Lukácsian cinematic realism in Danton (1990), and Senso (1954)5. `And what about the spiritual life itself’, distraction, modernity and redemption: The intuitionist realist tradition in the work of John Grierson, André Bazin and Siegfried Kracauer 6. Transcendental illusion and scope for realism: Cinematic realism, philosophical realism and film theory ConclusionsBibliography