Cinema - French films - Fantasy

French cinema: Fantasy (Page 1 of 6)

L’Âge d’or (1930)

Luis Buñuel

A party of dignitaries arrive on the shore of an island to pay homage to some dead heroes but are outraged to see a couple making love on the beach. The man is dragged away by police, but he manages to persuade them to release him for services he has rendered to the state. The man and the women subsequently meet up at a party, but their attempts to get together are constantly frustrated by their family, guests and other distractions..... [More...]

Amer (2010)

Hélène Cattet

At three key stages in her life, Ana is assailed by conflicting feelings of fear and desire. In childhood, she is seized with terror when she witnesses an old woman perform a bizarre death ritual whilst her parents yield themselves to a horrifying bestial act. As an adolescent, she is aware of the power she exerts over young men as she flaunts her nascent sexuality for her own amusement... [More...]

Angel-A (2005)

Luc Besson

28 year-old con artist André lies so easily that he has even convinced himself he is the model citizen. In reality, he is the type that would sell his grandmother for a packet of cigarettes. After winning a Green Card in the lottery, he can’t stop boating that he is an American citizen, which is probably not a good thing at a time when (in the wake of the Iraq War) most French people regard all Americans as the spawn of Satan... [More...]

L’Année dernière à Marienbad (1961)

Alain Resnais

The location is a sprawling baroque hotel set in beautiful sculptured gardens. At a large social gathering, a stranger, X, accosts a young woman, A, and tries to convince her that they have met before, one year ago, perhaps at Marienbad. X reminds A of her promise to leave her husband, M, and elope with him... [More...]

Arthur et les Minimoys (2006)

Luc Besson

Like any child of his age, Arthur is fascinated by his grandmother’s bedtime stories. In his dreams, these stories come to life and he finds himself in a fabulous country populated by strange and mysterious people. But what if these were more than just fairy tales? What if they were true? In a book of spells belonging to his grandfather, Arthur finds several clues that point to the existence of a treasure in his own garden... [More...]

L’Atlantide (1921)

Jacques Feyder

In the Sahara Desert, the unconscious body of Lieutenant Saint-Avit is discovered by fellow officers in his Spahi regiment. When he recovers, Saint-Avit is questioned about the disappearance of his comrade, Captain Morhange, who accompanied him on his last expedition in the desert to look for the lost city of Atlantis... [More...]

Les Aventures extraordinaires d’Adèle Blanc-Sec (2010)

Luc Besson

In 1912, Adèle Blanc-Sec is an intrepid young journalist who is prepared to risk anything to achieve her objectives, even if it means grappling with mummies in the land of the pharaohs. Meanwhile, Paris is being terrorised by a psychopathic pterodactyl that has recently hatched from a 136 million year old egg... [More...]

L’Avion (2005)

Cédric Kahn

Christmas evening, eight-year-old Charly anxiously awaits the return of his father, Pierre, to the family home. Pierre, an aerospace engineer, is often away working on secret military projects, but he has promised his son a bike for Christmas. Charly cannot hide his disappointment when, instead of the bike he has been expecting, he receives a model aeroplane... [More...]

Le Ballon rouge (1956)

Albert Lamorisse

A lonely young boy discovers a solitary bright red balloon and the two form an instant bond of friendship. Wherever the boy goes, the balloon is not far behind. When the boy gets into trouble at school, the balloon comes to his rescue. The boy’s new-found happiness appears to be short lived when a gang of other boys are attracted to the balloon, with malicious intent..... [More...]

Barbarella (1968)

Roger Vadim

In the 41st century, space agent Barbarella is sent on a vital mission by the President of the Earth Republic to locate the missing scientist Duran Duran, creator of the deadly Positronic Ray. In the Tau Ceti star system, Barbarella’s ship crashes on an alien world where she encounters vicious children with killer dolls... [More...]

Barbe-bleue (1901)

Georges Méliès

The wealthy Lord Bluebeard has had seven wives – all have died in mysterious circumstances. Despite his great age, he decides to marry an eighth time and invites many nobles to his court to present their daughters to him. A young woman is selected and the marriage ceremony hastily conducted. After their lavish wedding feast, Bluebeard tells his new bride that she can enter any room in his castle except for one, which she must always avoid... [More...]

La Beauté du diable (1950)

René Clair

An elderly alchemist, Henri Faust, retires from his post as a university professor, disappointed that even after fifty years of study he has still not unravelled the secrets of nature. One evening he receives a visit from the Devil’s agent, Mephistopheles, who offers Faust the chance to relive his life again... [More...]

Belle de jour (1967)

Luis Buñuel

Although she is loved by her husband Pierre, Séverine Serizy cannot bring herself to have a physical relationship with him. As their cosy middleclass marriage remains unconsummated, Séverine is troubled by masochistic fantasies in which she is raped, beaten and abused. Prompted by one of Pierre’s friends, Henri Husson, Séverine offers her services at a Parisian brothel run by Madame Anais... [More...]

La Belle et la bête (1946)

Jean Cocteau

A half-ruined merchant lives in the country with his son and his three daughters. One of his daughters, Belle, is exploited and maltreated by the other two, who are selfish and spiteful. One day, the merchant loses his way in a forest and finds himself in a strange castle. He picks a rose for Belle and immediately he is confronted by the castle’s owner, a terrifying creature who has the face of a wild beast and the bearing of a man... [More...]

Les Belles de nuit (1952)

René Clair

Claude, a modest music teacher, has become disillusioned with his waking life. No one appreciates his musical talents, his friends regard him as a fool, and the noise of daily hustle and bustles prevents him from writing his grand opera. One day, on falling asleep, he has a fantastic dream. He is another era, where he is loved by women, and where his musical genius is universally recognised... [More...]

Belphégor – Le Fantôme du Louvre (2001)

Jean-Paul Salomé

A three thousand year old Egyptian sarcophagus is rediscovered in the vaults of the Louvre museum in Paris. An eminent English Egyptologist, Glenda Spender, is called in to analyse the ancient relic and the well-preserved mummified remains it contains. During the examination, a ghostly spirit escapes from the sarcophagus and enters the Louvre’s electrical system, causing a widespread power failure... [More...]

La Bête (1975)

Walerian Borowczyk

To safeguard the future of his country estate, the Marquis de l’Esperance arranges a marriage between his son, Mathurin, and an English heiress, Lucy Broadhurst. Whilst the Marquis is putting pressure, unsuccessfully, on the Duc De Balo, to get his brother the cardinal to attend the wedding mass, Lucy arrives with her aunt... [More...]

Black Moon (1975)

Louis Malle

An adolescent young woman, Lily, is making her way across war-ravaged countryside. She witnesses an execution of a dozen or so women by armed soldiers and narrowly escapes capture. She arrives at an isolated house which appears to be deserted, until she discovers a bedridden old woman. A young man and woman appear – but Lily seems to be unable to communicate with them... [More...]

Le Bon roi Dagobert (1963)

Pierre Chevalier

Schoolboy Robert’s punishment for not paying attention in class is to write a 100 line essay on Dagobert, the celebrated medieval King of France. Allowing his imagination to run wild, Robert sees his father as a benign Dagobert, a king whose main preoccupations are collecting wives and securing his place in history... [More...]

Céline et Julie vont en bateau (1974)

Jacques Rivette

Through a series of chance meetings, Céline, a shy librarian, and Julie, a cabaret performer and magician, strike up a friendship. Julie moves into Céline’s apartment and recounts a strange experience she had when visiting a boarded up old house. Intrigued, Céline visits the mysterious house and has exactly the same experience... [More...]

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