Maurice Bardèche

Maurice Bardèche (1907-1998) was a French literary critic, journalist, and essayist known for his far-right political views and his work in film criticism. He was among the first academics to seriously study cinema as an art form, publishing influential works on film history and theory. His 1935 work "The History of Motion Pictures," co-authored with Robert Brasillach, was one of the earliest comprehensive studies of cinema as an artistic medium. The book traced the development of film from its technical beginnings through the silent era and into the sound period. Bardèche served as a professor of literature at the Sorbonne before being removed from his position after World War II due to his political activities and writings. His later career focused primarily on political essays and historical revisionism, marking a significant departure from his earlier academic work in literature and film studies. Beyond his contributions to film criticism, Bardèche remains a controversial figure due to his political positions and post-war writings. His scholarly work on cinema, however, helped establish film studies as a legitimate academic discipline in France during the 1930s.

Maurice Bardèche's works receive limited reviews online, likely due to his fascist political views and Holocaust denial. Most reviews come from far-right websites and forums. Readers who rate his works positively cite his writing style and literary criticism, particularly his analysis of Proust and Balzac. Some praise his arguments against the Nuremberg trials in "Nuremberg ou la Terre Promise." Critics and mainstream readers reject his works due to his unabashed fascist ideology, anti-Semitism, and attempts to defend the Vichy regime. Many see his writing as propaganda rather than serious scholarship. His books have few ratings on Goodreads or Amazon. Most appear out of print in English. "Qu'est-ce que le fascisme?" averages 3.5/5 stars from 12 Goodreads ratings. "Histoire des femmes" and "Nuremberg" have under 5 ratings each. Note: Most review sources appear on extremist websites, making it difficult to cite legitimate reader feedback.

The History of Motion Pictures (1935) Co-authored with Robert Brasillach, this pioneering work examines cinema's evolution from its technical origins through the silent era to early sound films, establishing a foundational framework for studying film as an art form.

Qu'est-ce que le fascisme? (1961) An examination and analysis of fascist movements and ideologies across Europe in the early 20th century.

Nuremberg ou la Terre Promise (1948) A critical analysis of the Nuremberg trials and their legal precedents in the aftermath of World War II.

Histoire des femmes (1968) A historical study of women's roles and positions in society from ancient times through the modern era.

Marcel Proust romancier (1971) A literary analysis of Marcel Proust's works and his contribution to the development of the modern novel.

Souvenirs (1993) Bardèche's autobiographical work covering his life experiences and career as a literary critic and political writer.

Sparte et les Sudistes (1969) A comparative historical study examining parallels between ancient Sparta and the American South.

André Bazin wrote influential film theory texts focused on realism and authored "What Is Cinema?" His work, like Bardèche's, helped establish film criticism as a serious academic pursuit and influenced the French New Wave movement.

Siegfried Kracauer produced foundational works on film theory including "From Caligari to Hitler" and "Theory of Film." His analysis of German cinema and broader film history parallels Bardèche's historical approach to studying motion pictures.

Georges Sadoul authored comprehensive histories of world cinema and developed systematic approaches to studying film evolution. His multi-volume "General History of Cinema" shares methodological similarities with Bardèche's historical documentation of the medium.

Jean Mitry wrote extensive theoretical and historical works on cinema including "The Aesthetics and Psychology of the Cinema." His combination of technical analysis and artistic interpretation aligns with Bardèche's treatment of film as both art and industry.

Paul Rotha produced "The Film Till Now" and other major works of film history in the 1930s. His focus on documenting cinema's development as both a technical and artistic medium mirrors Bardèche's historical approach to film study.