"La France mise-en-costumes"

The adaptation of a literary classic to the screen can be quite an emotive subject. Whether you prefer to read the original work prior to watching a cinematic adaptation, or are quite happy to uncritically enjoy a lavish costume drama production there is little doubt that French cinema has provided the world with ample entertainment.

We invite you to:

• study the critical theories on French adaptations contained in our collection of books and journals, and to form your own opinions
• marvel at the popularity of a particular author or work through the decades and across international boundaries
• discover the behind-the-scenes crafts which combine to produce the on-screen spectacle
• explore the holdings of our Special Collections
• investigate the stars whose screen presence made these films internationally successful, or whose careers were in fact thus launched into a path of stardom

This exhibition accompanied the launch, in July 2006, of our updated Costume drama adaptation film and TV: 16+ guide. The new section of the guide focuses on French adaptations of the work of Honoré de Balzac, Guy de Maupassant, Alexandre Dumas père, Gustave Flaubert, Victor Hugo, Marcel Proust, Edmond Rostand, Jules Verne, and Emile Zola.