Jean Epstein ─ Critical Essays and New Translations

Although early film buffs may be familiar with Jean Epstein’s films, including an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, not many Anglophones are acquainted with his poetic and provocative prose. Gathered in this wide-ranging collection are new translations into English of every major theoretical work on film theory Epstein ever published, as well a series of essays by other film makers and scholars of art history, French studies, and film, which provide incisive commentary and essential context for Epstein as both a director and a theoretician. As a result, Jean Epstein: Critical Essays and New Translations provides an expansive account of the artist and the man, from his beginnings as a student of biology and aspiring poet to his late film projects and posthumously published writings. By both connecting Epstein to his era and offering contemporary criticism of his films, the essays in this book demonstrate his ongoing importance in film history and theory. This collection is a timely reexamination of a filmmaker and author who has much to offer modern audiences and readers.

Sarah Keller is assistant professor of English and cinema studies at Colby College, Maine. Jason N. Paul is a PhD student in the Department of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Chicago.