Eric Rohmer by Derek Schilling

Abstract

If the physical act of writing constitutes a priority as it does for Elon, students and instructors must inevitably hone individual and collective needs in order to use MyFrenchLab efficiently and in harmony with the text and SAM. So what is MyFrenchLab? MyFrenchLab is a “nationally-hosted online learning system” created for college-level language students. “It brings together—in one convenient, easily navigable site—a wide array of language-learning tools and resources, including an interactive version of the Student Activities Manual and all materials from the audio and video programs” (pearsonhighered.com), as well as the text in eBook format. It offers “Readiness Checks” and English Grammar tutorials, which cater to the varying needs of individuals and also incorporates a full platform for instructors from where they can assign material, create grading parameters, listen to/correct student-created audio recordings with recorded feedback, and type feedback on written work. With Wimba voice technology, students can increase oral proficiency without leaving the online environment and “engage in asynchronous online communication with their classmates or instructors” (wimba.com). Students rave about the audio components as well as the instant feedback and hints in the written exercises. If they enter an incorrect response, MyFrenchLab tells them, offering hints like “Did you check the gender of the noun?” While some students are initially nervous about using MyFrenchLab, all typically find its navigability extremely intuitive within the first week. No matter what reasons exist to critique this package, what Points de départ undeniably offers is value, both economic and educational. Gone are the days of lab cubicles and bulky headsets, big bundles of expensive CDs, and a DVD only available to instructors. The text is well organized with interesting topics, and regardless of its conception, the flexibility and portability of MyFrenchLab revolutionizes the way that any beginning French students can learn as well as the way that instructors assign and assess their work. Elon University (NC) Sarah Glasco Film edited by Michèle Bissière SCHILLING, DEREK. Eric Rohmer. Manchester: Manchester UP, 2007. Hardback—ISBN 978-0-7190-7234-5. $79.00. Paperback—ISBN 978-0-7190-7235-2. $26.00. Pp. 240. In Rohmer’s films, it appears that the only things that differ from one another are the locations, periods, and seasons; the plots vary little, and the wish of his fans is to ask for more of the same homogeneous story. Yet, it is the differences and similarities that make these films so appealing to them. Indeed, they are focused on the variation of one theme: the exploration of human interaction in matters of courtship and love. In most of the films, complex characters are filled with desires, insecurities, and distinct expectations, constantly elaborating amorous strategies; their perfect mastering of the French language and the intricacies of their dialogues clearly demonstrate that they dominate what Montaigne called the art of conferring. This attracts some spectators while deterring others. In the first comprehensive study in English since 1987, Derek Schilling offers 438 FRENCH REVIEW 84.2 a balanced appraisal of Rohmer’s work in a historical context. After reviewing the director’s career, the author analyzes Rohmer’s theoretical and critical writings that define the style, technique, and form of his films. Schilling competently presents the sophisticated Rohmer’s view on truth, beauty, reality, and cinema as the superior and purest form of all artistic expressions. Not an easy task if, as the author admits, Rohmer’s writings are notoriously difficult and coupled with a refined style of argument with a complex grasp of French syntax. Quoting Rohmer from Schilling’s book: “the root of cinema’s deadly sin is in forgetting that it must remain fictional” (93) yet cinema “possesses the truth right from the beginning and aims to make beauty its supreme end [...]. The difficulty is not, as we think, in creating a world of its own with mirrors—the tools at its disposal—but in managing simply to copy this natural beauty” (85). For his detractors, Rohmer’s view of the world is at best incomplete; they strongly disapprove of his insulation from social or demographic changes, and his blindness toward social problems. In his defense, Schilling...