Incorporating qualitative audience research into French film studies: the case of Gazon maudit (Balasko, 1995)

Abstract

The audience remains a relatively unexplored area of French film studies. Although allusions to reception are common, these tend to be based on spectator positions identified within films. This article explores the advantages of combining close textual analysis with a small-scale empirical study of audience responses in developing knowledge about reception of French films. Through its focus on Josiane Balasko's Gazon maudit, the article begins with a critical discussion of how the audience has been described in text-based readings of the film. An outline of the audience study methodology follows and this includes an account of the recruitment methods as well as an overview of the approach to the data analysis. The responses provide the focus of the last section which examines how the participants construct their social identities and enhance their status through their reactions to and exchanges about the film. The conclusion argues for the development of audience research methodologies in French cinema studies more broadly.