This guide helps patrons find particular French films in our collection on VHS, DVD, and on streaming media. It also helps patrons find dictionary information about French films, film makers, actors, and actresses. And, it helps patrons find articles and reviews of French films. We also have a general research guide about Film Criticism and Reviews here.
We have a new online catalog fall semester, 2022, which is undergoing various improvements. It does not work exactly the way these older directions below portray. Some of the information about subject headings may still be useful.
It is possible to do a quick and dirty, one box keyword search of the contents of the MSU Libraries' web site, starting at the top left of the Libraries' home page. The results will be sorted into several categories to follow up on: articles from journals, books/media from our online catalog, databases, library research guides like this one, other. Film title search results will be in the Books/Media category. To do a more traditional search, read on.
To find a particular film, look in Books and Media (online catalog) under the film title. Entries for streaming media films provide links to the movies in the catalog records. For the VHS and DVD versions take the call numbers and go to the Digital and Multimedia Center on 4th floor, West wing; ask at the service desk there for the one you want.
Here are some sample subject headings for finding French films and material about them in our online catalog. Use the subject search. Try the subject headings below:
Cinematography—France [technical aspects of making motion pictures and projection on screens]
[Ethnic group] in motion pictures [films about certain ethnicities]
Motion pictures--catalogs
Motion pictures—France [general works about French films shown in France or produced by French companies]
Motion pictures—France—history
Motion pictures—France—history—20th century
Motion pictures—France—influence
Motion pictures, French [French produced films shown outside of France]
Motion pictures—history
[Name of film production company]
National characteristics, French, in motion pictures
[Person’s last name, first name] in motion pictures [films about particular people]
[Place] in motion pictures [films about particular places]
Silent films--France
[Topic] in motion pictures [films about particular topics]
Video recording [technical aspects of making digital recordings]
War films—France
