French Literature (MA)

The course is entitled Réécritures des mythes d'Orphée et d'Œdipe dans l'œuvre de Jean Cocteau and consists of the following three teaching units, which will be addressed in sequence:
A: The myth of Orpheus from theater to cinema
B: Oedipus from myth to "complex" in Cocteau
C: Variations on myths

The course aims to introduce some of the most important works of a great twentieth-century author, Jean Cocteau, who distinguished himself in numerous literary and non-literary genres (poetry, novel, theater, cinema, dance, painting, sculpture, etc.). He was also an emblematic character of an extraordinary historical-cultural period, as he was often at the center of a network of relationships of knowledge and friendship that linked him to well-known figures such as Picasso, Proust, Colette, Stravinskij, Diaghilev , Edith Piaf, Coco Chanel, not to mention the most important ones. The criterion in the choice of texts was dictated by the fact that Cocteau made an interesting and original reinterpretation of two of the fundamental myths of classical culture: Orpheus and Oedipus. Reading the texts will almost always be completed by watching films that have been taken from the works themselves by Cocteau or by other filmmakers.

Students who intend to acquire 6 ECTS will stick to the program of units A and B; all students who intend to acquire 9 ECTS will stick to the complete program (units A, B and C).
Unit A will study the passage of themes and techniques of representation relating to the Orphic myth as it is treated by Jean Cocteau starting from the Pièce Orphée to the homonymous film, then moving on to the film Le Testament d'Orphée. In unit B we will deal with the text La Machine infernale, Cocteau's rewriting of the myth of Oedipus and we will move on to treating the Oedipus complex in the play and in the cinematographic transposition of Cocteau himself Les Parents Terribles himself. Unit C will study the transition from Cocteau La Voix humaine's piece to the film production of Roberto Rossellini's A Human Voice. Finally it will deal with the theme of 'incest' in the novel Les Enfants terribles.
The course program is valid until February 2021. The course program is valid until February 2021. From the summer session 2021 it will be possible to present yourself exclusively on the program of the academic year 2020-2021.