In his letters to his friends and family, Franz Kafka gives us a rich self-portrait that is surprisingly upbeat, nor the angst-ridden soul we might expect.

The best of American film noir

In the 1940s, the shadowy, skewed visual style of 1920s German expressionism was taken up by directors of American thrillers and psychological dramas, creating that distinctive film noir look.

The best of Russian cinema

There's far more to Russian movies than the monumental works of Sergei Eisenstein - the wondrous films of Andrei Tarkovsky for one.

The greatest French Films of all time

With so many great films to choose from, it's nigh on impossible to compile a short-list of the best 15 French films of all time - but here's our feeble attempt to do just that.

The very best French thrillers

It was American film noir and pulp fiction that kick-started the craze for thrillers in 1950s France and made it one of the most popular and enduring genres.

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Other things to look at

Review of Murder!

Review of Entre tinieblas

Biography of Sabine Azema

Review of Stella Dallas

Review of Bethsabee