Georges Sadoul

Georges Sadoul (1904-1967) was a French film historian and critic. Between 1946 and 1954, Sadoul wrote a comprehensive work comprising six volumes on world cinema entitled Histoire générale du cinéma, in reaction to Histoire du cinéma by Maurice Bardèche et Robert Brasillach, due to its right-wing inclination. Sadoul’s criticism was inspired by his background in the French communist party, which put him in frequent opposition to his contemporary André Bazin and the proponents of the Nouvelle Vague. Consequently, his book on the history of cinema reflected the conviction that cinema could and would be the art for the industrial masses. He also produced several monographs on filmmakers such as Georges Méliès and Dziga Vertov. He is also known for his dictionnaires of both films and filmmakers, many of which have been translated into English.