Abstract: More present than ever in contemporary world cinema, the nineteenth-century French novel is subject to new dynamics of exchange that reflect a postmodern aesthetic. A palimpsest haunted by its source material, such a film is no longer an adaptation, but a referential work, as is demonstrated by works inspired by Flaubert, Zola, Musset, and Hugo. Removed from their context, nineteenth-century French novels illustrate the postmodern aesthetic of contemporary filmmakers.
