Introduction * From the 'true style' to the art form of the bourgeoisie: The origins, characteristics and theoretical foundation of the nineteenth century French realist and naturalist tradition * La Bete humaine, the evolution of French cinematic realism and naturalism 1902-1938, and the influence of the nineteenth century tradition * 'The adequate presentation of the complete human personality', Lukacs, the intensive totality and the nineteenth century realist tradition * From the historical cinema of democratic humanism to the film Novelle: Lukacsian cinematic realism in Danton (1990), and Senso (1954) * 'And what about the spiritual life itself', distraction, modernity and redemption: The intuitionist realist tradition in the work of John Grierson, Andre Bazin and Siegfried Kracauer * Transcendental illusion and scope for realism: Cinematic realism, philosophical realism and film theory * Conclusions * Bibliography Introduction * From the 'true style' to the art form of the bourgeoisie: The origins, characteristics and theoretical foundation of the nineteenth century French realist and naturalist tradition * La Bete humaine, the evolution of French cinematic realism and naturalism 1902-1938, and the influence of the nineteenth century tradition * 'The adequate presentation of the complete human personality', Lukacs, the intensive totality and the nineteenth century realist tradition * From the historical cinema of democratic humanism to the film Novelle: Lukacsian cinematic realism in Danton (1990), and Senso (1954) * 'And what about the spiritual life itself', distraction, modernity and redemption: The intuitionist realist tradition in the work of John Grierson, Andre Bazin and Siegfried Kracauer * Transcendental illusion and scope for realism: Cinematic realism, philosophical realism and film theory * Conclusions * Bibliography.