French Word of the Day: Superproduction
Because your French cinephile friends might invite you to see one this summer – if only to spend some time in an air-conditioned room out of the scorching sun.
What does it mean?
Superproduction
– yes, its two words glued together, and pronounced
soo-pair-prodd-ucc-syon
– is the French term for a big-budget movie, usually involving plenty of action and big-bang special effects, and refers to the significant financial and material resources needed to bring it to the silver screen.
The anglophone term blockbuster – which has crossed the English-French linguistic barrier – surfaced in the 1940s and takes its inspiration from the Second World War bombs capable of destroying entire blocks of buildings.
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Although the term has been around since the 40s, it only really gained traction in 1975 – when Jaws smashed box office expectations – taking in an astonishing $470 million globally on a budget of $7 million. Ever since, 'blockbuster' has also included recognition of a movie's commercial success.
But the linguistically correct French term for a Hollywood blockbuster would be
superproduction hollywoodienne.
Use it like this
Les Trois Mousquetaires a été un superproduction français qui a rapporté 100 millions de dollars
– The Three Musketeers was a $100 million French blockbuster
« Les Dix Commandements », de Cecil B DeMille, « Ben-Hur », de William Wyler, sont des superproductions
– Cecil B DeMille's 'The Ten Commandments' and William Wyler's 'Ben-Hur' are blockbuster films.
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