This dissertation considers and evaluates the notion of the “French cultural exception” (l’exception culturelle) in three distinct domains: cinema, language, and gastronomy. Through a detailed analysis of these three domains, I trace the historical importance of these cultural institutions and their associated cultural capital in French culture. A discussion of each of these areas begins by examining how each of these culture industries has been instrumental in the cultivation of French identity and France’s global image. I argue that while cinema, language, and gastronomy have historically exemplified the French cultural exception, they have also become fertile ground for mounting tension and debate over the past several decades. The debate in each of these areas centers on an underlying notion of national protection, whether through government-backed subsidies in cinema, nationally driven bans in the food industry, or the espousal of Republican ideals in the French education system.
The discussion of each culture industry has a significant intertextual component, as I draw on literature, film, and current events to provide examples of the significant histories of each cultural domain as well as those issues that color their contemporary statuses. My analyses of these three areas also reveal the enormous obstacles facing those organizations and institutions that champion the cultural exception and support continued attempts at meaningful differentiation from other cultures. Through an analysis of these three culture industries within the context of cultural particularity, I reveal the developing uncertainty that faces three of the principal pillars of French identity in the twenty-first century.