cinématographique

Cinématographique is a French adjective meaning relating to cinema or having a cinematic quality. It is used to describe imagery, narrative style, or overall aesthetics that resemble or derive from the techniques and language of motion pictures. In criticism, the term often signals a deliberate emphasis on how images are framed, lit, edited, and paced to create a filmic experience rather than a strictly still or painterly one.

Origin and form: the word is formed from cinéma (cinema) with the suffix -graphique, similar to the English term cinematographic. In French, cinématographique covers both the look and the language of cinema and is distinct from the technical field of cinematography itself, which is referred to as cinématographie or, in practice, the work of the chef opérateur (director of photography).

Usage and scope: the term can apply to the visual style of a completed work (a film, a video, or a visual sequence) or to a moment within a work that is particularly marked by montage, composition, and lighting in a way that evokes cinema. It is also used to describe photography or animation that emulates cinematic qualities, as in expressions such as une imagerie cinématographique or un montage cinématographique. Cinématographique does not denote a profession; that role is typically described by terms such as chef opérateur or directeur de la photographie.

See also: cinéma; cinématographie; mise en scène; montage; esthétique cinématographique.