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Rather than suggesting that the cinematographic field is characterized by a dual structure and by the opposition between “commercial movies” and “ auteur movies”, this article construes empirically the field of French cinema for the year 2004. Using a multiple correspondence analysis for a sample of 250 active directors, it delineates two major structuring principles: the global volume of capital, of which public fame is a good indicator; and the structure of capital, that can be more commercial (box office success, collaboration of major production or broadcasting companies, etc.) or symbolic (endorsement by established critics, selection in prestigious festivals, etc.) Therefore, if the usual opposition commercial vs. auteur movies is not unfounded, it is not either a dichotomy between two homogeneous and compartmentalized sectors. Rather, there is a continuum between the most autonomous pole and the productions most subject to commercial constraints. The analysis also suggests that the literary field provides only a partially valid model for understanding the cinematographic field.