Director Claude Lelouch: biography, filmography and interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

"A Man and a Woman", "All Life", "The Minion of Fate", "Les Misérables", "Railway Romance", "Woman and Men" - films that made Claude Lelouch famous. By the age of 80, the talented director managed to present about sixty film and television projects to the audience. What is the history of the famous Frenchman?

Claude Lelouch: the beginning of the journey

The director was born in Paris, it happened in October 1937. Claude Lelouch was born into an Algerian Jewish family. His childhood fell on the difficult war years. Jews were persecuted, and the boy's mother, going to work, was forced to hide her son in cinemas. This was the beginning of Claude's passion for cinema.

Profession of the director Lelouch chose for himself as a child. Mother and father at first made fun of the bold plans of the heir. However, Claude did not want to give up the decision, and the parents eventually agreed to give the boy a movie camera.

First successes

Claude Lelouch managed to attract public attention for the first time at the age of 13. His short film "Evil of the Century", which tells about the hardships of war, was warmly received at Cannesfestival. In 1956, the aspiring director prepared a report about the Soviet Union, which was called "When the Curtain Rises".

Lelouch presented his first full-length picture to the audience already in 1961. Unfortunately, the drama "The Human Essence" was not successful. The following films, the list of which is given below, also remained without the attention of the audience.

• "Female Performance".
• "Love with many ifs."
• "Girl and guns".
• "24 Hour Lovers" (Short).
• "Great Moments".
• "Jean-Paul Belmondo".
• For the Yellow Jersey (Short).

Highest hour

What movie made Claude Lelouch a star? "A Man and a Woman" is a melodrama that gave the director the love of the audience. The film, which was released in 1966, was not only a commercial success, but also became a classic for several generations.

The melodrama tells the story of a difficult relationship between an assistant director and a racing driver. The main characters have a lot in common, in the past they both experienced the loss of the second half, who died by a tragic accident. Memories prevent them from fully surrendering to a new feeling, enjoying their love.

The budget of the painting "Man and Woman" by Claude Lelouch was very modest. There was not even enough money to buy color film. Therefore, the master alternated color shots with black and white, which in the end was considered an original directorial move. It didn't stop the movie.win the hearts of millions of viewers. At the age of 28, the director became an Oscar winner.

Movies of the 60s-70s

What films did Claude Lelouch present to the audience during this period? "Man and Woman" - a picture that inspired the meter to further achievements. He continued to shoot touching tapes about love, the relationship of the sexes. A list of Lelouch films released in the 60s and 70s is given below.

• "Live to live."
• "Far away from Vietnam".
• "13 days in France".
• "Life, love, death."
• "The man I like."
• "Scoundrel".
• "Smick, smack, smok."
• "Adventure is adventure."
• "Happy New Year!".
• "Through the Eyes of Eight".
• "All life".
• "Marriage".
• "Cat and Mouse".
• "Good and Evil".
• "If only I could start over."
• "Another man, another chance."
• Robert and Robert.
• "For the two of us."

Special mention deserves the drama "All Life", released in 1976. This picture also tells the story of a man and a woman who think more about the past than about the future. The image of the protagonist, the master wrote off from himself, which makes the film even more interesting.

Paintings of the 80-90s

During this period, Claude Lelouch was also actively working. The films of the master came out one after another.

• "Bolero".
• One and the Other (mini-series).
• "Edith and Marcel".
• "Long live life!".
• "A man and a woman 20 years later."
• "Caution: bandits!".
• "Fate's Minion".
• "There are days… There are nights."
• "King of Advertising".
• "Beautiful story".
• “All about it.”
• Les Misérables.
• Lumiere & Co.
• "Man and woman: method of application."
• "Chance or Coincidence".
• "One for all".

What masterpieces did the director present to the audience during this period? The comedy-drama Minion of Fate, in which Jean-Paul Belmondo brilliantly played the main role, was a great success. The film tells the story of a successful entrepreneur who suddenly decides to change his life. The hero sets off to travel around Africa, where the most incredible adventures await him. The audience also liked the drama "Les Misérables", released in 1995. The director almost completely changed the plot of the famous Hugo novel, and Belmondo again got the key role.

New Age

Claude Lelouch continued to make films in the new century. The filmography of the maestro was replenished with the following films.

• "And now, ladies and gentlemen…".
• "September 11th".
• "The courage to love."
• "Everyone has their own movie."
• "Railway Romance".
• "Woman and men".
• "We love you, bastard."
• "One plus one".

"Railway Romance" is one of the best films of the master, released during this period. The psychological thriller begins with the disappearance of a famous writer's assistant. Some time later, this man is found on a train bound for Cannes. keep him companyis made by a young hairdresser. The mysterious disappearances of people do not end there. Also successful was the drama "Woman and Men", which was released in 2010. As you can easily guess from the title, this is another Lelouch film dedicated to the relationship of the sexes.

Interesting facts

Claude Lelouch has achieved success in his chosen profession, however, this cannot be said about the personal life of the master. The director was legally married four times and divorced the same number of times. Over the years, his wives have been Christine Cochet, Evelyn Buix, Marie-Sophie L., Alexandra Martinez.

He is also a father of many children, he has seven children from different women. The master tries to pay due attention to all his heirs, however, his favorite work still remains in the first place for him.

What now

The latest film directed by Lelouch presented to the audience in 2017. The drama was called "Everyone has their own life and their own sentence." In this picture, the fates of twelve men and twelve women are bizarrely intertwined. They come together in order to pronounce a sentence on one person, which determines his whole future life. There is no information about the further creative plans of the famous Frenchman yet. Fans are looking forward to new films by Claude Lelouch.