Claude Lelouch

Claude Barruck Joseph Lelouch (; born 30 October 1937) is a French film director, writer, cinematographer, actor and producer. Lelouch grew up in an Algerian Jewish Family. He emerged as a prominent director in the 1960s. Lelouch gained critical acclaim for his 1966 romantic melodrama film ''A Man and A Woman''. At the 39th Academy Awards in 1967, ''A Man and a Woman'' won Best Original Screenplay and Best Foreign Language Film. Lelouch was also nominated for Best Director. While his films have gained him international recognition since the 1960s, Lelouch's methods and style of film are known for attracting criticism.

Life and career

Lelouch was born in the 9th arrondissement of Paris to Charlotte (née Abeilard) and Simon Lelouch.

His father was born to an Algerian Jewish family while his mother was a convert to Judaism. Lelouch says that his first contact with cinema was very young: "My mother hid me in movie theaters when I was little. We were wanted by the Gestapo. .. Cinema, for starters, saved my life." Of his personal faith, he says "Today I believe in God. My faith was sparked when I made a film in Israel. Over there, it is impossible not to believe in God. I loved the places of worship of all the religions. Everything which happens is for the best. I sometimes have the feeling that my inspiration comes from heaven. I think it is wonderful to be Jewish."

His father bought him a camera as a fresh start after his failure in the baccalaureat. He started his career with a reportage – one of the first to film daily life in the Soviet Union, with the camera hidden under his coat as he made his personal journey. He also filmed sporting events, like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Tour de France.

His first full-length film as director, '' Le Propre de l'homme'', was decried by the critics: "Claude Lelouch, remember this name well, because you will not hear it again" – ''Cahiers du cinéma'' said. ''La femme spectacle'' (1963), following prostitutes, women shopping, going for nose-jobs, was censored for its misogynist tendency. ''A Man and a Woman'' changed his fortunes and was met with favour even by the Cahiers group.

The 1981 musical epic ''Les Uns et les Autres'' is widely considered as his masterpiece, and his credits now add up to 50 or so films. His 1976 film, ''C'était un rendez-vous'' purportedly features a Ferrari 275 GTB being driven at extreme speed through the streets of Paris at dawn. The entire short is shot from the point of view of the car. Legend has it that Lelouch was arrested after it was first shown publicly.

In a 2006 interview, Lelouch stated that he drove his own Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 in the film and created a soundtrack of the radically different sounding Italian sports car for effect.IMDB Trivia
, imdb.com; accessed 21 February 2016.

He collaborated more than two dozen times with composer Francis Lai. They scored a great hit with the theme song for the film ''A Man and a Woman'' sung by Nicole Croisille and Pierre Barouh, and more than 300 versions of the song exist.

In 1993 he was the President of the Jury at the 18th Moscow International Film Festival.

In 2020 Lelouch filmed his own modern 'remake' of his 1976 short film (in collaboration with Ferrari) ''C'était un rendez-vous'' entitled ''Le Grand Rendez-vous'', set in Monaco instead of Paris and starring Monegasque racing driver Charles Leclerc. Filming for the new version took place on the Circuit de Monaco on 24 May 2020 and features Leclerc driving a Ferrari SF90 Stradale. It was released on 13 June 2020.
The film was criticised by The Verge as 'lifeless'.
Top Gear's Chris Harris said on Twitter this version was 'lazy and badly executed'.

Honours

* 2016: Commander in the Order of the Crown.
* 2005: Doctor of Philosophy Honoris Causa, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Awards

Lelouch's ''A Man and a Woman'' won the Palme d'Or at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival, as well as two Oscars including Best Foreign Language Film.

His 1967 film '' Vivre pour vivre'', was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. In 1971, he won the David di Donatello for Best Foreign Directing for ''Le Voyou''.

Filmography

References

External links

*
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lelouch, Claude
1937 births
Living people
Film directors from Paris
French screenwriters
French film producers
Directors of Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award winners
Directors of Palme d'Or winners
Commanders of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)
Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Officiers of the Légion d'honneur
Best Original Screenplay Academy Award winners
David di Donatello winners
20th-century French Jews
French people of Algerian-Jewish descent