René Clément (; 18 March 1913 – 17 March 1996) was a French

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

Life and career

Clément studied architecture at the

École des Beaux-Arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth century ...

where he developed an interest in filmmaking. In 1936, he directed his first film, a 20-minute short written by and featuring

Jacques Tati Jacques Tati (; born Jacques Tatischeff, ; 9 October 1907 – 5 November 1982) was a French mime, film-maker, actor and screenwriter. In an ''Entertainment Weekly'' poll of the Greatest Movie Directors, he was voted the 46th greatest of all time ...

. Clément spent the latter part of the 1930s making documentaries in parts of the Middle East and Africa. In 1937, he and archaeologist Jules Barthou were in

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...

making preparations to film a documentary, the first ever of that country and one that includes the only known film image of

Imam Yahya , succession1 = King of Yemen , succession2 = Imam of Yemen , image = Imam yahya cropped.png , image_size = , caption = Portrait of Yahya by Ameen Rihani, 1922. Imam Yahya steadfastly refused to be photographed thro ...

. Almost ten years passed before Clément directed a feature but his

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

film, ''

La Bataille du rail ''The Battle of the Rails'' (French: ''La Bataille du rail'') is a 1946 French war film directed by René Clément. It depicts the efforts by railway workers in the French Resistance to sabotage German military transport trains during the Second ...

'' (1945), gained much critical and commercial success. From there Clément became one of his country's most successful and respected directors, garnering numerous awards including two films that won the

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

, the first in 1950 for ''

The Walls of Malapaga ''The Walls of Malapaga'' ( it, Le mura di Malapaga, french: Au-delà des grilles (''Beyond the Gates'')), is a 1949 French-Italian drama film directed by René Clément and starring Jean Gabin, Isa Miranda and Andrea Checchi. It was a co-produc ...

'' (''Au-delà des grilles'') and the second time two years later for ''

Forbidden Games ''Forbidden Games'' (french: Jeux interdits) is a 1952 French war drama film directed by René Clément and based on François Boyer's novel ''Jeux Interdits''. While not initially successful in France, the film was a hit elsewhere. It won the ...

'' (''Jeux interdits''). Clément had international success with several films but his star-studded 1966 epic '' Is Paris Burning?'', written by

Gore Vidal Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his epigrammatic wit, erudition, and patrician manner. Vidal was bisexual, and in his novels and ...

and

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...

and produced by

Paul Graetz Paul Graetz (8 August 1889 – 16 February 1937) was a German actor and star of the Weimar cabaret. Selected filmography * '' The Peruvian'' (1919) * ''The Princess of the Nile'' (1920) * ''Christian Wahnschaffe'' (1920) * ''Mary Magdalene'' (19 ...

was a costly box office failure. He began directing ''

Play Dirty ''Play Dirty'' is a 1969 British war film starring Michael Caine, Nigel Davenport, Nigel Green and Harry Andrews. It was director Andre DeToth's last film, based on a screenplay by Melvyn Bragg and Lotte Colin. The film's story is inspired by ...

'' (a.k.a. ''Written in the Sand'') but quit early in production due to disputes with the film's producer

Harry Saltzman Herschel Saltzman (; – ), known as Harry Saltzman, was a Canadian theatre and film producer. He is best remembered for co-producing the first nine of the ''James Bond'' film series with Albert R. Broccoli. He lived most of his life in Denh ...

. In 1973 he was a member of the jury at the

8th Moscow International Film Festival The 8th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 10 to 23 July 1973. The Golden Prizes were awarded to the Soviet film '' That Sweet Word: Liberty!'' directed by Vytautas Žalakevičius and the Bulgarian film '' Affection'' directed by L ...

. Clément continued to make a few films until his retirement in 1975, including an international success with ''

Rider on the Rain ''Rider on the Rain'' (French: ''Le passager de la pluie'') is a 1970 French mystery film, mystery Thriller (genre), thriller film starring Marlène Jobert and Charles Bronson, directed by René Clément and scripted by Sébastien Japrisot, produc ...

'' that starred

Charles Bronson Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his "granite features and brawny physique," he gained international fame for his starring roles in action, Western, and war ...

and

Marlène Jobert Marlène Jobert (born 4 November 1940) is a French actress and author. Life and career Jobert was born in Algiers, Algeria, to a Sephardic Jewish and Pied-Noir family, the daughter of Eliane Azulay and Charles Jobert, who served in the French A ...

. In 1984 the French motion picture industry honored his lifetime contribution to film with a special

César Award Cesar, César or Cèsar may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''César'' (film), a 1936 film directed by Marcel Pagnol * ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt * César Award, a French film award Places * Cesar, Portugal * C ...

. Clément's second wife was Irish-born screenwriter

Johanna Harwood Johanna M. Harwood (born 1930) is an Irish screenwriter. She was born and raised in County Wicklow in the Irish countryside. She co-wrote two James Bond films, and went uncredited for adaptation work on a third. Life and career Harwood enter ...

whom he had met on the set of his 1954 film '' Monsieur Ripois''. Clément died in 1996 and was buried in the local cemetery in

Menton Menton (; , written ''Menton'' in classical norm or ''Mentan'' in Mistralian norm; it, Mentone ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italian border. Me ...

on the

French Riviera The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation " Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend fro ...

where he had spent his years in retirement.

Partial list of awards

*1946: International Jury Prize at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

- ''

'' (Battle of the Rails) *1949: Cannes Film Festival Best Director award - ''

Au-delà des grilles ''The Walls of Malapaga'' ( it, Le mura di Malapaga, french: Au-delà des grilles (''Beyond the Gates'')), is a 1949 French-Italian drama film directed by René Clément and starring Jean Gabin, Isa Miranda and Andrea Checchi. It was a co-prod ...

'' (The Walls of Malapaga) *1952: Lion d'or at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...

- ''

'' (''Jeux interdits'') *1952:

New York Film Critics Circle Awards The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) is an American film critic organization founded in 1935 by Wanda Hale from the New York ''Daily News''. Its membership includes over 30 film critics from New York-based daily and weekly newspapers, magazi ...

for Best Foreign Language Film - ''Forbidden Games'' (''Jeux interdits'') *1953:

BAFTA Award for Best Film The BAFTA Award for Best Film is given annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and presented at the British Academy Film Awards. It has been given since the 1st BAFTA Awards, representing the best films of 1947, but until ...

- ''Forbidden Games'' (''Jeux interdits'') *1954: Prix du jury at Cannes Film Festival - '' Monsieur Ripois'' (Lover Boy) *1956: Lion d'or at the Venice Film Festival - '' Gervaise'' *1956: BAFTA Award for Best Film - ''Gervaise''

Films

Director

*'' Soigne ton gauche'', 1936 *'' Paris la nuit'', 1939 *''

'' (Battle of the Rails), 1946 *''

Le Père tranquille ''Mr. Orchid'' (french: Le Père tranquille) is a 1946 French drama film directed by René Clément. It was entered into the 1946 Cannes Film Festival. The film's sets were designed by the art director Lucien Carré. Cast * Noël-Noël as É ...

'' (Mr. Orchid), 1946 *''

Les Maudits ''The Damned'' (french: Les Maudits) is a 1947 French drama war film directed by René Clément. It was entered into the 1947 Cannes Film Festival. The film is notable for its depiction of the interior of a wartime submarine and for its tracking ...

'' (The Damned), 1947 *''

'' (The Walls of Malapaga), 1949 *''

Le Château de verre ''The Glass Castle'' (French: ''Le Château de verre'') is a 1950 French romantic drama film directed by René Clément who co-wrote the screenplay with Gian Bistolfi and Pierre Bost, based on the 1935 novel ''Das große Einmaleins'' by Vicki Ba ...

'' (Glass Castle), 1950 *'' Jeux interdits'' (Forbidden Games), 1952 *'' Monsieur Ripois'' (Knave of Hearts), 1954 *'' Gervaise'', 1956 *''

This Angry Age ''This Angry Age'' (also known as ''The Sea Wall'', ''Barrage contre le Pacifique'' and ''La diga sul Pacifico'') is a 1957 Italian-American drama film directed by René Clément, produced by Dino De Laurentiis, and starring Anthony Perkins and S ...

'' (Barrage contre le Pacifique, La Diga sul Pacifico), 1958 *''

Plein soleil ''Purple Noon'' (french: Plein soleil; it, Delitto in pieno sole; also known as ''Full Sun'', ''Blazing Sun'', ''Lust for Evil'', and ''Talented Mr. Ripley'') is a 1960 crime thriller film directed by René Clément, loosely based on the 1955 nov ...

'' (Purple Noon), 1960 *'' Quelle joie de vivre'' (The Joy of Living, Che gioia vivere), 1961 *'' Le Jour et l'Heure'' (The Day and the Hour), 1963 *'' Les Félins'' (Love Cage/Joy House), 1964 *'' Paris brûle-t-il?'' (Is Paris Burning?), 1966 *'' Le Passager de la pluie'' (Rider on the Rain), 1969 *'' La Maison sous les arbres'' (The Deadly Trap), 1971 *' (...and Hope to Die), 1972 *'' La Baby-Sitter'' (Wanted: Babysitter), 1975

Actor

*''

'' (1960) - Le serveur maladroit (uncredited) *''

The Joy of Living ''The Joy of Living'' ( it, Che gioia vivere, french: Quelle joie de vivre) is a 1961 Italian-French comedy film directed by René Clément. It was entered into the 1961 Cannes Film Festival. Plot The story is set in Rome, in the year 1921. Ul ...

'' (1963) - French General *''Yoroppa tokkyu'' (1984) - (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Clement, Rene 1913 births 1996 deaths Mass media people from Bordeaux École des Beaux-Arts alumni French film directors Directors of Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award winners Directors of Palme d'Or winners Directors of Golden Lion winners Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director winners César Honorary Award recipients