''Camille Claudel 1915'' is a 2013 French biographical film written and directed by Bruno Dumont. The film premiered in competition at the

63rd Berlin International Film Festival The 63rd annual Berlin International Film Festival took place in Berlin, Germany between 7 and 17 February 2013. Chinese film director Wong Kar-wai was announced as the President of the Jury and his film '' The Grandmaster'' was the opening fil ...

Plot

At the end of her career the sculptor

Camille Claudel Camille Rosalie Claudel (; 8 December 1864 19 October 1943) was a French sculptor known for her figurative works in bronze and marble. She died in relative obscurity, but later gained recognition for the originality and quality of her work. The ...

seems to suffer with mental issues. She destroys her own statues and utters repeatedly that her former lover Auguste Rodin intended to make her life miserable. Consequently, her younger brother

Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

sends her to an

asylum Asylum may refer to: Types of asylum * Asylum (antiquity), places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome * Benevolent Asylum, a 19th-century Australian institution for housing the destitute * Cities of Refuge, places of refuge in ancient Judea ...

on the outskirts of Avignon. Claudel tries to convince her doctor she is perfectly sane, while living among patients who obviously are not. She is desperate to see her brother again, hoping he might eventually support her plea.

Cast

Juliette Binoche Juliette Binoche (; born 9 March 1964) is a French actress and dancer. She has appeared in more than sixty feature films and has been the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Silver Bear, ...

as Camille Claudel * Jean-Luc Vincent as Paul Claudel * Robert Leroy as the doctor * Emmanuel Kauffmann as the priest * Marion Keller as Miss Blanc * Armelle Leroy-Rolland as the young novice

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, they gave the film a "Certified Fresh" award with an aggregated score of 80% based on 37 positive and 9 negative critic reviews. The website consensus reads: "''Camille Claudel, 1915'' isn't an easy watch, but Juliette Binoche's excellent performance makes it worth the effort." According to ''Cine Vue'''s Patrick Gamble the filmmaker Bruno Dumont has delivered an "incredibly compassionate and humble observation of a tortured artist". ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'''s Guy Lodge described the film as a "moving account of a brief period in the later life of the troubled sculptress" and appreciated Juliette Binoche's impersonation of Camille Claudel as nothing less than "mesmerising". '' Screen International''s Jonathan Romney ranked this film as "an amplification and indeed a deepening" of Dumont's hitherto existing accomplishments and artistic impact. Eric Kohn of

IndieWire IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...

stated the film had a "concision" which displayed "an exactitude worthy of

Robert Bresson Robert Bresson (; 25 September 1901 – 18 December 1999) was a French film director. Known for his ascetic approach, Bresson contributed notably to the art of cinema; his non-professional actors, ellipses, and sparse use of scoring have l ...

". Analysing the film in depth for ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...

'', Jordan Mintzer summed up the film in his "bottom line": "An unsettling portrait of the artist as a mad woman, anchored by a riveting lead performance".

References

External links

''Camille Claudel 1915''
at ''Uni France films'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Camille Claudel 1915 2013 biographical drama films 2010s historical films 2013 films 2013 drama films Films directed by Bruno Dumont French biographical drama films French historical films 2010s French-language films Biographical films about sculptors Films set in psychiatric hospitals Films set in 1915 Cultural depictions of Auguste Rodin Cultural depictions of Camille Claudel 2010s French films

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links