Claude Sautet French director Date of Birth: 23.02.1924 Country: France

François Truffaut: A Biography

Claude Sautet, a French director known for his gentle and subtle films, always stands out amidst the "horror" movies, violence, and pseudo-psychology of many contemporary French films. After a period of fascination with sculpture and decorative arts, Claude Sautet turned to cinema. He started as an editor and then enrolled in the Institute of Cinematography, interning under Claude Autant-Lara on the film "Take Care of Amelia" and several other directors. His first film, "Hello, Smile" (Bonjour Sourire, 1955), went unnoticed. Sautet then turned to detective stories in films such as "Classe Tous Risques" (1960) and "L'arme A Gauche" (1965), which were highly praised by critics and audiences. However, the director refused to continue in this direction. He became interested in various aspects of contemporary life, particularly family and everyday life, which revolve around psychological narratives. Sautet once again started strongly with films like "The Things of Life" (Les Choses De La Vie/L'amante, 1969, starring the brilliant duo of R. Schneider and M. Piccoli) and then "Cesar and Rosalie" (Cesar Et Rosalie, 1972, with R. Schneider and I. Montand). His later films became more "crowded," depicting his familiar environment of the petty and middle bourgeoisie, such as "Vincent, Francois, Paul... Et Les Autres" (1974), "Mado" (1976), "A Simple Story/Une Histoire Simple" (1978), and "Quelques Jours Avec Moi" (1988) - which featured a new duo of S. Bonnair and D. Auteuil at the center of the plot. His film "Un Coeur En Hiver" (1992) won him the award for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival and a Cesar Award. In 1996, he directed the melodrama "Nelly and Mr. Arnaud" (1995) starring E. Béart and M. Serrault, which was a subtle exploration of the world of late-blooming feelings of an aging publisher. Many of Sautet's characters experience crises of consciousness, dream of true love, but encounter either indifference or misunderstanding. Perhaps the director himself is more drawn to genuine male friendship. When he finds the right actors, he skillfully utilizes them even in intimate plots, as exemplified by "Un Mauvais Fils" (1980), in which Patrick Dewaere appeared in one of his last roles, alongside Yves Robert, an outstanding comedy writer and actor.