Sunday, August 11, 2013

August 12: A Day - and Night - Under the Stars with Catherine Deneuve


This is my first entry for the 2013 TCM Summer Under the Stars Blogathon now in progress and hosted by Jill Blake of http://sittinonabackyardfence.com/ and Michael Nazarewycz of http://scribehardonfilm.wordpress.com. Visit their sites for more information on the month-long blogathon and links to participating blogs.


In June 1965 the American magazine, Look, carried a feature entitled, "The Sister Stars of France" celebrating, with pages of pictures and a little hyperbolic prose, the Dorleac sisters of Paris. The piece commended their family which, "after only three generations in the theater, has given France not one, but two, gifted girls." The Dorleac sisters were Francoise, then 23, and Catherine, about to turn 22, who took her mother's maiden name, Deneuve, to avoid being confused with her sister. The "soignee" Francoise was described as "mistily delicious" in one of her recent films, That Man from Rio (1964), and "sweet" Catherine was pronounced "the crushable girl in a crushing world" in one of hers, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964). Just two years later, in June 1967, Francoise perished in a car crash. By then, Catherine had added a twist or two to her pristine screen persona.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg airs on TCM on August 12 at 8pm Eastern/5pm Pacific

The Look article had mentioned that Catherine's next picture was to be Repulsion. That film, directed by Roman Polanski and released in the U.S. in October 1965, showcased Catherine as a withdrawn young woman who goes violently psychotic while staying alone in her vacationing sister's London apartment. In 1967, she would make two noteworthy films. The Young Girls of Rochefort, a lollipop-colored musical, co-starred Catherine and her sister, Francoise, as a pair of dreamy twins longing to leave their seaside town for Paris; it was directed by Jacques Demy (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg). In her second feature of that year, Luis Bunuel's surreal and erotic Belle de Jour, the film with which she is most often identified, Catherine portrayed a refined young Parisian wife with a few psychosexual kinks.

Belle de Jour airs on TCM August 13 at 2:15am Eastern/August 12 at 11:15pm Pacific

The Belle de Jour shoot was demanding. Catherine later recalled that she'd felt exposed in every way and that more of her had been shown, physically, than she had originally been led to expect. She was deeply unhappy on the set and, she remembered, "there were moments when I felt totally used." Francoise was still alive at that time and provided crucial moral support. The sisters were able to talk about her challenges on Belle de Jour, Catherine later said, "in the way you only can when you're personally close and do the same kind of work."  It might seem surprising that Catherine agreed to work with Bunuel once more when he sought her two years later for his Freudian reverie, Tristana (1970). But she had been impressed with the script and thought it important for her to work with Bunuel again - especially in his native Spain. In the end, she would count Tristana among her favorites of her own films.

Mississippi Mermaid (co-starringJean-Paul Belmondo, shown above) airs on TCM August 12 at 9:45am Eastern/6:45 am Pacific

In the late 1960s Francois Truffaut sent Catherine a lengthy note urging her to "say yes to Hitchcock."  During a trip to the U.S. in the fall of 1968, Catherine had met Hitchcock for lunch at the Plaza. It's likely they discussed his plans to make a film of The Short Night based on a novel of the same name as well as a non-fiction account by a double agent. Hitchcock owned the rights to both books and had traveled to Finland, where the story was set, in August 1968 to scout locations. Among those he hoped would star in the film were Sean Connery and Catherine Deneuve. She received a script from Hitchcock but the project was eventually abandoned when his health failed. Catherine lamented not having the chance to work with him but, thanks to Truffaut, she would have her moment as a Hitchcockian blonde.

In the same note in which he urged Catherine to work with Hitchcock, Truffaut also mentioned the project he and she were about to embark upon, Mississippi Mermaid (1969), the first of their two film collaborations. Mississippi Mermaid was also the last in a series known as Truffaut's "Hitchcock Cycle," the group of films he completed during the time he conducted and published his series of interviews with Alfred Hitchcock. Based on a Cornell Woolrich (Rear Window) novel, Mississippi Mermaid's storyline centers on a wealthy Reunion Island plantation owner (Jean-Paul Belmondo) and the arrival of his mail order bride (Deneuve) - who looks nothing like the picture she sent before she sailed to meet and marry him.
 
another French twist...
Catherine's wardrobe on Mississippi Mermaid was created by one of the great fashion designers of the 20th century, Yves Saint Laurent. He designed costumes for her on many films, beginning with Belle de Jour and including Jean-Pierre Melville's last film, Un Flic (1972), and Tony Scott's first feature, The Hunger (1983). The actress and the designer developed a close, lasting friendship; she wore his designs off screen as well as on and became his inspiration and muse.

The Hunger airs August 13 at 4:15am Eastern/1:15am Pacific on TCM

With a body of work spanning 50 years and including more than 100 mostly European films, Catherine Deneuve has portrayed a wide range of characters on screen, expanding her repertoire (from sweet and innocent to beautiful and aloof to strong and independent) as her career progressed. She came, almost accidentally, to film acting through her sister and was initially admired primarily (and profusely) for her serene and impeccable porcelain beauty. Soon enough she was recognized for the depth and sensitivity of her work and, as her reputation flourished, she was able to pick and choose her roles - with several being developed expressly for her. In 1998, Catherine was interviewed on NPR's Fresh Air. She was intrigued by a quote the host read to her, the words of film critic David Thomson: "Deneuve is a fantastic actress, her beauty is a receptacle for any imagination, perhaps the greatest cool blonde, forever hinting at intimations of depravity." She was pleased, laughed lightly and remarked, with modesty, "I would like to meet the person he's talking about."

Catherine was awarded a Golden Palm at Cannes in 2005
Catherine Deneuve, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Indochine (1992); she was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Actress for her performance in Belle de Jour; she was a winner, with her co-stars, of the Berlin International Film Festival's Silver Bear award for 8 Women (2002); she won two of France's Cesar awards for Best Actress - for The Last Metro (1980) and Indochine; and won the Volpi Cup prize for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her performance in Place Vendome (1998). In addition, she has been honored with a multitude of special and lifetime achievement awards.

TCM's Summer Under the Stars tribute to Catherine Deneuve is much deserved - and also well timed; on October 22, she will turn 70.


TCM's Summer Under the Stars, August 12: Catherine Deneuve
(all times Eastern/Pacific)
 
6:00am/3:00am - Le Petit Poucet (2001), A fantasy/fairytale directed by Olivier Dahan

7:45am/4:45am - Repulsion (1965), directed by Roman Polanski and succinctly described by producer Robert Evans as a "really offbeat" thriller, it won the Berlin International Film Festival's Silver Bear honors as well as a directorial award for Polanski; in English

9:45am/6:45am - Mississippi Mermaid (1969), Francois Truffaut's Hitchcock-influenced mystery/thriller, with Jean-Paul Belmondo

12:00pm/9:00am - Un Flic (1972), cool and dark neo-noir directed by a master, Jean-Pierre Melville (Bob le Flambeur, Le Samourai), with Alain Delon and Richard Crenna

2:00pm/11:00am - Le Sauvage (1975), Jean-Paul Rappeneau's madcap romp, with Yves Montand, Tony Roberts and Dana Wynter

4:00pm/1:00pm - The Last Metro (1980), a wartime drama set in Nazi occupied Paris, directed by Francois Truffaut, with Gerard Depardieu; Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and winner of 12 Cesar awards

6:15pm/3:15pm - I'm Going Home (2001), directed by Portuguese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira; an exploration of mortality and the fourth film Oliveira made after the age of 90, with Michel Piccoli and John Malkovich; nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes 

8:00pm/5:00pm - The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), all dialogue is sung in this innovative musical directed by Jacques Demy; winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes; nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Foreign Language Film; Grammy-nominated for its score

10:00pm/7:00pm - Tristana (1970), Luis Bunuel's sadomasochistic dream, with Fernando Rey and Franco Nero; Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Language Film

12:00am/9:00pm - Ma Saison Preferee (1993), Andre Techine's emotional, character-driven family drama features Catherine Deneuve and Daniel Auteuil as a conflicted brother and sister; with Chiara Mastroianni (Catherine's daughter with Marcello Mastroianni); nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes
 
2:15am/11:15pm - Belle de Jour (1967), one of Luis Bunuel's late-career masterpieces - about a bourgeois young wife with a secret life, with Michel Piccoli; winner of the Golden Lion and Pasinetti Award at the Venice Film Festival

4:15am/1:15am - The Hunger (1983), an ultra-stylish, dark and erotic vampire tale directed by Tony Scott, with David Bowie and Susan Sarandon; Scott's feature debut - his next film was the blockbuster, Top Gun (1986); in English
 

Un Flic airs on TCM August 12 at noon Eastern/9am Pacific

Sources:
Look magazine, June 1, 1965
Fresh Air on Stage and Screen, with Terry Gross (WHYY Inc., 2000)
The Guardian, Sept. 21, 2005; interview with Geoff Andrew at BFI/Southbank 
The Private Diaries of Catherine Deneuve by Catherine Deneuve (Pegasus Books, 2007)

29 comments:

  1. The films I am looking forward to the most is the Melville film, UN FLIC, which I have never seen. That said, this is an amazing lineup of films topped by REPULSION, THE LAST METRO, MISSISSIPPI MERMAID and BELLE DU JOUR. My DVR will be burning up!

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    1. John, I'm looking forward to the Melville film very much, too - I haven't seen it. I'll be recording or watching "live" every one of the films scheduled. I haven't seen The Hunger since it was in release and am curious to see it again now that erotic and bloody vampire tales have become so popular (the Twilight movie franchise and HBO's True Blood series).

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  2. I only wish TCM was also showing THAT MAN FROM RIO, which I haven't seen in years. Wonderful profile, as always, of an actress with several classics in her credit. I consider REPULSION her best performance, with BELLE DU JOUR is a close second.

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    1. Rick, I still haven't seen That Man from Rio, but it's on my list. I wish Indochine and Place Vendome had been included in Catherine Deneuve's day - but can't complain, it's a great line-up. I'm not sure which is my favorite of her performances - I haven't seen enough of her 100+ (!) films to make that call. I should admit I find Repulsion, great as it is, difficult to watch.

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    2. Indochine is a spectacular film. That tango scene is mesmerizing.

      Place Vendome is a really interesting film to watch. It's fascinating to watch Deneuve and Emmanuelle Seigner in their scenes together.

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    3. I'm a big fan of both films and have seen them many times. Yes, Indochine is epic - and Place Vendome intriguing. CD has a gift for delivering characterizations that are both sublime and rich in complex roles.

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  3. Ah, they are finally covering my favorite actress on TCM!. I've seen all the films listed above, and if anyone wants advice on what to watch, here are my recommendations from top to a little less than top:
    1. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (AWESOME!)
    2. The Last Metro (love this...she always works well with Depardieu)
    3. Belle de Jour (are they showing it ALL?)
    4. Tristana (a Bunuel twisted, twisted film)
    5. Repulsion (her English is not so good yet, but no mind, as she doesn't talk much---it's more emotive)
    6. Mississippi Mermaid (it's just so bizarre it's good...love the ending)
    7. Un Flic (good story not a big part)
    8. Le Sauvage (Paired with Yves, very, very French)
    9. Ma Saison Preferre (AKA My Favorite Season, which is a really French movie)
    10. Le Petit Poucet (A kiddie flick that she is not the star of)
    11. The Hunger (Bowie and Sarandon...vampire tale)
    12. I'm Going Home (she plays herself and rides around in a gondola/row boat with DeNiro)

    Loved your profile of Ms. Deneuve, Patty.

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    1. Thanks, Kim. I thought of you instantly when I saw that TCM was giving Catherine a day this year.

      Umbrellas is very high on my list, too. Just watched Repulsion again for the first time in years. Impressed again - she was so young and so good in it. There are four on the TCM schedule I haven't seen - I'm Going Home, Le Petit Poucet, Ma Saison Preferee and Un Flic - plus I'm in the process of watching a DVD boxed set of her films.

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  4. I've seen a few of these as one of them I hope to rewatch is The Hunger while the ones I'm DVRing are Belle de Jour, Un Flic, and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg as that film is going to have a special screening at my local art house cinema on the 31st this month which I might go.

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    1. void99, I hope you do go to see The Umbrellas of Cherbourg at the art house screening. It's quite beautiful and especially so on the big screen.

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  5. Eve, your profile of Catherine Deneuve, TCM's SUTS star of the day, is a worthy entry and salute to the actress. I often find the word "elusive" comes to mind when thinking of Ms. Deneuve, but I'm not surprised to learn she has a good sense of humor concerning the hyperbole that inevitably surrounds her work. I've seen many of her better known films: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg; Belle de Jour; The Young Girls of Rochefort and The Last Metro. I have also seen Un Flic, Jean-Pierre Melville's last film, but I am especially looking forward to The Hunger (hoping it combines the dark appeal of Blade Runner and early 1980s club life?).

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    1. Gypsy, "Elusive" is an apt term. Listening to and reading her interviews, I get the impression of an intelligent, intuitive, self-possessed and charming woman - who is very knowledgeable about film and filmmaking.

      I'm looking forward to The Hunger, too. I saw it when it was originally released and not since. My memory of it is only of certain images - some seductive, some horrific. And an impression of '80s stylishness. I understand the film's last scene was tacked on. Susan Sarandon has gone on record as to why she doesn't think the added ending worked. Knowing this and remembering what I remember, I'm eager to see it again.

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  6. I was really looking forward to reading this and you don't disappoint, Patty! Wonderful tribute to a great actress. All of it is fascinating!

    Aurora

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    1. Aurora - So nice to know you looked forward to this post - such a life Catherine Deneuve has lived (worthy of a series of blog posts). Her book is mesmerizing - the full title is: The Private Diaries of Catherine Deneuve: My Life Behind the Camera with Luis Bunuel, Francois Truffaut, Roman Polanski and Lars von Trier.

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  7. I've gotten to see most of "The Hunger" (I'll finish it later) - so far it holds up to my memory ... quite fascinating really. David Bowie (who is actually a vampire in real life) is perfect for this part and Deneuve and Sarandon make quite a hot Old World/New World couple (a case of modern science being consumed by the ancient and the irrational). Very moody and I find Deneuve almost at her most attractive - both mature and mysterious. Obviously, Deneuve was a little rough on her ex-lovers, but she did try to comfort them as best she could ... when you're hungry, you're hungry. I'm looking forward to finishing it.

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    1. MCB - I recorded The Hunger but have been watching the films I haven't seen before first. Have watched Un Flic and Ma Saison Preferee so far, but may go to The Hunger before La Petit Poucet and I'm Going Home. Plus, as mentioned in another reply, I have a DVD set of her films to finish, too. So much Catherine Deneuve and so little time.

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  8. Beautiful post Lady Eve, on the iconic face of France. I've always enjoyed and admired her films. I can't but think that her elusive and mysterious air comes from a certain shyness. Certainly she was in her sister's shadow for a while, and I doubt that she was unsatisfied with that situation. I'm glad TCM featured her, a chance to re-screen some of my favorites.

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    1. Christian, Catherine has referred to herself as shy - particularly in her youth. She wrote that Francoise was the extrovert, she was the introvert and that together they complemented each other. I have been very pleased TCM has, in recent years, honored stars of international cinema (like Jean Gabin, Conrad Veidt, Toshiro Mifune and now Catherine Deneuve) during SUTS.

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  9. LE,
    I just read the Repulsion review so this was a nice followup with so much great info on Catherine. You've touched upon so much with the references to Hitch then her fashion. YSL had the perfect muse with her didn't he?

    As I mentioned in Polanski's film review, it is interesting that he had his blonde's that he terrorized in his films as Hitch did. Polanski just took things a bit farther than Hitch dared to although I'm sure if he hadn't been restrained there is no telling what we would have seen on film.

    A really enjoyable read, LE with so much info that I didn't know about CD.

    I hope you're having a great weekend and sorry it took so long to get over here to read your article.
    Page

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    1. Page, Yes, Hitchcock was more restrained (if still quite subversive). Not surprising since he was British with parents who were of the Victorian Age. Polanski, on the other hand, was a child of the Warsaw ghetto and lost family, including his mother, to the Nazi concentration camps. When I saw my first Polanski film - Rosemary's Baby - I thought he was the new Hitchcock.

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  10. Wonderful post, Lady Eve. You had me at that opening photo, but she is one of my favorites, so I just had to read on. She is truly a great star and a very classy lady. I saw Mississippi Mermaid years ago and long so see it again.

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    1. Chick, Much as I love to write I must admit that "a picture is worth a thousand words" and chose that opening photo of Catherine Deneuve very carefully. I've watched Mississippi Mermaid a couple of times recently. It puts me in a mood to watch Truffaut's most Hitchcockian films back-to-back: The Soft Skin, The Bride Wore Black and Mississippi Mermaid.

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  11. Beautifully written tribute to Deneuve, Eve. I didn't know a lot about her, and was particularly interested in her background as she began her career. Excellent contribution to the blogathon...

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    1. Thanks, Becky. I've seen only a handful of her 100+ films but am working my way toward two handfuls...

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  12. Great article! I enjoyed the informations you had from LIFE magazines. I wrote about Deneuve as a fashion icon, and a look in her career is always good. I need still to watch Mississippi Mermaid, but The Last Metro was so great!
    Kisses!

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    1. Le, I was fortunate to find a copy of that issue of LIFE on EBay. So interesting to read about "the Dorleac sisters" nearly 50 years later. Mississippi Mermaid has its flaws but I find it hard to resist - for Catherine as a femme fatale and Belmondo as her victim, and for Truffaut's direction, Cornell Woolrich's story and the heavy influence of Alfred Hitchcock.

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  13. Eve,

    I hate to admit this, but I know very little about Deneuve. With your marvelous contribution and the other great posts submitted for the blogathon, I've realized that I need to get my act together.

    MISSISSIPPI MERMAID sounds most intriguing. I adore Belmondo and Truffaut...and you know how I feel about Hitchcock. I regret that I didn't DVR it. I'll try to find a copy.

    I am so sorry it has taken me a while to get over here to read your piece and comment. There have been so many contributions and I want to take my time with each one of them. Thanks again for participating in the Blogathon.

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  14. This was really instructive - I knew very little abut Catherine Deneuve. And I just realized I have seen NONE of her movies!

    Thanks for a great post and a wonderful tribute.

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    1. May I suggest The Umbrellas of Cherbourg as the ideal introduction to Catherine Deneuve? It's an inventive and very beautiful film on its own - and she is perfectly cast.

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