Jean-claude Carriere
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Biography
A prolific, highly accomplished French playwright and screenwriter, Jean-Claude Carriere is perhaps best recalled for his two decade association with Luis Bunuel during which he contributed to the screenplays of such classics as "The Diary of a Chambermaid" (1964), "Belle du Jour" (1968), "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" (1972) and "That Obscure Object of Desire" (1976). In addition, the writer has enjoyed profitable associations with such top talent as Jacques Deray, Milos Forman, Louis Malle, Volker Schlondorff, Jean-Paul Rappeneau, Andrzej Wajda and Peter Brook, often adapting plays and novels. Adept at a variety of genres, he excels at producing screenplays that demonstrate an acerbic but amused point of view.
A farmer's son who was born and raised in a small village in France, Carriere moved to Paris in the waning days of World War II to pursue his academic studies. By the end of the 1950s, he had published his first novel ("Le Lezard" 1957) and had been introduced to the world of film by Pierre Etaix, with whom he formed his first collaborative relationship. Etaix was a protege of Jacques Tati and Carriere was hired to write the novelizations of such Tati films as "M. Hulot's Holiday" and "Mon Oncle." As the 60s progressed Carriere moved into filmmaking in tandem with Etaix, co-producing, co-writing and co-directing short films including the 1962 Oscar-winner "Heureux Anniversaire/Happy Anniversary." Two years later, Carriere began his notable working relationship with Bunuel, then in his 60s and considered to be on the decline. Their pairing re-invigorated the surrealism of the older man, infusing his work with irony, paradox and a renewed sense of comedy. "The Diary of a Chambermaid," a remake of Jean Renoir's 1946 original, was a searing look at the bourgeoisie in the fascist milieu of 1939 as filtered through the eyes of the family maid (played by Jeanne Moreau). "Belle du Jour" was a wry examination of an uptight newlywed (Catherine Deneuve) who finds a curious liberation in working a day shift at a brothel. Their symbiotic affiliation perhaps reached its apotheosis with "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie," and their final effort, "That Obscure Object of Desire," both of which garnered Academy Award nominations for their screenplays.
After Bunuel's death, Carriere forged a similar working relationship in the theater with Peter Brook. "The Tragedy of Carmen," their reworking of Bizet's opera "Carmen," proved a hit in its Paris and New York stagings and was captured for posterity on film in 1983. The duo later worked on "The Conference of the Birds" in 1982 and in 1987 on the formidable staging of "The Mahabharta" (filmed for British television in 1989).
If Carriere had only worked with Bunuel and Brook, his place in history would be assured, yet those films and plays represent only a part of his astonishing output. Carriere twice collaborated with Louis Malle, most notably on "Le Voleur/The Thief of Paris" (1967). In 1966. he was introduced to Milos Forman who later tapped the writer for assistance on "Taking Off" (1971) and "Valmont" (1989), which some found a more faithful rendering of Choderlos de Laclos' "Les Liaisons dangereuses." Carriere also contributed to the popular French comedy "L'Associe/The Associate" and teamed with Jean-Luc Godard for the somewhat overrated "Sauve qui puet la vie/Every Man for Himself" (both 1979). The screenwriter also proved his mettle joining Volker Schlondorff, Franz Seitz and Gunter Grass in adapting Grass' award-winning novel "The Tin Drum" (also 1979) to film. One of the most memorable films of the 70s and an Oscar-winner for Best Foreign-Language Film, "The Tin Drum" focused on a young boy who refused to grow up when the Nazis assumed power and included one memorable sequence after another. Yet, the film has been subjected to attacks on grounds of obscenity by right-wing groups over one suggestive scene of a sexual nature.
The 80s saw Carriere reach audiences with such diverse adaptations as "Le Retour de Martin Guerre/The Return of Martin Guerre" and "Danton" (both 1982), which both starred Gerard Depardieu. The former, co-written with director Daniel Vigne, earned a Cesar for its mystery of a man returning from war and claiming to be the title character while the latter allowed Andrzej Wajda to draw parallels between France's Reign of Terror and contemporary Poland. He and Brook were two of the credited screenwriters of the opulent but bloodless Proust adaptation "Swann in Love" (1984), directed by Schlondorff. Carriere shared his third Oscar nomination in 1988 for screenwriting with Philip Kaufman for their affecting version of Milan Kundera's erotic and powerful novel "The Unbearable Lightness of Being."
Carriere found a new partner in Jean-Paul Rappeneau with whom he collaborated on what has been called the definitive film version of Rostand's classic "Cyrano de Bergerac" (1990), which showcased Depardieu's towering lead performance. Although he stumbled somewhat with the English-language "At Play in the Fields of the Lord" (1991 -- generally conceded to be an unfilmable work), the screenwriter was back on surer ground with his second teaming with Rappeneau on the lavish period drama "Le Hussard sur le toit/The Horseman on the Roof" (1995) as well as Schlondorff's "The Ogre" (1996), an often overlooked gem. His last produced screenplay to date, "Chinese Box" (1998), though, was another disappointment with an almost anachronistic juxtaposition of a triangular romance set against the waning days of British rule in Hong Kong.
Filmography
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Life Events
1945
Arrived in Paris to study literature and history just before the end of WWII
1957
Began collaboration with Pierre Etaix
1961
Made directorial debut as co-helmer (with Etaix) of the short film "Rupture"
1962
Co-produced (with Etaix) the Oscar-winning short "Heureux Anniversaire/Happy Anniversary"
1962
Feature film screenwriting debut, "Le Soupirant/The Suitor", directed by Etaix
1964
First collaboration with Luis Bunuel, "Le Journal d'une femme de chambre/Diary of a Chambermaid"; also made screen acting debut in film
1965
First collaboration with Louis Malle, "Viva Maria!"
1967
Scripted "Belle du Jour", directed by Bunuel
1967
Reunited with Malle for "Le Voleur/The Thief of Paris"
1967
First English language screenwriting credit, "Hotel Paradiso"
1968
Wrote play "L'Aide-Memoire"; produced on Broadway as "The Little Black Book" in 1972
1969
Initial collaboration with director Jacques Deray, "The Swimming Pool/Basseinut/La Piscine"
1970
Contributed to the script of Deray's gangster drama "Borsalino"
1971
Collaborated with Milos Forman on "Taking Off"
1971
Wrote "A Little Sun in Cold Water/Un Peu de soleil dans l'eau froide", featuring Gerard Depardieu
1972
With Bunuel, co-wrote "Le Charm discret de la bourgeiosie/The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie"; nominated for Best Original Screenplay
1974
Reteamed with Bunuel for "La Fantome de la liberte/The Phantom of Liberty"
1975
Penned screenplay of "Leonor", directed by Jean-Luis Bunuel
1977
Shared an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay for "That Obscure Object of Desire/Cet obscure objet du desir"; final film with Luis Bunuel
1979
Co-wrote the award-winning adaptation of "The Tin Drum", directed by Volker Schlondorff
1979
Contributed to the script for the popular French comedy "L'Associe/The Associate"
1979
Collaborated with Jean-Luc Godard on "Sauve qui peut la vie/Every Man for Himself"
1981
Earned widespread praise for his collaboration with Peter Brook on the stage play "La Tragedie de Carmen/The Tragedy of Carmen"; filmed in 1983
1982
Wrote the stage play "The Conference of Birds" in collaboration with Peter Brook
1982
Co-wrote "Le Retour de Martin Guerre/The Return of Martin Guerre", starring Gerard Depardieu
1982
Made contributions to the script of Andrzej Wajda's historical drama "Danton", starring Depardieu
1984
Reunited with Schlondorff to adapt Proust's "Swann in Love/Un Amour de Swann"; Peter Brook also was one of the credited scenarists
1985
With Olivier Assayas, co-directed feature film "L'Unique"; also worked on screenplay
1987
Second collaboration with Wajda, "The Possessed/Les Possedes"
1988
Collaborated with director Philip Kaufman on the screen version of Milan Kundera's novel "The Unbearable Lightness of Being"; shared a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nomination
1989
With Peter Brook, adapted Brook's acclaimed staging of "The Mahabharta" as a miniseries for British television; eventually aired in the USA
1989
Reunited with Forman to adapt "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" as "Valmont"
1990
Worked with Jean-Paul Rappeneau on the definitive "Cyrano de Bergerac", starring Depardieu
1991
Contributed to the screenplay of "At Play in the Fields of the Lord", directed by Hector Babenco
1995
Adapted "Le Hussard sur le toit/The Horseman on the Roof" for Rappeneau; Depardieu had small role in film
1996
Wrote screenplay for "Le Roi des aulnes/The Ogre", directed by Schlondorff
1998
Wrote screenplay for "Chinese Box", directed by Wayne Wang
1999
Stage play "La Terrasse" opened Off-Broadway
2007
Reunited with Forman to script "Goya's Ghosts"
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