René Clément


Director
René Clément

About

Birth Place
France
Born
March 18, 1913
Died
March 17, 1996
Cause of Death
Heart Trouble

Biography

Versatile, gifted director whose early documentary experience was effectively employed for the making of "Battle of the Rails" (1945), a painstaking chronicle of the French Resistance movement. Clement also made the superior thrillers "Les Maudit" (1947) and "Purple Noon" (1960), and the moody and atmospheric Zola adaptation "Gervaise" (1956), but his greatest effort was the touching, ye...

Biography

Versatile, gifted director whose early documentary experience was effectively employed for the making of "Battle of the Rails" (1945), a painstaking chronicle of the French Resistance movement. Clement also made the superior thrillers "Les Maudit" (1947) and "Purple Noon" (1960), and the moody and atmospheric Zola adaptation "Gervaise" (1956), but his greatest effort was the touching, yet unsentimental "Forbidden Games" (1952), about a child adrift in war-torn France. His later work lacked the spark of earlier years. Clement's last feature was 1975's "The Baby Sitter." He died at age 82 in southern France on March 17, 1996.

Life Events

1931

Made first film (amateur animated short), "Cesar chez les gaulois"

1934

First short film as director of photography, "L'Ile de France"; as assistant director, "On demande une brute"

1936

Short film directing debut, "Soigne ton gauche"

1945

Feature film writing and directing debut, "La bataille du rail/Battle of the Rail"

1975

Final feature, "The Baby Sitter"

Bibliography