Sautet, Claude

(1924-2000)

   Actor, director, and screenwriter. Claude Sautet studied at the Institut des Hautes Études Cinématographiques (IDHEC) before directing his first feature film, the comedy Bonjour sourire (1955), followed by Classe tous riques (1960) and L'Arme à gauche (1964). His first major film was Les choses de la vie (1969). It won the Prix Louis-Delluc, was nominated for a Golden Palm at Cannes, and was remade in Hollywood by Mark Rydell as Intersection (1994). Sautet's films have received critical attention because of their intimate portrayals of couples and their attention to detail. These include César et Rosalie (1972), Une histoire simple (1978), Garçon! (1983), Un coeur en hiver (1992), and Nelly et Monsieur Arnaud (1995). Une histoire simple was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film and César awards for Best Director, Best Film, and Best Screenplay. Sautet won Césars for Best Director for Un coeur en hiver in 1993 and Nelly et Monsieur Arnaud in 1996. The former was awarded a Silver Lion at Venice in 1992 and the latter received the Prix Louis-Delluc in 1995. Sautet also directed Max et les ferrailleurs (1971), Vincent, François, Paul, et les autres (1974), Mado (1976), Un mauvais fils (1980), and Quelques jours avec moi (1988). He worked as a scriptwriter on his own films, in addition to Jacques Deray's Borsalino (1970) and Jean-Paul Rappeneau's Les Maries de l'an II(1970), among others. He often hired actors Romy Schneider, Yves Montand, Michel Piccoli, and Emmanuelle Béart.

   Historical Dictionary of French Cinema by Dayna Oscherwitz & Mary Ellen Higgins