Claude Berri, Legendary French filmmaker, died 12 January 2009. He was a prolific producer, director, writer and actor, having directed twenty three films and produced (with his company) over fifty films, and was best known outside of France for his films Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring.
Claude Berel Langmann was born in Paris on 1 July 1934, to Jewish parents of Polish-Romanian background. When France was occupied by Nazi Germany, Berri was sent away to live with non-Jewish caretakers, which was reflected in his film Le Vieil Homme et l'Enfant (The Two of Us, 1967). After the war ended, he rejoined his parents, following in their trade as a furrier for a brief time before becoming an actor.
He began acting in 1953, notably in films directed by Claude Chabrol. However, his first real recognition came when he moved behind the camera, winning an Oscar in 1966 for his short film Le Poulet (The Chicken). This was followed by his first feature film, The Two of Us, in 1967. His earlier films tended to be at least partly autobiographical, as indicated by his tendency to name certain of his characters "Claude".
He produced Tess in 1979, a film version of Thomas Hardy's penultimate novel, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, directed by Roman Polanski and starring Nastassja Kinski in the title role, one of her earliest parts. Tess was Polanski's first film since fleeing America due to legal troubles, and to avoid extradition he filmed it in France, rather than the United Kingdom. Berri took a chance in producing the 3-hour film which helped to give him the reputation as a producer of big-budget films which could rival those of Hollywood.
Outside of France, Berri is best known for his duology, Jean de Florette (1986), and Manon des Sources (Manon of the Spring, 1986). Jean de Florette stars notable actors Yves Montand, Daniel Auteuil, and Gerard Depardieu in the title role, while Manon of the Spring stars Montand, Auteuil, and Emmanuelle Beart. Telling the story of two men who hide a spring of water in order to induce a farmer into selling his land, Jean de Florette was the most expensive French film made at that time. In the sequel, the daughter of the landowner plans her revenge on the two conspirators. With colorful characters, themes reminiscent of Classical tragedy, and noted cinematography of the Provencal countryside, these two films garnered wide appreciation internationally.
Berri wrote and directed Uranus (1990), which was his first film after Manon of the Spring. Set in a postwar French village, the film depicts communists who harass a local tavernkeeper believing he is harboring a former Vichy collaborator and Petain loyalist. While dealing with very Gallic subjects, it is also regarded as a star vehicle for Gerard Depardieu. He followed this with Germinal (1993), another period piece starring Depardieu. Based on Emile Zola's novel, it follows a coalminer's strike in 1860s northern France.
Despite his reputation for grand epics, Berri was not without a sense of humor: he wrote and directed La Débandade (1999), a sex comedy in which he also played the lead role. In the film, Berri portrays an older man who is begins suffering from impotence, to the consternation of both himself and his loving wife (Fanny Ardant). Looking for an answer, he hears about the drug Viagra, which at the time was not legal in France, so he decides to travel to Switzerland in a quest for the drug.
